how many solar amps should I be getting

[ontheroadagain]

Hi everyone,<br>I installed a 250w 29v 8.37amp mono panel on my little RV. It is mounted flat (not the best I know).<br>I have it hooked (6ft 10g wire)to a 500w mppt controller that can handle the input volts and amps.<br>I have one 12v deep cycle battery now connected to the mppt with 6g wire maybe 4 ft<br> <br>I am in western MA and I just cleared snow off my rv roof and solar panel. I checked the pv amp on the controller meter and it is reading 0.1 amp at 3pm. There are clear skies with lots of sun (no clouds anywhere). When I first installed it a week ago late afternoon sun about 4pm and I was reading 1.3-2.0 amps. Does anyone have experience with solar in the northern states. Is this all I would get in amps this time of year?<br><br>I would like to be able to raise it on one side to get a better angle with the sun but can not envision an easy way to accomplish creating the mounting brackets. <br><br>Currently it is mounted on rails that are attached to my luggage rack on the rear of my RV.<br><br>What are you folks doing for angling your panels, if anything?<br><br>thanks<br>rick

 

[psytechguy]

Hi Rick,<br><br>Try asking the folks on these forums:<br><br>http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/forum.php<br><br>the folks on there know their stuff about solar.<br><br>Mike

 

[wrcsixeight]

I am at 32'N and even on overcast days see 2 to 4 amps from 198 watts, and 9 to 13 amps on sunny days.<br><br>Your latitude is not responsible for such low numbers. &nbsp;Something is not right&nbsp;

 

[ontheroadagain]

wrcsixeight:That's what I was thinking. I will do some investigation tomorrow. <br><br>I just thought of something that may contribute? There had been snow on my rv's roof<br>and I had just cleared it from the roof and solar panel. If the panel was still wet that might cause enough sun light distortion to knock out any amp production?? I see tomorrow I guess<br><br>thanks<br>rick

 

[ontheroadagain]

I found the problem. There was a bad connection at one of the crimps.<br>I used those yellow plastic covered butt connectors. I need a better solution for connecting the wires together. Today I am reading 3-4 amps input from panel. I am in northern MA at 10am. thats 3-4amps at 29v. The metter shows the battery is getting about 7amps! wahooooooooooooooo<br><br><br>thanks for the help

 

[wrcsixeight]

The plastic covered butt connectors rarely give a great long lasting connection.<br><br>I prefer to strip the plastic off the connector. &nbsp;Then I can see better to make sure the crimp is compressed correctly, then slide heat shrink over the joint.<br><br>On exterior crimps I will use liquid electrical tape under 2 layers of heatshrink

 

[ontheroadagain]

I was trying to use heatshrink but could slide it over the crimp.<br>I don't think I could even if I removed the plastic. I did try to remove the plastic for about 5 seconds but didn't think there was any way to get it off. I'm unclear what a correct crimp should look like. I just squeeze real hard with pliers.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Pliers? &nbsp;Are you mad sir? <br><br>&nbsp;That is a hideous method and very improper. &nbsp;You should pull on all the connections you made with about 50 lbs of force. &nbsp;I bet all nearly all of your crimps fail this test<br><br>I use a razor knife along the side of the plastic to remove it from the butt connector. Do be careful and cut away from your fingers. &nbsp;Heat shrink over the plastic on the insulated butt connectors will not be able to shrink enough to form a seal anyway.<br><br>This is a proper tool for crimping 10awg and smaller wire.<br>

<br><br>The butt connectors usually have a seam. &nbsp;I use the crimpers above to fold this seam into the wire I am joining. &nbsp;I then relocate the die to further push both ends deeper into the wire crush the seam in on itself, then a different part of the die to then reduce the crimp size to the same diameter as the wire. &nbsp;Then the liquid electrical tape, then 2 layers of heat shrink.<br><br>The only time I use butt connectors with the original plastic insulation still on is for temporary installations, or things i do not care about and will at most blow a fuse if/ when failure occurs.<br><br>Though some do this exactly opposite of me and push the die opposite the seam.<br><br>I would not trust any connection with butt connectors crushed with pliers.

 

[highdesertranger]

you can buy the connectors without the plastic on them.&nbsp; cheaper that way too.&nbsp; stay away from the chinese junk ones like harbor freight sells most of those are ferrous = bad.&nbsp; they also make waterproof heat shrink very expensive.&nbsp; highdesertranger