Author Topic: Solar panel and audio question  (Read 10686 times)

Lawrence Tarnoff

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Solar panel and audio question
« on: May 13, 2015, 09:45:12 PM »
Finally got a look at the roof on our coach and, lo and behold, there's a solar panel staring back at me.  Like many things about this new adventure, I know nothing about solar.  Can anyone give me a quick overview?  No documentation on this in the coach.

Also, I'd like to tie in my i-Stuff to the sound system.  The radio is Delco and it delivers good sound quality through the distributed speaker system.  I'd rather not replace it if there is an easy way to add an RCA-plug input.  Any thoughts?

Thanks!!

Larry

Edward Buker

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2015, 05:21:26 AM »
The solar panel usually feeds a control board that regulates the dc voltage output to an appropriate level for charging at around 13.8V. It will deliver between 1 and maybe 6 amps depending on the panel(s) capacity and how much sun it is seeing. These systems are usually quite reliable. You can expect it to keep the house batteries at a decent charge level if the coach is not in use and it is left outside. These systems are not adequate to provide the current needed to handle most needs of living in the coach. If you had all led lights it might possibly handle your lighting needs.

The Delco unit, if it has an auxiliary input which means a set of female rca jacks on the back or as part of the wiring then there would be a way but I know of no way to add that circuitry after the fact. Modern electronics for cars is relatively inexpensive so that would be a good thing to replace to allow for the necessary inputs. There are blue tooth modules that can plug into aux rca jacks which allow wireless streaming from your phone. Your main audio system run on your inverter may also handle this task. I have added a blue tooth module to my Bose system for the purpose of streaming music.

Later Ed

Steve Huber Co-Admin

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2015, 05:31:52 AM »
Larry,
Does your coach have any other sound / stereo equipment or is it just the Delco radio?
Steve
Steve
2015-          07 Contessa Bayshore C9,  400 hp
2013-2015: 00 Marquis Tourmaline, C12, 425 hp
2005-2013: 01 Contessa Naples, 3126B, 330 hp

Lawrence Tarnoff

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2015, 04:46:32 PM »
Thanks, Ed.  So how can I tell if it is operating?  Is there an on-off switch? 

Larry

Greg Kamper

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2015, 09:52:07 PM »
I have a cassette tape adapter for my iPod/iPad. I also bought a cheap amp and two speakers that I mounted under the dash so I don't have to use the Bose system when we are driving. My coach's in dash radio originally ran through the Bose. Not how I would have designed it. Another thing you might want to do is to put a power switch on the radio power. It will drain the chassis batteries otherwise. There are two wires on the delco stereo for power. One is for the clock, and the other is for the power. On my coach the stereo always had power, even when the stereo was turned off the amp was still drawing power. The switch solved that, no more dead chassis batteries.

Lawrence Tarnoff

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2015, 10:10:57 PM »
Thanks, Greg.  Can you provide me any specifics on the cassette adapter?  Brand?

Edward Buker

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2015, 10:42:55 PM »
Larry,

No switch, it is just on and available all the time. If you have a monitor panel for 12V DC for the coach you could check the house battery voltage without any other source while in bright sun. If you see over 12.8V consistently then it is probably working. A good way to check is to cover the solar panel with a blanket and the battery voltage should drop some within a few minutes.

Later Ed

Lawrence Tarnoff

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2015, 09:11:29 PM »
Found one of the cassette adapters at Best Buy.  $15.75 vs about $200 for a new radio rig.  I'm sure the sound quality doesn't match what I'd get with a new radio, but it is fine for these tired old ears.

Edward Buker

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2015, 11:48:32 PM »
Lawrence,

Do you have a 120V stereo system in the coach that will run on your inverter? If so these units are inexpensive, work very well to link a phone, and the sound quality is great. I play my Itune downloaded music, some of my own MP3 music and Pandora. You link the phone, tie this module to your amp system and you are good to go.

The cassette units are pretty poor for sound quality.

http://www.amazon.com/HomeSpot-NFC-Enabled-Bluetooth-Receiver-System/dp/B009OBCAW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431816286&sr=8-1&keywords=bluetooth+adapter+audio

Later Ed

Greg Kamper

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2015, 08:26:01 PM »
Sorry Lawrence,

That adapter is probably what I have. The sound isn't the best but my wife doesn't like it if my tunes are blasting anyway! I would recommend putting in the switch though. The radio will drain you batteries otherwise.

Steve Huber Co-Admin

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2015, 09:22:04 PM »
Lawrence,
If your Delco radio has RCA cables (red & white) coming into the rear (or front) of it you can add a selector switch and be able to select either what it is hooked up to now or a new piece of audio equipment like an Ipod or MP3 player. Simply get a selector switch (here is a Radio shack unit) http://www.radioshack.com/radioshack-composite-a-v-selector-switch/1500312.html.  Unplug the existing cables from the radio jacks and and run new red and white RCA cables from the selector output to the radio. Then plug the cables that were hooked up to the radio into the input 1 position on the selector. Plug a cable that has RCA connectors on one end and a headphone connector on the other end into the input 2 position on  the selector. Plug the headphone plug into your MP3 player, select input 2 on the selector and you will hear the MP3 output from the radio. If the radio has multiple RCA jack inputs you can use any of them.
If the radio has equipment such as a CD or tape player hooked up to it, you can also put the selector at the output of one of those units. Unplug the RCA cables at the player and plug them into the selector output. Then plug the new RCA cables to one of the selector inputs and the MP3 cable to the other input.
Steve
Steve
2015-          07 Contessa Bayshore C9,  400 hp
2013-2015: 00 Marquis Tourmaline, C12, 425 hp
2005-2013: 01 Contessa Naples, 3126B, 330 hp

Lawrence Tarnoff

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2015, 03:38:59 PM »
Thanks, Steve.  I will try to get a peek at the back of the radio.  Not a lot of room to get under the dash.

Lawrence Tarnoff

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2015, 12:08:17 AM »
Another thing you might want to do is to put a power switch on the radio power. It will drain the chassis batteries otherwise. There are two wires on the delco stereo for power. One is for the clock, and the other is for the power. On my coach the stereo always had power, even when the stereo was turned off the amp was still drawing power. The switch solved that, no more dead chassis batteries.

Our coach has been sitting in the driveway, plugged in to a home outlet, and I find my chassis batteries are dead.  I stuck me head under the dash to discover about a dozen (at least) white wires leading into the Delco radio.  How does one determine which are the power wires?  Obviously, I need to add that power switch or remember to turn off the chassis batteries when I park.  These are brand new batteries.

Also ... I thought (obviously mistakenly) that being plugged into the home outlet would charge both battery banks. 

Larry
(learning something new every day)

Gerald Farris

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Re: Solar panel and audio question
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2015, 04:15:19 AM »
Larry,
If you were plugged in to shore power with the house batteries being charged by the inverter, your chassis should have been charged by your Echo Charger assuming that you still have one. First locate the Echo Charger and check the indicator light on it. If the light is green and it is not charging the chassis batteries, you probably have a bad output fuse. If there is no light, the input fuse is bad or the Echo Charger could be bad, but 90% of the time it is just a bad fuse.

Gerald