Solar Panel

[Bob Bulot]

Aladdin shows 24 volts from the solar panel, but always shows 0 amps.  I have checked the fuses at the batteries.  Any suggestions where to go from here?

[Gerald Farris]

Bob,
A voltage reading of 24 volts indicates an open circuit between your 12 volt panels and your batteries. Have you checked the voltage in and out of you solar charge controller? If you really do have 24 volts into the controller and 0 volts or chassis battery voltage out (depending on diode configuration), you have a bad controller. But if the controller has an output significantly above chassis battery voltage, you have an open circuit (bad fuse or connection) between the controller and batteries. If you have an open circuit that you can not readily locate, the best way to trace the circuit is usually with a electronic circuit tracer (tone generator).

Gerald

[Bob Bulot]

Thanks, Gerald.  I'll go over and check the controller this afternoon.  On a sunny day, what should the readout be, roughly?

(BTW:  Didn't we meet at the Indio FMCA meet this year?

[Gerald Farris]

Bob,
Unfortunately, I was not at the Indio rally this year because its date conflicted with the CES show in Las Vegas. However, I was the Rally Master for BAC Quartzsite rally the next week if you were there.   

The readings that you should expect on the output side of your charge controller will vary by what is the state of charge for your batteries, but I would expect around 13.8 to 13.9 volts at 6 to 7 amps if your inverter is at float charge with 150 watts of solar panels in the Indio area now. But remember these readings are an estimate and if you have any shade on the panels (clouds or trees), the inverter is not at float charge, or if you are using very much 12 volt current at the time, they will not be accurate.

Gerald


 

[Bob Bulot]

OK.  So, my controller is a Heliotrope RV-45D.  The voltage measurement at the various terminals on the controller are: Solar: 1.5 to 3.3 volts.  House: 11.97 volts, Engine: 12.97 volts. The day was clear and sunny.

At the battery, the wire with the fuse read 4.92 volts at the house battery terminal.

I could not get an amperage reading at any point.  The Aladdin reads ”24.3 volts and 0 amps.” I reset the Aladdin, but no change.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Bob,
Sounds like the controller is not working. Check to see that the switches are in the correct positions just in case. Manual is on web if you need it.
Steve

[Bob Bulot]

Thanks Steve. The switches are on-off-on-on.
Do you know whether this controller is still manufactured?

Bob

[Joel Ashley]

For wet cell house bats the dip switches are as you say yours are set, Bob, and the equalizing charge switch is set to the left at “EQ”.  In the event you or a previous owner installed AGMs instead, the dip switches are the same except number 3 is off rather than on, and the equalizer is set right to “FL” (float charge);  at least that’s the book on our Monterey.  The Temp Comp switch is to the left in both cases.

Joel

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Not sure if they are still made. I saw a couple used ones for sale on web.
Steve

[Bill Lampkin]

You might call AM Solar in Springfield Or for a replacement solar controller. They were involved w/Helio originally, so they can offer a replacement, or tech help.

Happy Easter!

[William Jordan]

The HelioTrope was actually made by AM Solar before hasn't been made in years and is seriously outdated with minimum adjustablity.  If I were you Id just replace it. AM solar as much as told me so when I inquired some years ago. There are several good makers out there. Morningstar , Blue sky etc. 

[Bob Bulot]

Bob,
Sounds like the controller is not working. Check to see that the switches are in the correct positions just in case. Manual is on web if you need it.
Steve

Re checked the switches.  All are correctly set.  (I noted that, although the coach had AGM’s when I bought it, the House switch had been set to EQ mode). 

Forgive my confusion, but I still don’t understand all I know about this thing.  When I take a voltage measurement at the “Solar” terminals, am I reading the voltage level of the panels?  When I first rechecked the reading yesterday, it read 23.7 V (same as the Aladdin).  20 minutes later, the reading was 3.8 V (the Aladdin still said 23.7).  Does the output of the panels vary that much?  The light outside was unchanged.

And, Steve, when you say the controller may not be working, is it because I can’t seem to find any amperage anywhere ?   

Thanks to all for your patience.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Bob,
The solar +- terminals are the output of the solar panel(s). Assuming I understand the operation correctly, the  voltage across those terminals should be relatively constant in bright sunlight. If it is varying as you say, I'd suspect a bad panel, an intermittent connection between the panel and the controller, or a problem in the controller that is dragging the voltage down. Try disconnecting the wires to the solar +- and measure the voltage across the wires. If it is a steady reading at 15v or higher (depending on sunlight), the panels /wiring is probably OK and the controller is the culprit.
Steve

[Bob Bulot]

First, the variations in the voltage coming from the panels was due to a faulty volt meter (I should have never gone with the Fisher-Price model). 

Once I started using a real volt meter, the actual voltage on the leads from the solar panels, whether connected or disconnected from the controller, are a consistent 24 volts in bright daylight.

I can’t figure out from the attached schematic, or anywhere else, whether this output voltage should be 12 volts, or 24 volts (i.e: in series or parallel).

The schematic appears to show four solar panels, but might only be two sections of two panels, by the way they’re wired. 

Still confused.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Bob,
Panels are in parallel. A solid 24v is what you should expect across the solar leads. The house and chassis battery leads should have about 13.2 V if the controller is working.
Steve