l'm back after a few years

[coosa]

Originally Posted by augiedoggy

This seems to have better performance than what im using now... it is a boost controller so you can basically make a 10amp charger set to output whatever specific voltage you want from any lower voltage dc power source including a power supply or solar panel(s)

I used a boost controller like it to charge my battery pack from my 30v bench power supply before my 20amp charger arrived on the slow boat.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/404153512276

Thanks! I had found that one on a web search, but anyone considering it better understand that it is literally gonna ship on a slow boat from China. Amazon has one that looks similar for a few dollars more; I think I am gonna try it.

SUNYIMA MPPT Controller 300W 24V/36V/48V/60V/72V Solar Boost Charge Controller Electric Car Electric Vehicle Charging Voltage Regulator https://a.co/d/f4dG6pB

[augiedoggy]

Originally Posted by coosa

Thanks! I had found that one on a web search, but anyone considering it better understand that it is literally gonna ship on a slow boat from China. Amazon has one that looks similar for a few dollars more; I think I am gonna try it.

SUNYIMA MPPT Controller 300W 24V/36V/48V/60V/72V Solar Boost Charge Controller Electric Car Electric Vehicle Charging Voltage Regulator https://a.co/d/f4dG6pB

yup that is the exact same controller just resold by someone in the states for an extra $20 markup which isnt bad if you want it quickly.

[coosa]

Originally Posted by augiedoggy

yup that is the exact same controller just resold by someone in the states for an extra $20 markup which isnt bad if you want it quickly.

At least there is a chance to return it if it doesn't work. I bought another 100 watt solar panel to use with it and plan to just stick a couple of alligator clips on it to hook to the golf cart end batteries. That way I could use both chargers at the same time.

My remote cabin is very much low tech redneck. I have a mixture of different types of solar panels I've bought over the years that charge a string of batteries that's a mix of 6 volt cart batteries and 12 volt marine batteries. An inverter type generator that runs on gasoline or propane backs up the battery pack. The whole system looks discombobulated, but it's been working for 16 years now.

If I have used the cart on the last day before I leave, I put gasoline in the generator and hook it up to the golf cart charger and leave it running when I leave. It eventually runs out of gasoline and shuts down, but if I am gone for a couple of weeks that's hard on the cart batteries. I'm hopeful that this panel will extend the life of them by keeping a constant charge.

I have been surprised at how long batteries last in the cabin with the solar panels connected to them. I have a couple of 12 volt chargers that put a charge into the string whenever the generator is running, and I never let them get below 50% . But the panels keep them hot all the time and I have some that are 12 years old and still working. I've found that they will work until they short out internally, and when that happens it drags the whole system down. If I get to the house and find that the battery system is reading low then I know that one has shorted. I disconnect them from each other and it's easy to identify which one has died.

Not much useful info in this post, but maybe someone will find my battery experience interesting. I think that it really extends the life of FLA battery to keep it fully charged all the time.

[augiedoggy]

Originally Posted by coosa

At least there is a chance to return it if it doesn't work. I bought another 100 watt solar panel to use with it and plan to just stick a couple of alligator clips on it to hook to the golf cart end batteries. That way I could use both chargers at the same time.

My remote cabin is very much low tech redneck. I have a mixture of different types of solar panels I've bought over the years that charge a string of batteries that's a mix of 6 volt cart batteries and 12 volt marine batteries. An inverter type generator that runs on gasoline or propane backs up the battery pack. The whole system looks discombobulated, but it's been working for 16 years now.

If I have used the cart on the last day before I leave, I put gasoline in the generator and hook it up to the golf cart charger and leave it running when I leave. It eventually runs out of gasoline and shuts down, but if I am gone for a couple of weeks that's hard on the cart batteries. I'm hopeful that this panel will extend the life of them by keeping a constant charge.

I have been surprised at how long batteries last in the cabin with the solar panels connected to them. I have a couple of 12 volt chargers that put a charge into the string whenever the generator is running, and I never let them get below 50% . But the panels keep them hot all the time and I have some that are 12 years old and still working. I've found that they will work until they short out internally, and when that happens it drags the whole system down. If I get to the house and find that the battery system is reading low then I know that one has shorted. I disconnect them from each other and it's easy to identify which one has died.

Not much useful info in this post, but maybe someone will find my battery experience interesting. I think that it really extends the life of FLA battery to keep it fully charged all the time.

If it helps to know, everything on ebay has to be returnable whether they state it or not.. I know this as a seller. if it states it works and it doesnt they have to resolve the situation or refund you return or not.
Typically if you get something from china and it doesnt work, They refund you after sometimes asking you to settle for a partial refund first. And then they tell you to throw it away rather than return. At least thats been my experience and I have over 3000 purchases there now. On the flip side I still cant seem to get refunded for the no show resistors I ordered from amazon back in December... They state running late with no way to resolve that I can find.

alligator clips will likely limit the current capacity. at least thats been my experience both with and without them. Even my 20a charger only output 16 amps with the supplied alligator clips.

[coosa]

Originally Posted by augiedoggy

If it helps to know, everything on ebay has to be returnable whether they state it or not.. I know this as a seller. if it states it works and it doesnt they have to resolve the situation or refund you return or not.
Typically if you get something from china and it doesnt work, They refund you after sometimes asking you to settle for a partial refund first. And then they tell you to throw it away rather than return. At least thats been my experience and I have over 3000 purchases there now. On the flip side I still cant seem to get refunded for the no show resistors I ordered from amazon back in December... They state running late with no way to resolve that I can find.

alligator clips will likely limit the current capacity. at least thats been my experience both with and without them. Even my 20a charger only output 16 amps with the supplied alligator clips.

Thanks for the info on ebay ordering; I don't have that much experience with them. I just wanted to get the project done once I decided on it, and it was worth a little extra to get everything in this week.
.I am sure the alligator clips will limit it's efficiency somewhat, but it shouldn't matter a lot in this case. The cart will already be charged when I hook the solar panel to it. I just need it to trickle charge a little and keep the batteries from discharging. They are a couple of years old and I want them to last a lot longer.

I thought of getting a smaller panel than the 100 watt one that I bought, but there wasn't a lot of difference in the cost. I might hook up one of the old panels for the cart and put the new one in the string for the house.

I'll report back on how it works. I think there are a good many folks who might benefit from solar, but if you order a ready made kit it's hundreds of dollars and likely not worth it.

[augiedoggy]

Originally Posted by coosa

Thanks for the info on ebay ordering; I don't have that much experience with them. I just wanted to get the project done once I decided on it, and it was worth a little extra to get everything in this week.
.I am sure the alligator clips will limit it's efficiency somewhat, but it shouldn't matter a lot in this case. The cart will already be charged when I hook the solar panel to it. I just need it to trickle charge a little and keep the batteries from discharging. They are a couple of years old and I want them to last a lot longer.

I thought of getting a smaller panel than the 100 watt one that I bought, but there wasn't a lot of difference in the cost. I might hook up one of the old panels for the cart and put the new one in the string for the house.

I'll report back on how it works. I think there are a good many folks who might benefit from solar, but if you order a ready made kit it's hundreds of dollars and likely not worth it.

Hundreds? show me that kit... All I could find when I began looking were kits for well over a grand. some of them not even very good IMHO.

I'd stick with the 100w panel at least... dont forget its going to be putting less amps into your battery once stepped up to 36 or 48v... you want at least enough to actually charge such a big pack id guess you would only get 1 amp or so with 100w which might not even be enough. facebook classifieds is where ive been finding deals on bigger panels these days.

[coosa]

Originally Posted by augiedoggy

Hundreds? show me that kit... All I could find when I began looking were kits for well over a grand. some of them not even very good IMHO.

I'd stick with the 100w panel at least... dont forget its going to be putting less amps into your battery once stepped up to 36 or 48v... you want at least enough to actually charge such a big pack id guess you would only get 1 amp or so with 100w which might not even be enough. facebook classifieds is where ive been finding deals on bigger panels these days.

I'm sure that's good advice on sticking with the larger panel. I guess it oughta put out something like 3 amps on 36 volts at peak sunlight, but if the little controller I already have is accurate, the panels never operate at what they are rated. But I have 12 batteries on my string for the house and they are kept up pretty well by a 100 watt panel + four 16 yr old panels that were rated for 15 watts each. They won't keep them fully charged while I'm at the house using them, but in between trips they get them up to 100% charge. The one that has really surprised me is that a single 15 watt panel is keeping up a group 27 marine battery that operates an RV style pump to provide water. I never expected that single panel to keep it up, but it does. I've had to help it only a couple of times in 16 years.

Here's the kit that I noticed last week:

https://www.eco-worthy.com/products/...-72v-batteries

The 100 watt kit, which is probably not as good as what I ordered from Amazon, is $199. There was nothing like that available a few years ago. The MPPT charge controllers made it feasible to use solar with a cart. Thanks to all those here who made me aware of them.

[augiedoggy]

Solar is no joke I haven't had an electric bill in three years thanks to it. And it's been working great on my little pop up trailer for almost twelve years

[coosa]

I wanted to update everyone on the solar charging system after a week of use. There is nothing to this "system" except a 100 watt solar panel and the MPPT charge controller listed above, along with some size 12 wire and alligator clips on the end. I installed it last Wednesday and when I got to the farm last night the pack showed 40.1 volts, which is right where Trojan says to maintain it.

When I got the controller from Amazon, I was disappointed to see that it wasn't the one described. They said it has user adjustable buttons, but the one they shipped is a different model from the one described. The user manual is also for the other model. The one I got has no adjustment at all, but says "self setting" on it. I was skeptical of it, but it went right to working as soon as I hooked it up.

I will still charge the cart with the old Lester while I am at the farm, but I am hopeful that solar charger will extend the life of the batteries.

[coosa]

I'm bumping this thread about the solar charger to see if anyone has any advice for me; Augie, are you still around?

So the cheap mppt controller worked fine when I hooked it up to the cart and the 100 watt solar panel. It somehow sensed that the cart was 36 volts and kept it at around 40 volts while the sun is shining. Since it drops to nothing at night, I thought that should do a good job of keeping the batteries topped off while I'm not around.

But then I got to the farm yesterday and the controller read 46.1 volts, which is a higher charge rate than any 36 volt charger I've ever had. I tested the pack with my meter and got 45.5, but the meter has always read a little lower than the controller.

That seems to be way too high, especially for a charger that is always on in the daytime. I'm afraid it's going to boil the batteries with that much current.

Is my concern valid, or will it not hurt anything? I realize this isn't the sort of thing that most golf cart guys deal with, but I'm hopeful someone has some solar experience and can advise me. I guess my only options are to keep letting it charge , or just do away with the charging system. Thanks for any ideas.