Electrical Circuit Update - Including Solar.

[Bob]

Hi all and a Happy New Year.
I've attached two updated drawings and a couple of photos after finally finding my house battery, and thanks to the kids Xmas present of a 120W Solar panel, I was kept me busy over the Xmas break connecting it up.

The old 120Ahr house battery found behind the bottom fibreglass panel just right of the entrance door and accessed through 3 wing-nuts under  the van was just about dry, and explained my decreasing stored power, but ample vehicle supply.

Since cleaning up the battery I'm getting about 30 Amp hours out of it, but with the 7 to 8 charging amps on a sunny day that I'm getting out of the Solar panel, it recharges fully most days and should just about allow us to not require the engine if not parked in the shade. I'll see how long I can last on this old battery before replacing it with a new 120 amp/hr one. With the battery so dry when I found it, I was advised to only fill it with water and recharge it as I was thinking of renewing the acid. I was told this would just erode the battery plates unnecessarily.

I only used a tube of white Sikaflex 291 to fix the panel flush to the roof in the end, and so only required one internal hole through the roof to run cables. I prepared the fibreglass surface where the aluminium panel surround was to meet it by removing all wax and dirt and lightly sanding the area about 30mm wide. I done about a 1000k's with it on and all seems good. The sikflex provides a rubbery filler and attached well to ensure airflow went over instead of under it. The panel only stand about 40mm high so there is probably little effect from the airstream when travelling.

The panel came through Cellpower NZ and had good instruction and installation diagrams. 06 878 2804  www.cellpower.co.nz
The only downer was the quality of the power connectors which are on notice to go in the bin and be soldered if they give me any more connection problems.
Regards
Bob.

 
 

[Bob]

PS   I've added a copy of the old Monitor circuit for those using the new Google Groups.
 

[Patsy]

On Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:45:01 -0800 (PST), you wrote:

>Hi all and a Happy New Year.

Hi Bob happy New Year to you too

>I've attached two updated drawings and a couple of photos after finally
>finding my house battery, and thanks to the kids Xmas present of a 120W
>Solar panel, I was kept me busy over the Xmas break connecting it up.

I was just wondering, We had a new 12volt plug and 230 plug fitted
yesterday for the TV. When I looked at the bill there was a $22
charge for an "electrical certificate" when I queried this (as we
have a new Electrical warrant) I was told that all electrical work
done on caravans and campers must now have an Electrical Certificate
filled in and dated and signed by the experts. One copy came to me one
copy stays with the firm that did the job and the other copy went to
some far off place "Electrical something or other" Apparently now if
there is a fire or other problem in the camper I have to show the
certificate to prove that the work done was by an 'approved'
electrician. Would that apply to putting on the Solar panel as well?
Hubby thinks not as its 12volt and its only the 230 volt stuff that
has to been done by a regular electrician??

cheers'

Patsy