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RE: $600 crimper versus a $15 crimper?
The $600 crimper probably meets certain specifications required for certain industries such as aviation and nuclear power. The expensive one is probably UL, CUL and CSA certified. Certainly wouldn't want the elcheepo crimper used in the nuke plant next door to me! They typically make the exact same crimp every time and are subject to repeatability tests. This is very important at 35000 feet or to make sure the auxiliary cooling water pump starts when it is suppose to...every time. Failure is not an option.
If we are talking simple hand crimpers, the $30-50 crimper is just fine for most folks.
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CJW8
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04/16/12 12:48pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Joining #8 wires
I have used these in many places in my job and on my RV also. I used them on my roof to eliminate a junction box to parallel my solar panels to the single #4 downcommer. This saves additional holes in the roof to mount the junction box. As mentioned above, they can be found at HD or Lowes. They come in various sizes and as reducers also. The reducers are handy for reducing large cable to smaller wire to fit into solar charge controllers.
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CJW8
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04/14/12 07:40am |
Tech Issues
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RE: More Boondockery
Mena661 wrote
"I'd like to eliminate a good portion within reason and not be trendy or an a$$hole about it. I'm more interested in the technical aspects. I could care less about politics or social issues honestly."
My sentiments exactly! And once it is installed it is kinda fun to monitor and see those free amp hours build your batteries back up. Also the solar controllers are technically far more advanced than converters and most have many changable settings for those that like to tweek. Totally not necessary, but you can if you want to.
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CJW8
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04/09/12 12:12pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Slideout current draw?
Thanks for the information. Shouldn't there be a fuse for the slide? I would think the fuse at the battery terminal was added by previous owner and not the manufacturer. I checked fuse panel and breaker box there is nothing for either slides.
The fuse near the battery is to protect the wire and is probably original. The motor probably has internal protection.
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CJW8
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03/23/12 11:06am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Slideout current draw?
Mine has a Parker 108 series hydraulic power unit for the two slides. It has #6 wire going to it directly from the battery with one of those rectangular re-settable circuit breakers near the battery. I cannot see the size of this breaker. It draws 40 amps extending the BR slide and 70 amps retracting it. I did not measure the draw on the LR slide but it is considerable larger. There is a 100 amp thermal overload in the motor.
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CJW8
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03/23/12 10:44am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Missing angthing else?
Morningstar Meter
Trimetric
Think of the trimetric of a fuel gauge for your batteries and a whole lot more. The Morningstar meter is a nice to have meter but not necessary unless you really want to monitor the solar. There will be some redundancy in the two meters.
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CJW8
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03/22/12 11:32pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: refridgerator question
What is #8?
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CJW8
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03/21/12 08:47pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Inverter in TV, for 120v to TT?
If you are dead set on doing this put a CONNECTOR SOCKET on the rear of your TT that is DIFFERENT than your original pigtail. Use a heavy extension cord with a long suspender spring to keep the dangling cord free of the hitch, propane tanks and everything else. Where the cord gets near metal and has a possibility to rub I would sheath it in hose. Put a 3 amp INLINE FUSE in the inverter output connection. Wire directly to the refrigerator plug.
X2
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CJW8
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03/21/12 11:54am |
Tech Issues
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RE: My solar install
In the industry, anything above 50 volts is considered a shock hazard but there are many variables so even <50 volts can be lethal. Since current and voltage are forever tied together with Ohm's Law, as voltage goes up so does current. The protection we have is the third component of ohms law, resistance. Generally the skin has about 100,000 ohms of resistance but it can drop to as low as 1000 ohms if it is wet or broken.
Dry Conditions: Current = Volts/Ohms = 50/100,000 = .5mA
a barely perceptible level of current
Wet conditions: Current = Volts/Ohms = 50/1,000 = 50mA 50 mA is sufficient current to cause extreme pain, respiratory arrest, severe muscular contractions. Individual cannot let go. Death is possible.
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CJW8
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03/21/12 10:42am |
Tech Issues
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RE: External bluray player?
Portable computer DVD drives rely on computer drivers and software player in order for them to work. Your Concertone will have neither. If your Concertone has a HDMI or other video input, than any DVD player like the personal DVD players with screens, will connect to it.
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CJW8
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02/15/12 12:59pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Pure Sine Wave Inverter??
This LINK has a picture of a sine wave overlayed on top of a modified sine wave (really and truly a modified square wave). Some MSW inverters have multiple steps instead os just one big step above and below 0 volts and I suspect that these are better inverters than cheap ones. Included in the link is also a good write up of the two inverters. I have had a Xantrex 600 watt that ran anything I plugged into it with never a problem and no buzz or lines on the TV and the direct tv receiver worked just fine. I now have a Xantrex 1800 watt PSW inverter cuz I wanted to run the microwave occasionally.
This LINK 1 shows an example of a multi step modified sine wave inverter output which should be much better than . The problem is the manufacturer does not show you the sine wave you are getting with the produce.
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CJW8
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02/13/12 11:34am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Hooking up inverter
I do the same for now. My Xantrex TrueCharge 2 automatically comes on when it senses AC power so I use it's remote to turn it back off. It's off button is right beside the Inverter on button.I also make sure the refer is on gas only. If it is on auto, it will try and switch to AC power. I also make sure my air conditioner can't come on.
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CJW8
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02/06/12 09:53am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Solar Power 101
Good that you did say use a wire size chart but then you go on to say that "most professional installers use 10-2 and 8-2", implying that that is OK. In my opinion, that is too small of a wire size for most installations unless your using a higher voltage panel or series wired array.
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CJW8
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02/06/12 12:21am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Time left from battery
Here is a better voltmeter for $30 Voltminder It even has adjustable HI/LO alarms. You can also get a voltmeter that plugs into a cigarette outlet at Walmart for about $12.
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CJW8
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02/05/12 11:57pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Roll-up thin solar panels?
yes that should work
possible reasons nobody seems to be doing this
damage control: easier to damage these laying on the ground, people ,animals, vehicles, kids bikes etc...
stuck with laying flat on ground , or picnic table, can't be tilted for tracking
price and size per watt versus square foot of solar panel
example thin film panel 112"*15.5* approx 15sqFt 64watts , now $229, $3.58 per watt
vs framed Koycera panel 30"*60" 12.5sqFt 135watts , now $340, now $2.52 per watt
and pricing has only recently started to drop on thin film and only on a few brands
specifically the uniSolar panels on close out, these panels used to be about $7 per watt
some other thin film panels are still priced pretty high per watt
If all goes well I should be buying 2 64w roll out thin film uniSolar panels within the next week
to be applied to my roof, to add to my existing framed system which has 5 unisolar panels, 2 semiens, 2 unknown brand
total installed wattage 321w
adding another 128w
this will theorically Max out my 25amp controller
I'd say it will more than max out your controller. 449 watts at 13.5 vdc is about 33 amps.
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CJW8
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02/02/12 11:58pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Used Toy haulers what should I avoid?
My forest River Sierra is very nice and very stout! I've made several upgrades requiring several holes to be drilled and have found the construction is very well done. I would consider FR again someday.
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CJW8
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01/29/12 12:33am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Forum Members Solar Installations With Pics
I have updated CJW8 Solar Install to show my electrical panel. The volt Minder does have an adjustable high and low voltage alarm.
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CJW8
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01/28/12 09:33am |
Tech Issues
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RE: MPPT Solar Controllers
Sal,
I see what you are saying about gain. What is my goal? To replace amps into the battery, right? Isn't my MPPT controller giving me more amps that I'd get than if the panels were direct connected? What do you call the increase on the chart of Amps in vs amps out. What do you think a similar amps in vs amps out graph would look like if I had a PMW controller? Like KJINTF says watts (power)is watts and is proved on the watts graph. Maybe the amps in graph would not look the same if the panels were direct connected to the batteries... maybe that is the answer...
I didn't mean to imply you doubted my recorded data, it's just that there was so much discussion, I wanted to make sure that what I posted was correct. Thanks for your input.
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CJW8
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01/27/12 12:12am |
Tech Issues
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RE: MPPT Solar Controllers
For reference, I am the one who posted the chart that Sal is talking about. I have studied the chart and my own notes and have found only one error on the published chart where I recorded 14.6 volts out where it should have been 13.6 volts out at 1130 hrs.
I have added some columns to the chart and also some graphs. Unless my thinking is incorrect, Amps out verses Amps in is MPPT gains. My charts are from 0800 to 1530 hours. I have left out the first and last hour on the graphs because at the very low readings the values are kinda screwed up and there is very little charging going on during that time anyway.
Sal has caused me to doubt the recording of my numbers but when I see them graphically, I am fairly certain I have recorded them as I saw them. Now if I can figure how to upload a PDF file.
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm260/cjwetzel/RogueWintertestwithgraphs.jpg
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CJW8
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01/25/12 11:35am |
Tech Issues
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RE: My Proposed Solar Install
I don't know what panels he is using, I was guessing that 24 volt panels was about 34-35.4 Vmpp (voltage at max power) My 12 volt Kyocera's are 17.7 Vmpp.
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CJW8
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01/24/12 11:49pm |
Tech Issues
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