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Askari

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    Underberg, KZN

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  1. Yeah its a huge plasma flat screen and its going to be looking for a new home
  2. Your time and input is much appreciated. One would hope that 2 batteries would be able to run a small light for a night and a TV for an hour or two.... Im going to send those batteries back. The magic eye thingy is also not looking right.
  3. Hehe. Stop worrying so much. When you said "in series" I had a brain fart. I was just checking you meant "in line" like my brain was speaking. OK so the inverter (which is a UPS type pure sine wave) is drawing 1,6A with nothing else running off of it so by my calcs thats just shy of 40w Last night ran the 3,5w light only and still batteries bordering on 11,8v
  4. Do I disconnect the main lead from batt +ve to Inv +ve and essentially replace with DMM so red lead on batt+ and black lead on inverter +?
  5. Yea I know I know. Choices I dont have at the moment. This is a work in progress. How would I measure the quiescent draw of the inverter? Just leave it running with no other draw and see what it does to the batteries?
  6. Well "E Day" arrived and Eskom cut my power even though they assured me this wouldnt happen while the clever area manager/rep/salary drawer was looking into things (which he admitted to not having done when I called him to thank him...) Any how it is what it is an I have decided to embrace this opportunity to become self sufficient. The wife does not share my enthusiasm somehow.... Using a small 2kw petrol gennie for a few hours in the morning and a few in the early evening was surprisingly sufficient just slightly annoying having to turn off at night before bed. While this solution was doing the trick I started accumulating panels and goodies from friends who had offered. I now have the following basic system: 2 x 300w panels in series, a Microcare 60A charge controller, 2 x 105AH New Probe deep cycle batts in series for 24v and a small 1000VA (600W+-) Inverter. My aim is to use gennie as needed but for the system above to run fridge (150W), laptop (90W) and kids TV (150W) during the day. If nothing else then the fridge. My issue now is that I have tested the system overnight and this is concerning me: Starting off with both batts fully charged showing 12.6V on the dual batt monitor I turned on the big TV (300W) and watched for 1 Hour then turned off and left on standby. Also turned on one 3.5W light in the passage and left on for 10 hours. Nothing else was on. This morning the batteries are showing RED on the monitors and reading 11.7V! If I understand correctly my Wh capacity is 2*105Ah*12v=2520Wh . Using half for battery health that is 1260Wh Usage was as follows: TV 300*1hr=300Wh Light 3.5*10=35Wh + a little bit? for standby TV = Total of 335Wh so nowhere near the 1260Wh I now can think of 3 reasons: 1) My calculations are stupid. 2) The batteries are not fit for purpose. 3) There is something stealing energy. Now having made sure nothing else was on or plugged in I am left wondering if the wiring in the house, specifically the earth leakiage is to blame? I have the system plugged into a wall socket and is being spread around the huse like that. The main circuit breaker to Eskom is off but earth leakage isnt, Any ideas or comment from you clever fellows?
  7. Will continue to monitor at varies states and see what happens for eg when on FLOAT. Thanks for comments.
  8. I dont think that is what is happening. There are other settings/info screens to do with limiting the charge. The batteries are not fully charged and the display shows that they are being BOST charged which is what the unit is designed to do until they are full and then it shows FLOAT. This message seems to be from anywhere between 24.4v to 25.3v so pretty much from empty to full.
  9. Its a 60Amp Microcare MPPT controller . Ive got 2x235W panels connected in series into the contoller and then 2 12v batteries also in series to make a 24v system. As best I can tell the load is about 250W and the panels are delivering 320W Im really just trying to understand the info on the screen of the controller and that flashing * next to PANEL "indicates that the PV panels are limiting the amount of energy delivered to the MPPT to charge the batteries" but what does that mean?
  10. Hi all. On a Microcare charge controller I have the situation as above. I dont actuall understand what the description means...ie is this something wrong with the panels or is it something the controller is doing on purpose?
  11. Makes my 'little' R97k bill seem quite tame in comparison....
  12. Well I have been on the wrong track havent I? Thanks for clearing that up. Me and electricity have never been best of mates...
  13. EDIT: See some responses were posted while I was typing below. Reading now. According to the Voltronic site there is a Axpert MKS 5KP-24 model which is 24v . About the battery thing, perhaps Im not understanding correctly but lets say for the sake of argument I have 4 x 105aH batteries. For axample 1) they are connected in series which gives 48v and 105aH capacity. For example 2) they are in a 2x2 array so 24v but 210aH capacity. If I connect a light say, in which example will the batteries run out first?
  14. Yes the specs for the Axpert MKS 3K-24 Plus are confusing. On the Voltronic website here its says MPPT Range @ Operating Voltage is 60~115 VDC but on the spec sheet sent to me by bonanzatech it says 30~ 115 VDC. Both have Maximum PV Array Power of 1500w and Max. PV Array Open Circuit Voltage 145 VDC. Now ive also just noticed while copying and pasting all these specs that the model description on the Voltronic site says : Axpert MKS 3K-24 Plus - 3000VA/3000W and on the specs sent it says Axpert MKS 3K-24 Plus - 3000VA/2400W. Which one is it I wonder? 2400w or 3000w? How similar would panels need to be if I try match these to get a fourth? Also I finally figured out how to use the Design Tool published somewhere here . Thanks @Chris Hobson and Izak! 2x2 seems the answer. H Rated PV Array (W) 1200 Rated W at hot temp 1092 Voc 98 Vmp 72 Rated PV Array Current 16.66 Cold Voc 109 Cold Vmp 83 @pilotfish you recommend the Axpert MKS 5K. Are you talking about the 24 or 48v one? Cant seem to find the 24v one anywhere and I dont want to go 48v at the moment because I will be losing aH as I would have to put 4 x 105aH in series to get to 48v but still only have 105aH. My thinking is with 4 x 105aH on a 24v system I can at least get to 210aH for the same initial cost. I know 48v is ideal but all considered I think 24v is a perfectly acceptable solution. Again thanks to everyone for the input.
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