Hi Larry,

I agree that a solar regulator is probably not really required if the battery bank is much larger than the solar panel maximum output - especially for sealed batteries that recombine the hydrogen and oxygen.

Is it true, however, that you always need a reverse blocking diode on all solar panels that don't have one in-built? I have a 45w panel connected without a blocking diode and without a charge regulator to a 880amp hour deep cycle battery bank and in the dark I can't measure any appreciable reverse current flow (less than 0.020 amps).

--
Best Regards,

Bert van den Berg
CruzPro Ltd.
www.cruzpro.com
35 Keeling Road, #A4
Henderson 1008
New Zealand

Tel: 64-9-838-3331
Fax: 64-9-838-3332


"Larry" wrote in message ...
Matt Colie wrote in
:


James wrote:
We acquired a flexible Uni-solar 32W panel. There are two wires leads
a red one and a black one. Which is (+) and which is (-)? I was
thinking that Red was (+) but I'm not receiving any readings through
the charge controller. When I reverse the leads I get a reading on my
multi-meter. Thanks, Jim



Is now a good time to remind everyone that a solar panel
MUST...MUST...have a blocking diode in series with it because it will
DISCHARGE the battery in darkness with reverse current if it doesn't?

This diode is PROBABLY located in the charge controller, hence the one-
way resistance reading. NEVER HOOK A LIGHTED PANEL TO YOUR OHMMETER or
when it's connected to a battery!

32W/12V = 2.8A on its best day. Why do we need a charge controller??
Use an ammeter and lemme know every time you see 2A out of it at noon.
If your bilge pump cycles, you'll lose AH every day if this panel is the
only power source. 2.8A is nothing....to those big honkers in the
bilge...(c;



Larry
--
Why is it, in any city, all traffic lights act as if they have rotary
timers in them, like they did in 1955, and are all set to create
maximum inconvenience and block traffic movement, entirely?