On 6 Mar 2006 19:47:05 -0800, "Da Kine"
wrote:

When your batteries are lower the voltage from your solar will too.
Your batteries are a big resistor. The voltage may look like 16 volts
at the panel but at the battery you will see it at about 1 to 1.5 volts
about its charge so you don't have to worry about it. The thing that
really fries your batteries are those 3 stage balmar regulators that
push 100 or more amps into your batteries at high voltage.

You're only dealing with 5 amps per panel with solar and on a crazy
blow day maybe 15 if your lucky with your wind gen. I have had days
when 35 knots of blow and hot sun was making 25 amps and all I did was
turn on the stereo or TV and a light or two - instant regulator.

Remember back in the days of the 70's where you turned on your lights
to drive cross-county so you wouldn't over work your regulator? Maybe
your younger then I but it works the same today.

You're working so hard to make juice, the last thing you want to do
is ragulate it.

I guess I'm not much younger, he sad with a sad expression on his
face... but hey 51 is a nice age to go cruising....

So what you're all saying is:
- the battery acts as a resistor that accepts charging current
depending on load-%.
- regulation means less efficiency
- with a full battery (this is theory), when windgen makes a lot of
amps and solar too, just add a load, like a water heater.
- frying the battery can't occur just by unregulated windgenny's
and/or unregulated solarpanels. I just need a diode to prevent current
draw at nights.
- frying is caused by 3 stage regulators that force high current/high
charge-voltages into the battery.

Fair winds, Len.