Tellaro/Sequence Solar Charger question

[OldSheepDog]

I have read the manual for this thing and searched online and can’t find any reference to this. My solar charger gives battery voltage, charging amps (I think) and the amp hours, but all this is under battery 1 (BT1). Is there a way to see battery 2?

[DavidEM]

Originally Posted by OldSheepDog

I have read the manual for this thing and searched online and can’t find any reference to this. My solar charger gives battery voltage, charging amps (I think) and the amp hours, but all this is under battery 1 (BT1). Is there a way to see battery 2?
Attachment 30332

I don't quite understand what battery 1 and battery 2 means. The Go Power or any charge controller will only show the voltage and amps of the battery or batteries it is connected to. So if battery 1 and 2 are connected together to form a battery bank then it will tell you the voltage of both together and the total current for both. If it is only connected to battery 1 then it will tell you the voltage and current of battery 1.

BTW I have the 10A Go Power controller. It is a very nice controller but it is a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller. These are less efficient than maximum power point (MPPT) controllers and can only be used with solar panels wired in parallel, not in series. If yours is an OEM installation then they were certainly wired in parallel.

David

[beervanner]

Do you have the 2 battery Lithium system? I do, and mine just shows Bat1 as well. The solar panel charges them, but very, very slowly. If you have a generator, the solar panel will keep your house battery topped off, but on mine it's pretty useless. I'd need a much bigger array to charge the lithium batteries.

[OldSheepDog]

I don’t have the Li system, and figured out that the batteries are in parallel so it only reports the one. I live in Florida so it it only takes a few sunny days to have my batteries in float. I have never turned it off, fridge and what ever other little accessories including a Wyze camera and the Winegard are always on. So far I have been fairly impressed with the charging capabilities of the solar panel but have moved it to make room for a second. Looking at getting the exact same 190W panel but it is rather pricey.

[EA37TS]

The controller can be, but not always, connected to 2 battery banks. For example it could be connect to house batteries and to the chassis battery. If all that shows is battery 1 you are hooked to either house or chassis but not both.

[BrunsFamily]

Originally Posted by OldSheepDog

I don’t have the Li system . . . .I live in Florida so it only takes a few sunny days to have my batteries in float.

I have the same setup, No Li system. I am yet to get the batteries to be on float. I have set the camper out in the sun for 2 days with nothing on, it started at the 3rd batter level and it's still there today. Never seems to get above that. Any thoughts anyone?

[OldSheepDog]

You look to have the coach set to OFF. I am not sure if the house batteries charge from the solar when it’s set to off. I always leave mine on, refrigerator set to 35 degrees. Everything else off, at least things that I can hit off. I did replace the USB plugs with ones that have an on and off. My batteries pretty much stay 90 to 100% and if it’s sunny 3 days in a row they will float.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Multiple house batteries can be though of as a "bank" - a combined power source. Most charge controllers will keep the bank of multiple batteries "balanced"... equal charge in all connected batteries in the bank.

If wired properly the solar panels are wired directly to the charge controller (through a fuse/circuit breaker). The the charge controller is connected directly to the batteries. The battery disconnect switch should NOT disconnect the panels-controller-batteries circuit. It should be on the batteries-to-coach side of the circuit. You want to be able to completely disconnect the coach "drain" on the batteries - power going OUT, and leave the CHARGING side - power going IN connected.

You can always disconnect the panels from the circuit using the circuit breaker.

[kamccormick]

Originally Posted by OldSheepDog

You look to have the coach set to OFF. I am not sure if the house batteries charge from the solar when it’s set to off. I always leave mine on, refrigerator set to 35 degrees. Everything else off, at least things that I can hit off. I did replace the USB plugs with ones that have an on and off. My batteries pretty much stay 90 to 100% and if it’s sunny 3 days in a row they will float.

We always have our power off and the solar charges the house battery no problem. Always between 90 to 100 % depending on the clouds. Although we have the Lithium setup

[BrunsFamily]

So, should it be charging the coach batteries if I'm connected to power? Would it matter if I'm connected to a 30amp OR a 15amp to 30amp connection?

New to all this and trying to understand all the ins-outs. Getting ready for our first outing and want to be sure we have all the power we can.

[DavidEM]

Either 15A or 30A shore power should be able to provide enough juice for the basics: battery charging and typical DC loads but will not be able to run the A/C unless all other AC loads are shut off.

David

[BrunsFamily]

SUCCESS - yesterday was another sunny day so I just gave the van a sunbath and sometime mid-afternoon the van system went to Float. I feel a lot more comfortable before our first big outing that it must be working correctly. Thanks everyone for all the comments here, learned alot.

[LawrenceofPA]

The solar controller treats the coach battery bank as a single battery.