I gets home, has some idears as to what dircection I was gonna work in, but wanted measurements made before I finalized my thinks.
Re-wired the DPDT switch I had jacklegged into the motor feed (simple reverse set up. See notes after the fold.) and plugged that into the power feed from the house.
Nada, ,Nothing, no burps bumps or brrrrrssss.
Hm?
DVOM time. Check at house, full battery voltage across terminals. Kinda figured but always check. (13.9vdc)
Outside, 3vdc. THREE!!!! WTF Alfred?!??! thats one hell of a voltage drop, Start digging (literally, since that set of wires in entrenched.)
I can’t see anything wrong,
But then, I get back in the house and look and the Charge controller is showing lots of voltage, but no amps,,, Battery voltage is the same as above, little arrows showing electron paths between PV’s, Batts, and Load. Scratch head,, What the hell is going on here. This isn’t making any sense. I am usually getting a few amps charge at this time of day.
Read the F!in’ manual!
Battery voltage is in float mode: the Controller has shut off charge mode. The panels are pumping out mad volts and its feeding the system, not charging anything because its all charged up already.
Things are starting to click between my three braincells.
That power feed I was trying to tag into, that was my old line INTO the house to charge the batteries.
Its Dead Jim!
Its been dead Jim! (says something about the power this PVA puts out, that it was pushing amps through a ‘clogged artery’. Probably pushing just as many to ground as it was to controller.)
Its was dying before, and now the new cable run is working so well, my batteries are full up half way into the day and things ‘sit’. So, I’m replacing that one set of wires to feed the motor and motor controller (when it gets here) I need to upgrade/upsize my battery bank (ouchies,,, $$$$$$)
And I think I have my limit switch conundrum settled as well. The actual switchs and wiring is settled science, where they sit on the assembly and how they actuate is another matter.
Anyblooberboozers,,, I finished the wiring of the motor and switch, and since i need to figure out what wire to run from house before I get further along, I just plugged things into a battery pack from my tools (12v type, not the 20 volt ones.) Man, that thing is SMOOTHHHH,,,, This is gonna work great when I finally get all the parts in place.
And I am into a three day weekend to sort out the little geegaws like limit switches and diode filters, and limit mounts. And make a new power run from house,, of course. And I’m ha’tempted to plug a heavier load into the house system to see what sort of things I can run now(and for how long). Things have improved that much.
One Frellin Wire run,,, and I had no clue because it creeped in slowly. Be wary of Entropy! She’ll bite you when you least expect it.
Live
Learn
LAUGH
Love
LOAD!!!
DPDT reversal set up for DC motor or,, not for alternating currents!!!
