Recent content by AndrewP

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    Solar charging 90AH deep cycle battery

    Northern Canada? Not a ton of available solar that far north. So for a solar only system, you'll need a lot of panel power to capture the low angle sun as best you can. Do you know the watts or amp-hours your system uses in a typical fishing day? I'd consider charging from your truck or...
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    Trying to measure amp draw. What am I doing wrong?

    They need to be the same fuse that you take out. I would guess the 500h is how they designate 500miliamps, ie 0.5 amp. So don't go putting an 8 amp fuse in there unless you want a new DVM. Everyone with a multimeter has blown the ammeter fuse at one time or another. I keep spares inside the...
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    Engel fridge 12v "Thermal Fuse" substitutes?

    The Engel fuse will blow with reversed polarity which might be useful if you aren't confident in your wiring. But I'd recommend you eliminate it all together. Just cut the cord, replace both ends (plug and socket) with PowerPoles and forget about it. The PowerPoles will keep your polarity...
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    new harbor freight 100w solar kit

    I don't see this as a deal. It's just more low quality stuff from Harbor Freight. It uses amorphous cells, the cheapest, least efficient type. That is reflected in how large the array is once it's set up. I'm sure it will work ok for a bit, and will serve as a starter kit for people. But...
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    Voltmeter/battery bank help

    Some voltage sag under load is normal. In the extreme case, when starting, you'll transiently see 10 volts or so. Yours sounds like a lot, especially with such a big battery bank. I;,d look for a high resistance connection somewhere between the battery and the measurement. Clean the battery...
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    Land Cruiser FJ 40 gut check and a few questions

    You have a young family, a limited budget, and you're in school. Hmmm... No offence, but this is not a recipe for Land Cruiser ownership. If I were you, I'd learn to have your adventures in your Corolla, study hard, and be happy with what you have. Once you're working and have established...
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    new harbor freight 100w solar kit

    https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Solar/dp/B009Z6CW7O/ref=sr_1_5?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1498860761&sr=1-5&keywords=100+watt+solar+panel plus...
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    How to make a cheap isolated dual-battery setup for $50

    They may be metric wire dies, but they are labeled, inaccurately, in wire gauge sizes. Plus, it's hard to use due to the handle which isn't spring loaded. Plus the retention magnet does not properly hold the dies in place. It works with effort, but it's junk. Typical Harbor Freight. Anyway...
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    How to make a cheap isolated dual-battery setup for $50

    So before everyone gets too excited about the HF hydraulic crimper, read this to the end where it is discussed and tested: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/battery_cables With that said, it works OK for very small lugs, but is useless for anything over 4 ga. The wire gauge suggested on the...
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    Solar power: Wire gauge and length questions....

    Martin-I helped a friend with the electrical on his TAB and found the same backwards SAE connector. In general the stock wiring on that trailer is poorly done as you have probably seen. On my friends, when his fridge came on, the voltage drop would hit the automatic cut off, so his fridge...
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    Convince me I need a fridge!

    I posted this in a similar thread here on EP in 2010. For the record I still have the Engel I bought in 2003 and it works perfectly. This is still true: The fridge is the best piece of kit you will ever own. Buy it now. It is better than: Snow Peak Pots and Pans Partner Steel Stoves All...
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    Lets See Your Solar Setups

    I love the ebay ad for that. It has "resistance to resistance" and is useful for "outdoor breeding" as well as "space stations": -Resistance to resistance, can resist different environment, waterproof performance is good. -High stability, good durability -With Sunpower chip, can be used...
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    Lets See Your Solar Setups

    The biggest advantage of the Victron in my view, is the ability to easily adjust charging paramenters. For instance, I set my absorb voltage to 14.8, and my float to 13.6. This seems to work extremely well for me with plain FLA batteries. You can also set this charger to equalize batteries...
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    Lets See Your Solar Setups

    180 Watts: 160 watts with seasonal tilt: I'm running a MorningStar Sunsaver PWM with the 160 watt panel and the Victron 75/15 MPPT with the 180 watt panel. Here is the super fun display via blue tooth to my cell phone: And here is much more info and discussion if desired...
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    New style arb fridge wiring

    Don't be a cheapskate. You need the crimper and not the solder. Once you start using power poles, you will find dozens of uses for them. But the crimper comes with the territory, just like it does with any of the alternatives, like metri-packs or weather-packs.
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