Slave Cable Solar Panel?

[Jedidiah]

Has anyone attempted to rig up a solar panel setup that employs the slave cable port on the front of their CUCV?

I think it would be pretty simple, two 12V panels in series that lead to a MPPT solar controller followed by a slave cable into the truck.

I'm low on cash, but I'm thinking about attempting to build a setup like this.

 

[papakb]

Your in a dangerous area there unless you know what your doing. Most solar panels by themselves are regulated by the batteries unless you have a charge controller inline with them. Either a PWM or MPPT controller would work fine with the MPPTs being a little more efficient. Your typical off the shelf Auto Zone panel will probably put out 18 volts open circuit so be careful, two of them could end up sending 36 volts into your batteries. The Solargizers that you see offered and not charging panels. They're battery maintainers which means they pulse the batteries with high voltage to prevent formation of zinc tendrils inside the batteries that can short them out. This is a problem for vehicles that sit fort long periods of time like so many military vehicles do.

 

[StackJ]

Find a 24-volt solar charge controller on the Brazilian jungle website and you're set. The Green ones on Amazon are about $25 - 35. I bought one for my garden to power my hydroponic water pumps and garden shed lights. Works fine. Docs say it supports 24. Worst case is it blows your solar charge controller. You might try test wiring direct first - with your truck circuit unplugged just to see. Hate to mess up your ECU huh? Also a just in case: Got the grounding kit? LOL

Note: this is assuming you want an alternate power circuit - not a long term steady charger as referred to above....PapaKb is right about tendrils.

 

[Jedidiah]

I'd put heavy duty wiring everywhere and put fusible links wherever is necessary.

I was kind of hoping to create a plug and play system, that would be pretty cool. Although, it would be better to have the charge controller wired to the actual batteries themselves.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
It sounds like you want to re-invent the wheel.
I would first look at what is offered in the world. And then try to make something similar.
https://www.pulsetech.net/store/sol...ttery-solar-pulse-charge-monitor-unit-6w.html

The 24v solar panels are out there, there are 24v pulse charge controllers out there. The light duty slave plug is out there. https://www.graywacke.net/products/interconnect-products

 

[StackJ]

Definitely wired directly to the batteries me thinks. That frees up the nato. I'm using very light wire from my panel to the charge controller. Not all that many amps....

 

[StackJ]

Pulsetech - mui expensivo!

 

[papakb]

Stay away from Pulsetech. While their products appear to be well made every time I've contacted them their tech support people didn't have a clue as to how to help you. I have some of their stuff but unless you can figure it out your not going to get much from them.

 

[Daybreak]

Stay away from Pulsetech. While their products appear to be well made every time I've contacted them their tech support people didn't have a clue as to how to help you. I have some of their stuff but unless you can figure it out your not going to get much from them.

Howdy,

what's to figure out? wire to plus, wire to negative, done

 

[deuceman51]

I've got new and take off solargizers if anyone needs any. They work good for keeping the batteries from sulfating and are a drop in installation.

 

[Hard Head]

You can get the 24v solar charger from pulsetech for around 160 on ebay

 

[Wire Fox]

For a maintainer, I use the Pulsetech system. I got a decent deal on one that came with a power distribution box (great fuse panel for about 18 circuits of both 12V and 24V), a battery state-of-charge indicator, and a large solar panel that seems to do well with keep batteries topped off and desulphated. They have a simpler system that also works well, which is simply a small panel and a small pulse controller that keeps the batteries topped off (I also have one of these in a box...)

I do like your idea, especially if the plan is to use a much larger panel array to actual recharge batteries and not just maintain them. It still would be rather slow and probably not worth the cost of building it...but it undoubtedly would be a cool project and might fill a niche that you have that isn't commonplace. If you go that route, follow the earlier advice and install a proper charge controller than can regulate voltage of the solar panels and will not damage your vehicle's electrical system. Then when you're not just recharging, you can pull the plug on your panel assembly easily and use that slave port for anything you need.

 

[Russ Knight]

I ordered the mini slave cable from graywacke and I have a 24v solar panel with regulator. Will advise how it works out.