How to test a feeder solar panel ?

[ranchdog]

To the top this morning for those wanting to test a solar panel. Learn from my lessons.

RD

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[ATTACH]181274[/ATTACH]

[Smart]

Good info ranchdog...

How old was your solar panel that failed?....and do you have any idea why it did so? I'm just looking for things to avoid

[ranchdog]

Good info ranchdog...

How old was your solar panel that failed?....and do you have any idea why it did so? I'm just looking for things to avoid

5 years old. No idea why, it was not damaged in anyway. However I did notice that the wires that were run through very small metal tubing were rusted. Maybe it shorted out in the tube. I now have a new one with the flexible metal type

RD

[Diamond-BT]

Great info. I always assumed that if it was putting out more than 12 V it was charging.

[Smart]

5 years old. No idea why, it was not damaged in anyway. However I did notice that the wires that were run through very small metal tubing were rusted. Maybe it shorted out in the tube. I now have a new one with the flexible metal type

RD

Ok thanks...I have the flexible conduit as well....

Always good to learn some new troubleshooting information for out in the woods...

[ranchdog]

Ok, since I worked on this and several people help get this worked out how to do it. I thought I would show the proper wiring configuration for the setup.

First make sure your meter measures DC mA (Direct Current milli Amperes) usually they go up to 400 ma on one switch setting and 1.0 A on another setting. So make sure your on the correct mA setting on your meter. In this photo the meter is set on mA (max for my meter is 200 mA). A solar panel like we use on our feeders usually max out around 60-70mA but check your panel.

So hook the meter up in Series (inline as shown) You will need a good battery not a completely dead one that won't take a charge. So you can see that the solar panel is putting out 69.2 mA. The voltage was 18 Volts. But as you will see in the next post what a bad solar panel looks like.

[ranchdog]

Now what a bad solar panel looks like.

In the first picture I simply measure the voltage and I get 17.69 volts. So you would think it is working. HOWERVER, in the second picture where I measure the current notice that it is not putting out but 0.6 mA. It is bad and will not charge your battery. It should be putting out around 60mA.

Good Luck, Ranchdog

below, 17.69 Volts DC sure looks good. NOT !



Here is the 0.6 mA. This is not working and is a bad solar panel. Throw it in the trash. You should be getting around 60 mA in FULL SUN. On a cloudy day it might drop down or if your battery is really charged. This test was done at the same time as the good solar panel in the above posting less the 1 minute apart so the sun was basically the same intensity.

[quarterback]

Man I must have fallen asleep in electricity class. Every day.

Thanks for the lesson! I truly appreciate it.

[gacman]

Man I must have fallen asleep in electricity class. Every day.

Thanks for the lesson! I truly appreciate it.

me too.

I even took an electrical engineering course in college, i feel like i should know this stuff.

thanks for the lesson bro. I will try this soon to test my one year old non battery charging solar panel.

[Smart]

Nice work Ranchdog....thank for the pics.

[ETEXASHUNTER]

Thanks for this information... very good stuff

[jkyle1]

Nice info

[Bubbabowhunter]

Good info, thanks for taking the time to post it!

[ranchdog]

I am reposting this as I have seen some recent questions on feeder solar panels.