Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!
In preparation for spending the upcoming winter in Baja boondocking on the beach with my little travel trailer and the pooch, I JUST finished putting together my very first solar panel - 100W Renogy with a same brand (although looks very generic and inexpensive) charge controller.
It was fun putting it together. Here's the rub...
Took the panel out in the sun today, along with the controller - all hooked up directly with no jumpers or extensions. The LED for the "battery" indicated no load (which is correct - I had not connected the battery) by FLASHING RED.
However, the LED for the solar panel remained unlit.
In my mind, the solar panel must be working because the LED for the battery was flashing red.
Is it possible the El Cheapo controller is bad? Or might I have done something wrong?
I took the back off the box on the back of the solar panel and stuck my multi-meter to the screw connectors - it read 29. The spec for the VOC is 22.5.
Sigh.
As a side note, I am a recent widow, so all of this is VERY new to me! Your patience is appreciated! :)
I think I may have come across the answer - the battery much be hooked up first. I can't be sure I did that. And now I have to wait until the sun's up to try it!!
