Waeco running on Solar only ..

If that panel can sustain that system, you'll be on the cover of Popular Mechanics as a new physics guru ! :-o)

A 15W panel is only good to trickle charge your battery. It gives you about 1 amp in full sun.

Me thinks you need a 70W+ panel and full sun to achieve what you want.

I agree with what the others have said, but FWIW, when I first purchased my Engel, (about 4 years ago) I tested it's battery consumption by running it continuously for 72 hours on the one battery in varying conditions, and the battery still had enough power to start the car. I still have the Engel and am confident when camping that I will get at least 2 days from each battery without compromising the vehicles starting ability.

Start taking records of voltages every hour and continue your experiment with your current set up....remember normally you would be running the vehicle often enough each day to add to this mix....You may be on to something however a slight change in solar panel size may be all you need...ie buy 1 or 2 more solar panels of the same size to adjust your set up and keep reporting back to us with your progress.

Keep going and don't pay attention to those that would condemn your efforts so far declaring them insufficient etc....ignore them and keep going.....I think we over design our systems and so waste money...you could be onto to something...we eagerly watch and wait.

Always remember KISS.

Good luck.

Yes you are deluding yourself , you state yourself that the fridge is using 4amps and the panel is putting in 600mamps...we have the same fridge and use a 85w panel...even this , if we get a bit of cloud struggles to keep up...the old story...you must put back into a battery what you take out of it whether it be by solar panel , 240v charger or whatever...cheers

Well you know if the Waeco has its vent beside the jeeps rear air-con vent and the air is pretty icy and the fridge is full and the outside ambiet is damn cold and the solar panel gets full sun all day long and somehow at night gets some charge from something, these things might be possible ....

Steve,
Keep your test going to work out how long your fridge will run in this setup. Try & use the fridge similar to how you would when camping. Then you will know how long you can camp without having battery problems.
I did this with mine and know that one 90w panel will run my engel for more than a month. When I camp I run 2 engels plus fluoro lights with 2 90w panels charging the batteries. I know that with this setup I am taking more out than I putting back in but this will last for a week without flattening the battery too much.
from Marty.

OK - a bit more information for all that are interested ...
This setup is not connected to the starter battery ( yet ) ..
Its been running for 30 plus hours and the voltage drop has only been from 13.3 ( full ) last night at sundown it was 12.88 v and to 12.76 v a while ago ... so its dropping but quite slowly ..
The fridge uses 4 amps but only for 15 minutes or so at a time .. in between the 15 watt panel recharges what the Waeco has sucked out of it - BUT as theres no sun at night eventually the system will run out of power ... This much I do know the only thing is I expected it to run out much sooner ...
I'll pop a photo of the rig in here later which shows the control panel that I am monitoring with .. I'm amazed that it all works !!

So I'll keep updating this thread until the Waeco shuts down or I
get a voltage of around 11.5 volts - so I don't damage the battery
too much ...

Thanks for the comments and keep watching this space !!

Cheers

Steve

Midday update
12.62 volts - 750 mAmps from sun ..
Ice blocks on the bottom still frozen near to lid are a bit squidgy !!
Fridge says -6 C ... Back of Jeep around 30 I'd say ..( not measured as thermometer is at home .. dammit )
So I'm still losing voltage slowly ...

Mandrake. I too have a Waeco 50 but mine is successfully running as a freezer on solar. A 130W panel on the roof through a 10A controller to a 120AH battery. Last trip (about 7,000Ks) it worked very well. Overkill perhaps, but I wouldn't like to see my frozen goodies go off! At least if your experiment fails, it will give you valuable insight into just what you do need.
Mark

OK - the good news is the experiment was a success - the bad news is I need to recharge ...

Just checked and the voltage is down to 11.63 v - so I had to switch off the fridge and let the panel work in the available light
until I get home ...
However it worked for 42 hours and might be OK for another 2 hours which means overnight stops without power should be OK
as long as I can recharge within the time frame .. Might buy another panel and do this again to see if the volts can go up
between fridge cutins...

Thanks for all comments good bad or otherwise - I have learnt a lot ...
Cheers

Steve

OK - everyone at work thinks I've gone mad ( completely ) as I keep nipping downstairs with me multimeter in hand ....

OK - change temp to 0 and leave the panel unplugged - sounds like a plan ...

They'll be sending for the "shrink" at work soon ...

Then I could have a few weeks off and head out someplace

Good plan --- hahaha ..

Cheers

Steve

Goodonyer mandrake. A practical test with a satisfactory outcome. A real pity that sometimes that is not the case.

Steve,
As you say, you unplug the panel before testing, but you don't wait the recommended 2 hours, so your Voltage numbers are misleading 'surface voltage' readings of the battery.
As others have said, you need to 'replace' into the battery what the fridge 'removes' from the battery over a set period of time, being either 24 Hrs or weekly. Voltage checks done at earlier times do not allow for the night time when no power is replaced at all, while the fridge will still take power with-out the battery being recharged.

The 15 Watt Solar panel simply trickle charges the battery by comparison with a Solar panel that's capable of running the fridge 24/7 with-out any attention at all.

But it's good to see you have an interest in Solar power, however I wouldn't recommend getting another small Solar panel but a panel of sufficient capacity, based on your intended battery usage.

Mainey . . .

Misfortune struck ....
Late yesterday while testing the voltage I managed to short across a cig lighter socket and pretty sure I have fried the solar controller output circuit ... my 20 amp circuit breaker allowed it to happen - now changed to a 5 amp one and tested it !!! . There is no voltage coming out of the Aux terminals !!

Anyway tonight I will investigate thoroughly ( with due probing care ) and re-wire etc etc etc......

Again my thanks to all contibutors and readers it has been a learning experience for me and well worth it if it prevents a future catastrophe ...

Cheers

Steve

G'Day Mandrake,

As Mainey says, good to see you have an interest in this stuff, and its good to 'play' in our back yards to see what works.

A 15w panel is really only good to trickle charge.

(I use one on my boat to keep battery topped up between uses, thats about their limit)

If your going to be serious about it, theres no free lunch, you gotta get the $$ out n get a dual battery setup, with a decent panel / regulator to recharge with.

Also in 8 of 15 above you say:-

"The fridge uses 4 amps but only for 15 minutes or so at a time .. in between the 15 watt panel recharges what the Waeco has sucked out of it "

I'm sure you can now see that the 15w panel cannot possibly recharge what the waeco has sucked out of it.

By the time you muck about with extra small panels etc, your outlay would be better directed to a good solid system.

Buy the best battery and biggest panel you can comfortably afford, you will not look back.

Good luck

Ron

Image Could Not Be Found

Above is the front panel of the battery box in the back of my jeep ... Top 2 sockets are merit and standard cig outputs .
under neath is a 5 amp circuit breaker
under that the solar controller ..
under that the input sockets for solar and charger..
At right side top - Ammeter for output
middle voltmeter on battery
bottom ammeter on input ... 700 mA at the moment in full sun
...
Steve

Mainey ,

What a great invention !! Wish I had known about this earlier
could have saved a bit of hole cutting ...

Thanks - back to Jaycar !!

Cheers

Steve