Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 at 12:35
Reg,
A few afterthoughts -
In the above I assume that your controller is NOT an MPPT type. If it is, you may in fact have up to 20% more current flowing into the battery than is leaving the panel. (That should start an argument!!!) With most simple controllers it will be virtually the same.
Important - you must be careful when your meter is set up to measure current. It is good practice NEVER to leave the meter configured to measure current, because if you inadvertently go to measure voltage with the meter set up for current you will almost certainly damage the meter, and maybe other stuff as
well. Always return the meter leads and the selector switch to the voltage measuring mode to avoid expensive accidents.
re your questions,
what to expect - in strong sunlight the panel should deliver close to 4.8 amps. As said, depending on the type of controller, that same current will flow into the battery, or with an MPPT controller, up to about 20% more.
meter connections - see the tutorial. Basicly. with the meter set up for current measurement you need to break into one of the leads carrying the current to be measured. The meter is then inserted (electrically) to bridge
the gap you've created. (It is a series connection.) Note that this is different from a voltage measurement, where you would connect the meter between 2 wires (a parallel connection). (Again, I'm making an assumption - all this applies to simple meters. There do exist tong meters that have provision to simply clamp onto a wire to measure the current through it, without the need to break the current path and interpose the meter.)
Good luck!
John
| J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein
Lifetime Member
My Profile My Blog Send Message |
FollowupID:
698962