Can anyone tell me a way of checkin me solar panel to see if it has a blocking diode :^_^
there must be a test for this :icon_scratch: :icon_confused:
and don't start quotin A + K = Q x godzilla :nono :icon_wink:
cheerz
KK
Quote from: KuzzinKenny on November 25, 2015, 01:22:53 AM
Can anyone tell me a way of checkin me solar panel to see if it has a blocking diode :^_^
Diodes are used to make voltage go one direction... if you test your wires with a multi-meter you will get a reading one direction only. Meaning if you switch your test points you'll get a reading only on one direction.
Watch this video... it might help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfX3hVVovuA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfX3hVVovuA)
Quote from: KuzzinKenny on November 25, 2015, 01:22:53 AM
and don't start quotin A + K = Q x godzilla
Don't they teach you anything up there in the frozen north...??? :icon_wink:
Any fool knows it's x + y = M x king kong. :ImaPoser
Sorry for the hijack; can't help you on this one.
Hey JoeDirt !! Nice Utube find :thumbsup it was helpful but i'm still a bit :icon_confused: :icon_scratch: i can't see if me panel has any diodes cos its a small 30W portable solar panel but this is what i get with me multimeter on at Ohms.....
1k
.2 when i touch pos to neg on multimeter
1k when i touch pos to pos - neg to neg on panel
715k when i touch pos to neg - neg to pos on panel
if this makes any sense :icon_confused:
so does this mean there is a diode :icon_scratch:
cheerz
KK
Quote from: nickjtc on November 25, 2015, 06:38:22 AM
Don't they teach you anything up there in the frozen north...??? :icon_wink:
Any fool knows it's x + y = M x king kong. :ImaPoser
Sorry for the hijack; can't help you on this one.
Hey nickjtc !! I realy thought it was godzilla :icon_scratch: but as your more ejimicated than me i'll
take yer word for it that it is king kong :icon_lol: :ImaPoser :icon_lol: :icon_wink:
KK
Quote from: KuzzinKenny on November 26, 2015, 05:57:51 PM
Hey JoeDirt !! Nice Utube find :thumbsup it was helpful but i'm still a bit :icon_confused: :icon_scratch: i can't see if me panel has any diodes cos its a small 30W portable solar panel but this is what i get with me multimeter on at Ohms.....
1k
.2 when i touch pos to neg on multimeter
1k when i touch pos to pos - neg to neg on panel
715k when i touch pos to neg - neg to pos on panel
if this makes any sense :icon_confused:
so does this mean there is a diode :icon_scratch:
cheerz
KK
Dump :^_^
Or bump even.... :ImaPoser
1k
.2 when i touch pos to neg on multimeter this should be zero, oyu have a slight resistance somewhere but as long as you take it into consideration that's ok.
1k when i touch pos to pos - neg to neg on panel 1k will be the internal resistance of the panel
715k when i touch pos to neg - neg to pos on panel in this direction it should read 1 or very near to 1. If indeed it is 715k and not 715 ohms, the reading you have suggests it does have a blocking diode
Why do you ask????
Quote from: Bixxer Bob on November 29, 2015, 07:53:37 PM
Why do you ask????
He couldn't get the kettle to boil :icon_biggrin:
Quote from: Bixxer Bob on November 29, 2015, 07:42:02 PM
Or bump even.... :ImaPoser
I'm also lisdexic :icon_redface: :icon_wink:
but it did get the reaction i wanted :thumbsup
Hey BB !! "Why do you ask????" I can't get the kettle to boil :ImaPoser :ImaPoser
i want to plug the panel into me van as i dont use it very much and the winter sun might keep the battery topped up :thumbsup but if there's no blockin diode it would discharge the battery overnite :icon_eek:
so it looks like the panel has a blockin diode :thumbsup
cheerz
KK
Simple test Kenny, put your multimeter on "Amps". With the panel in daylight connect the panel positive lead to your multimeter red lead and the multinmeter black lead to the positive battery terminal. Connect the negative panel lead to the battery negative. That will read how many amps the panel is pushing out.
Now do the same with the panel covered up. If the number of amps is now zero it has a diade and all is well. If there are some amps and they have a minus sign in front then that's not good.
Cheerz BB !! me multimeter only does ohms, volts and off :ImaPoser i bought it at Tandy :^_^ in the 80s :icon_eek: so i'll have to borrow one to do yer check :thumbsup
http://www.tandyonline.co.uk
they aint got any shops but are still online :thumbsup
KK
Quote from: KuzzinKenny on November 26, 2015, 05:57:51 PM
Hey JoeDirt !! Nice Utube find :thumbsup it was helpful but i'm still a bit :icon_confused: :icon_scratch: i can't see if me panel has any diodes cos its a small 30W portable solar panel but this is what i get with me multimeter on at Ohms.....
Sorry man... I didn't make it back to your post to see how you were doing. I was very distracted posting my Gizmo on another thread. Hopefully, Bixxer got you boiling water. :thumbsup
Quote from: KuzzinKenny on December 01, 2015, 05:17:21 PM
Cheerz BB !! me multimeter only does ohms, volts and off :ImaPoser i bought it at Tandy :^_^ in the 80s :icon_eek: so i'll have to borrow one to do yer check :thumbsup
http://www.tandyonline.co.uk
they aint got any shops but are still online :thumbsup
KK
You can get a decent digital one for about a fiver Ken
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Ammeter-AC-DC-Voltage-Checker-Tester-Digital-OHM-Multimeter-Voltmeter-/251800519897?hash=item3aa07b04d9:g:QxgAAOSwjVVVjCJL
you can still test it using volts, just not as well. hook the meter up with the panel connected to a battery in bright sun and watch needle closely as you shade panel the needle will show a slight deflection.
Happy for any of the electrical experts to correct me if I'm wrong, but my limited knowledge suggests to me that the volts setting will only test whether there are volts coming out of the panel. It won't show whether the panel has high resistance to reverse current when the panel output drops below the battery. It's when the panel current drops below the battery that the battery begins to discharge into the panel (which may hard the panel or even risk a fire) which is what Kenny wants to avoid.
Hey Kenny, you could use one of these to be sure:
http://www.eachbuyer.com/solar-regulator-controller-panel-charger-battery-regulator-12v-24v-30a-p37974.html?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=EDM&utm_campaign=spead_mail_20151123
Connect the solar panel output to the (funnily enough) solar panel input, the battery to "battery" and you can even have a power output. anything you connect to this will draw on the panel if there's enough output, or the battery if there's not.