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Old 10-03-2013, 08:35 PM   #1
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Solar charging panel not working

My 2012 Ellipse has a solar charging panel on the roof. There is a LED in the Controls cabinet that used to light up when the sun was out. It has not lit for a long time. I would like to know that the solar panel is charging the batteries when not in use. The owners manual gives little in the line of assistance to troubleshoot. Anyone know of a way to troubleshoot the system? There should be a control system somewhere that works with the solar panel.
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Old 10-03-2013, 10:05 PM   #2
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I don't know the Ellipse, but I know solar.
Roughly:
Panel -> Regulator -> Battery
Can you find the input into the regulator/solar controller?
Check voltage there...
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Old 10-03-2013, 11:03 PM   #3
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Your solar controls and monitor should still be under manufacturer warrantee. What is the brand name and model of the controls?
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Old 10-03-2013, 11:41 PM   #4
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How to check your Solor Panels light.

I have 114 WATS on my M.H. roof it has a voltage meter in the over head compartment and one day I notice that the light that lets me know when it is charging my battery's was not working I ask one of my buddy about it because he has soler panels on his M.H. roof also.
He told me to turn something on and wait a few minuets to see if the light would come on and after I turn on a light it was about 30 seconds low and behold it came on.
The Morrow of this story is that if the batteries are up the solar panels will not send electric to the battery's their for the light will not come on.
Just a thought.
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Old 10-03-2013, 11:51 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Walter View Post
The Morrow of this story is that if the batteries are up the solar panels will not send electric to the battery's their for the light will not come on.
Just a thought.
That is called "FLOAT" Mode. It prevents the batteries from being boiled.

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Old 10-04-2013, 12:22 AM   #6
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One of the things I forgot to say that there was a time when the light would not come on and it was the voltage regular that was bad and I had to replace it.
Sorry about that.
Just a thought.
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Old 10-04-2013, 06:32 AM   #7
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That is probably the 15 watt panel and doesn't have a charge controller. The schematic should be in electrical diagram. Just an LED and diode and possibly a fuse.
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Old 11-21-2013, 09:52 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bertman View Post
My 2012 Ellipse has a solar charging panel on the roof. There is a LED in the Controls cabinet that used to light up when the sun was out. It has not lit for a long time. I would like to know that the solar panel is charging the batteries when not in use. The owners manual gives little in the line of assistance to troubleshoot. Anyone know of a way to troubleshoot the system? There should be a control system somewhere that works with the solar panel.
Yep, I have the same question. Although when in storage, my house batteries are shutoff. So I put the batteries on a charger and they were "full". My guess is that the LED doesn't light up when the batteries are full or disconnected. I'll put a load on the battery this weekend and then see if the charger LED will light up.
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Old 11-22-2013, 12:16 PM   #9
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That little panel on the roof doesn't do much. There is a circuit breaker for it in one of the outside DC panels. You might check there. I have never seen mine lit. I think if the batteries are charged it is satisfied. I thought I read that a while back in one of the manuals. Check your wiring diagram. On a quick look I couldn't see the wiring for it.

Try checking it when dry docking. When the batteries get down a bit see if it lights.

Don't you just love the Auto Start feature of the generator? Ours has kept us up and running, when needed, just fine.

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Old 11-23-2013, 09:41 AM   #10
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I've had three motorhomes with solar panels............I still wonder if they actually do anything besides light up the little red light on my control panel?

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Old 11-23-2013, 10:28 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by Kingixolib View Post
I've had three motorhomes with solar panels............I still wonder if they actually do anything besides light up the little red light on my control panel?

Probably not if they were the 15 amp or less type.
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