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06-22-2017, 02:54 PM
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#1
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Sun Power
Well, I'm about to take the plunge and order a 540 Watt Solar Kit.
The question I have is how to route the power down to the battery box. I'd like to keep the hull penetrations down to a minimum. I'm thinking of using a conduit and clamps.
Any suggestions?
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06-22-2017, 03:05 PM
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#2
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Birmingham Al
Posts: 602
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Blue Bird
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptSquid
Any suggestions?
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penetrate!!
https://youtu.be/xHC2H5-mIW4?t=70
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06-22-2017, 03:22 PM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 1,362
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Crown, integral. (With 2kW of tiltable solar)
Chassis: Crown Supercoach II (rear engine)
Engine: Detroit 6V92TAC, DDEC 2, Jake brake, Allison HT740
Rated Cap: 37,400 lbs GVWR
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I ran my eight panels' two 4AWG downfeed positive cables through the insides of a hollow roof rib on the passenger side, and the two negative cables are in a driver side rib. They penetrate through the roof skin under the two combiner boxes that are weatherproof Bell 5348 aluminum junction boxes bolted to the roof rib and well sealed, and these boxes sit under my roof walkway that keeps almost all rain off them anyway. I had to drill 1" holes through the longitudinal box-sections above the windows so that I could access the ends of the roof ribs from underneath, but then it was easy to use 1" ID plastic tube as a flexible conduit for the cables running down to and through the floor to the breakers and charge controllers in a luggage bay underneath. I have blocked off two windows on each side, and the cables' conduits run between the new outer skins and the inner wall panels, then through the side walls under the windows. Doing it this way was a lot of work, but the cables are completely protected from weather or damage and they are also completely hidden from sight, yet if I had to replace them they could be easily fished all the way through from the roof combiner boxes down to the luggage bay.
John
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06-22-2017, 03:51 PM
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#4
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: in the bus on the road
Posts: 529
Year: 1998
Coachwork: myself
Chassis: amtran
Engine: international dt466e allison md 3060
Rated Cap: 13 ton or so says the tit
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I ran down through the roof. Not the best idea, but silicone is awesome. Inside the bus i ran conduit down both sides. With boxes and banana clip set ups. A battery bank separate from the bus power, but can be charged by a 360 amp alternator. Under the right conditions. So much left to learn
Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk
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06-22-2017, 06:18 PM
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#5
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: NY
Posts: 487
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: T444E
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I used two of THESE. Sturdy, clean, and no leaks.
__________________
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need ... roads.
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06-22-2017, 10:37 PM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
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Very nice! Where did you find that set up?
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06-24-2017, 08:07 PM
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#7
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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$24 on Amazon. He provided a link.
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06-27-2017, 05:41 PM
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#8
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Quote:
Originally Posted by warewolff
I used two of THESE. Sturdy, clean, and no leaks.
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How long & what gage cables?
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06-28-2017, 10:52 AM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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If memory serves me, to accommodate that kit, you are going to want to use a #6 wire from your junction box down to your charge controller.
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06-29-2017, 03:34 PM
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#10
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Much appreciated.
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06-29-2017, 04:23 PM
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#11
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: The West
Posts: 1,210
Year: 1998
Coachwork: MCI
Chassis: 102 EL3
Engine: DD 60
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptSquid
The question I have is how to route the power down to the battery box. I'd like to keep the hull penetrations down to a minimum. I'm thinking of using a conduit and clamps.
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Howdy Capt! With a kit like that, you are probably going to get cables and be told exactly how to connect everything - that's probably a good way to go. If not, you have some options.
At a glance, those appear to be 18 volt panels. I'm assuming they want them connected in parallel (given the two, two-in-one MC1 connectors in the photo) and are able to achieve something around 80% rated capacity, you will have something around 24 amps at 18 volts coming down the wire.
How long is the run from the panels to the charge controller? Assuming it is 30', you are going to need #6 AWG or larger.
However; if that charge controller will allow you to connect them in series, and you want to do that (there are negatives), then you would have 8 amps at 54 volts. Assuming the same length, you would only need #14 AWG.
Cable size is one of the advantages of the high voltage panels - I'm using #10 for 1700 watts. This doesn't seem like too big of a deal until one starts pricing big thick copper cables. I know... just making things more complicated...
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06-29-2017, 04:31 PM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Just placed the order for this kit. Anticipated del'y date: 7Jul17. Now, if Home Depot reads the shipping address and delivers it to my bus, I'll be in good shape. If they arrive in the after noon, I'll be plugged into .
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06-29-2017, 04:37 PM
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#13
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: The West
Posts: 1,210
Year: 1998
Coachwork: MCI
Chassis: 102 EL3
Engine: DD 60
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptSquid
Just placed the order for this kit.
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Congrats! Solar power is a mighty kewl thing!!
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06-29-2017, 04:39 PM
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#14
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JDOnTheGo
Howdy Capt! With a kit like that, you are probably going to get cables and be told exactly how to connect everything - that's probably a good way to go. If not, you have some options.
At a glance, those appear to be 18 volt panels. I'm assuming they want them connected in parallel (given the two, two-in-one MC1 connectors in the photo) and are able to achieve something around 80% rated capacity, you will have something around 24 amps at 18 volts coming down the wire.....
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It looks to me like that kit comes with a PWM charge controller. If he upgrades to an MPPT then running the panels in series may be practical but not with the PWM controller.
Impp on those panels is 9.24A. Three panels in series could see 27.72A. I believe NEC would allow #10 wire. However, DC voltage drop over your wire runs is your ENEMY. For a run of more than a few feet I would use at least a #8 to minimize DC losses. If it is a long run or you may consider adding panels in the future you may want to go with #6.
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07-04-2017, 05:17 PM
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#15
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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The solar panel kit, in 4 packages, arrives TOMORROW!
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07-04-2017, 05:58 PM
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#16
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Minnesota 56143
Posts: 53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptSquid
Just placed the order for this kit. Anticipated del'y date: 7Jul17. Now, if Home Depot reads the shipping address and delivers it to my bus, I'll be in good shape. If they arrive in the after noon, I'll be plugged into .
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Looks like a defibrillator....! What is it? Excuse my ignorance.
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07-04-2017, 06:36 PM
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#17
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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It's a hemodialysis machine. My kidneys don't work, so I have to be plugged into this beast for 4.5 hours on M-W-F. Major advantage? I don't have to urinate as much.
When I was first attached to one like this in February, it sucked out over 60 kg of trapped fluid in my body! I lost 8" in my waist in one week! Jenny Craig doesn't have a diet plan like that!
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07-05-2017, 06:58 AM
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#18
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: The West
Posts: 1,210
Year: 1998
Coachwork: MCI
Chassis: 102 EL3
Engine: DD 60
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptSquid
When I was first attached to one like this in February, it sucked out over 60 kg of trapped fluid in my body! I lost 8" in my waist in one week!
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VERY NICE!!! Where I can I get one?!?!
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07-06-2017, 12:31 PM
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#19
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Just let your kidneys go to pot. The hospital will be more than delighted to hook you up to one.
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07-06-2017, 03:25 PM
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#20
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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My solar panel kit arrived yesterday, complete with everything but the mounting screws for the controller and the 1800/3000w inverter. Also arriving yesterday was the kitchen sink and the 30 litre boiler.
I guess I'm gonna be just a bit busy.
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