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Wild old night down at the marina! Appears a good buy on the solar panels and must say Steph has knowledge and ability to explain which is a genuine talent. I thought Panama was in the grip of a severe drought, even impacting the traffic through the canal? Looking forward to your traversing the canal. Enjoyed.
Don't buy a bigger solar controller; by just another solar controller and run the two victrons in parallel. Many advantages: shading is better with the two controllers, always a backup in case one controller malfunctions, One can actually use a solar controllers to activate lights, victron solar controllers communicate to each other So no worries. Combined out foot of the solar controllers are in parallel and one cable goes then to your batteries. I use 4 controllers in our RV (1,200w) to control shading and feedback. Running in parallel minimizes shading effect so if you run both of those in series you'll not get the maximum efficiency during shading. And as a retired sailor, shading is a constant issue.
Tips for the crossing to Marquesas....I assume you are preparing to cross the south pacific (coconut run). My advice is to leave PC mid-march. The trick on this passage is to get to Marquesas at a time when there is decent wind. That would be mid fall time. For the most part, you don't need to worry about cyclones on that part of the south pacific. Also, the winds are much stronger at 10 lat than 8 lat but if you can make good speed at 8 lat and hold that all the way west to where the wind starts dying off, then you can cut it south giving you a better wind angle for the light winds. This is the key to this passage. Those who mess it up end up drifting for a month as the wind can die off 1,000 miles before Marquesas. Most plan on stopping in Galapagos to refuel and have fun. I bypassed it due to all the regulations. Next time I'll have my family so we will stop. To get me through the doldrums and the last 2 days of no wind on the other end, I purchased a 50 gallon fuel Blatter. On my 37' Hunter I strapped it down under the boom and ran a hose with valve back to the tank cap. So after motoring for I think 4 or 5 days through the doldrums I was able to use that extra fuel to fill my tank and when I pulled into the anchorage, I still had 3/4th a tank of diesel. I was the only boat that year that didn't need fuel in Marquesas. Also be prepared for very rolly conditions in the doldrums. There are a lot of isolated storms which kick up big swell that travel a ways, so you may find yourself motoring in 0 wind but have 6' waves. If you find yourself going too slow about halfway and it's light winds with little swell, then you might consider dropping sails and getting into the water to clean the hull. Seems just about every boat will get these tubular things growing on the side of the hull and underneath too. I figured I lost a knot because of that growth. Good luck in the canal.
Not sure if you worked out the solar panel amp readings. Test each panel for current output directly across the DC positive and negative with a digital meter. That will tell you what each panel outputs. To measure a system load, the meter has to be in series between the supply and load. It still does not fully answer your measurement of 28 amps, unless for some reason the first test of individual panel output is in excess of 14 amps.
Be sure to give an air space between your solar panels and mounting surface. This way the aluminum won’t turn into a heat sink. Check your fuse links with the new panels that you have protection. Be careful with your capacity rating on a full sun day! Good luck!
Amazing you didn't get hit in the storm. I heard somewhere, that if you drop chain over the side and attach to your mast voltage will go directly overboard. Best going through the canal and passage to your storage.
Another great video guys. I also watch onboard Lifestyle Video. A number of your viewers mentioned In the comments seeing SV Basil demasted. Teal, said in 2 or 3 Videos before we could find out. Can you please let the cat out of the bag for us .
Keep those panels wired in parallel. Wire it parallel with two controllers. You're going wayyyy out there, redundancy is a good thing. Look at typical explorer vessels; 2 gensets, two engines, vhf's, water makers, etc. you have two engines (sail and motor). Start thinking/planning battery packs and having that redundancy too. Also consider LPS spare when traveling. also, if headed to Spain/Morocco have a makeshift/spare rudder. Those orcas man. It's sport for them.
October 1985 flew from Victoria BC to Panama and Fort Sherman for the US Army Jungle Warfare expert course. Never imagined the internet or that I would see the place on so many videos.
Great video including all the suspense of watching the electric storm around you. You are going to the Pacific, but all your stuff is in Maryland. You going to the Mexican boatyard used by so many of the cruisers? Like watching you guys get stuff done. Budapeter
Pop open the voltmeter case... there's probably a blown internal fuse. Should be a quick fix. Also.. once you're able to run your new panels in series the current will go down ~ 1/2, but yeah, your MPPT will need to support the higher voltage. Glad you guys faired well through that storm!
The first number is maximum voltage of the panels in series, add them up. Second number is max amps out from the controller. You can cheat this a bit. At my cabin I have one. 480 watt panel on a Victron 75/15. I consider that one array. Tried to put 3 of those same panels on a Victron 150/60. But since the panels are 53.3 volts. It errored out, to high of voltage. On a boat with all the little shadings. Treating each panel as an array would be ultimate but who has room, or want to spend the money on all those controllers. So I separate my arrays port and starboard. Was able to put 2, 530 watt panels, one port and one starboard. They each have there own controller.
Happy you didn’t get a direct strike , what you experienced was an electrical magnetic pulse that can cause instantaneous voltage spikes. Looking forward to your next adventure!
Don't forget to install a lightening rod (a grounding system) on your boat in case lightening would strike your boat. Just a warning for your protection.
Good to put portable electronics in the oven. But the oven/stove needs to be grounded for best protection. Also you are on an aluminum boat. It’s is already a Faraday cage. And that’s good for you. Much safer than a FG or wood boat.
Great video guys!! I was wondering if you have already sold your old boat? And did you have all your belongings on the old boat packed up and shipped to you? All of a sudden when you left your old boat and suddenly showed up on this new one. Thanks 😃😃
We flew to Panama with barely any belongings. Didn’t ship anything to us because it would have taken too long and have been wayyyyyyyyy to pricey with how much we had
@@SailingJibsea My eye doctor told me to wear sunglasses always when in sunlight and you are in more direct sunlight being so close to the equator. Also you might consider wearing the light long-sleeved hoodies like what Delos and others wear to prevent any sunburns and skin cancer. I was noticing in previous videos Travis' skin looked very burnt .
You’re in Shelter Bay? I think? If so you run into Gobins? They are there too. If so, Teal is a great boat source! great video too! There is a horn just like that at Waukegan Harbor and toots a code. Not sure what it means though but when the lake gets really rolly it goes off more.
@@SailingJibsea that is so good to hear! Glad you got to run into them! ☺️ Teal is awesome too! Stephanie get to do a food collaboration with Linh? Both chefzillas!
Cmagain intreging video. Concerning lighting I think Pierre's from nova trek sailing he had done some ??? In bottum sail fellow canadian would certainly give . advice. They receintly sold their catamaran and keep a eye on it😅😅 for the owner. As for referrals on sokar power see" DIY SOKAR WITH WILL PROWSE " little nerd ge dies test on new material knows he's stull has done a video on beginner's abd advance system whow to install and save also. Cant loose to watch him especially you will glide in this new world goid luck ❤ Steph us so energise 🎉 Thank's. This, it is my 3rd time watching this video loll
I know exactly where y'all are at, it use to be the US Army's base for jungle warfare until we turned all of our bases in Panama back to the Panamanians. It's was call Fort Sherman. Swam all around that now Harbor. Great snorkeling outside of there as well. Keep up the work, looking good.
Solar panels are rated for standard test conditions, which is full sunlight at 25 degrees celcius. The warmer they get the less efficient they get. So if you had a cool morning where the ambient temperature was a few degrees below 25°C but the sun was shining strongly on them, they could generate more than their rated yield.
The 100/50 means it can accept 100v in from the panels and the output is limited to 50amp to your batteries. If the batteries are flat, they will demand the max, so you may see 50a going in, as they charge up, they will demand less, so even in full sun, you may only see 2a or 4a going into the batteries. The panels are not 100% efficient, so you probably won't see 102v even in full sun, so the 100/50 will probably be fine. if it's a victron and you have access to historical data, it would be a "fun" experiment to monitor the charging in series, then swap the panels to parallel and monitor again to see what is best for your setup.
50 V @ 14 A will equal 700 Watts... but 700 Watts divided by 12V (Nominal) is 58 Amps... The formula is V times A (or technically E*I) ... or more specifically, A*A*R ... but volts is A*R, so you can say A*V. Btw, If you're charging at 13.8 Volts... that means that it will me 700W/13.8V to give you 50.7 Amps. You should look into a Sungold or PowMR all-in-one charger/inverter (I'm sure vectronics has them as well). They are solution that I'm using and it was fairly simple to install. (putting on my nomex suit for the vectronic purists) ;)
The whole boat being Al It's a full galvanic cage ... It should be fully safe like being in a car or plane ...just stay inside...and an easy route to earth IE the water.. When you see lightening flash your actually seeing the return stroke travelling from the grounding point back into the cloud ... It's superheated air.. Which is why wooden boats can be dangerous as wet wood can flash boil and explode blowing splinters out. That's why you shouldn't shelter under trees or next to tall wooden poles etc. Simple battery lights keep things safe or an old fashioned boat lamp./miners Davey lamp if your boat uses gas.
Is your victron controller in engine compartment as far as heat may not be good ,also having fire extinguisher in there too.ABYC regs a plugged hole in stairs to remove to insert fire extinguisher without lifting stairs giving massive 02 to fire
During lightning strikes take cover just like you did was great.. Nice solar panels what measurements are they?? I bet you guys are excited to sail soon hopefully you can take your time refitting your boat after your long journey. Be safe on your journey no licking your fingers tips during your next lightning strike.. great video
OMG 😱…….off to the South Pacific 🎉🎉🎉 Looking forward to that adventure with you guys‼️ My guess, based on all the hints, is you will be heading North🤔 ….or maybe out to Hawaii first. See you next time. ✨🌊💨⛵️🏝️👙🌞✨
can you see both of those lights from in front of the boat? Looks like it is being blocked by the anchor roller supports. 50 gallons is too much to waist on showers. Use that tank for dishes too.
Lightning damage can take months to show up in electronics. So you never really know. I have lost depth sounder unit. Ssb radio, autopilot. In 3 different storms at sea here in south east asia. Closest thing electical storm wise cruise erea to panama .
Parallel is best. You'll still have power if one gets shaded. Power = Volts x Amps. So 1000 watts, 51 volts = 19 amps. The inverter changes this to 28V after losing 10% of the power so 900 Watts at 28V is 32 amps. You only get full power at noon on the equator with the panels pointing directly into the sun with no clouds! Lightning, your AL boat should do really well. Lightning gets pissed when there is no conductive path to ground. It then makes a path by blowing a hole in your fiberglass!
Great price on that solar. You have a link to some details? Also that cat behind your boat at the time of filming called Supernova. Is that a boat owned by another youtube couple? THought I saw it on sailing doodles.
Lightning is seriously bad juju! Realistically there’s not much you can do that is proven to work but we just bought two sets of the heaviest gauge jumper cables in could find with the intention of grounding the side stays directly in the ocean. Microwaves don’t have a good reputation as a faraday cage but your oven should do much better. I have a metal ammunition can for small items like phones and I disconnect the VHF/AIS cable as well since the strike is likely to enter through that antenna at the top of the mast. Bad juju! SV Zia
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think your whole aluminum boat is a Faraday cage. Putting your electronics inside the microwave is a fibreglass boat thing. Not necessary or effective inside a metal boat.
Parallel or series for panels only matters for shading and to achieve recommended voltages and current input limits for your change controller. Looks like you won’t get much shading in that location If one panel might get shaded parallel is better as the power of both panels won’t get limited by shading of one. Power (watts) = Voltage (V) current (I) or said another way 575*2= 1150 watts total. 1150 watts feeding into 12v batteries = 95 amp max charge current but your 100/50 charge controller is rated for 700W max. You are going to fry your controller by over powering it. In the short term, I’d split the panels between the two charge controllers - one each IF the max voltage in is within limits. The VoC of the panels at 51.x volts would exceed max voltage in of 100V for the charge controller if you connect in series. Don’t! If you plan to sail in cold climates, expect that 51 VoC to raise as much as 10-15%.
The mistake @7:45 is those are the panel output values. The charge controller will take those inputs and change the output current in proportion to the battery voltage. Example: 15 amps at 50V becomes 30 Amps when feeding 25V out - and 60A out when feeding 12.5V batteries. This is why many larger DC solar systems are 48v - the amps used are 1/4 that of 12v systems. You are well over the output rating of your charge controller - especially with two panels feeding it. The magic smoke will evaporate from the 50A charge controller if you don’t reduce the input to within the CC specification. Usually CC can take 15-20% more watts in than they can output. Check the spec sheet for your Victron.
Volts x Amps = Watts. OLD marine panels were typically wired for 12 volt, but you forgot the new panels are the now-standard household 48v panels. You're lucky the newer charge controllers will accept any voltage 12v - 48v, they just drop the charge voltage down to 12v for the batteries, but that roughly quadruples the amperage output! Don't try connecting them to an OLD unprogrammable charge controller...and when you do get your lithiums ensure your controllers have preset programs for LiFePO4 cells. And for god's sake stay away from the cheap chinese batteries being flogged. Yes, the cells are essentially the same in all LiFePO4's, but the BMS is vastly different, and all the problems I've seen in the last few years are from people saving money by buying the cheap ones, BMS' failing and ruining the banks. My son does solar and battery back up systems on everything from sailboats to huge private villas with battery backups arriving in 40 foot steel containers. Plan your electric system to run the entire galley as electric - other than my watermaker, going induction for cooking is the greatest improvement in the last 20 years. It's amazing how much cooler the galley is. Waking up to the breadmaker and coffeemaker sending smells to say get out of bed, then finally realizing my asian wife was right with rice cookers, doing fancy dinners in a combo microwave/convection oven and of course the icemaker is not just for guests. I installed a 6kW battery bank with 1400watts of solar, does my boat fine - but am planning my upgrade to 10kW with 2kW of solar (just by improvements in panel efficiency) so that we can add AC for the aft cabin. Well designed electrical system = no generator and MUCH more comfort, just need to pan the heavy useage (watermaker) mid-day after the bank is full and the solar is free.
Nice! -- ELECTRICITY -- The reason you are having a hard time understanding all this Amps or volts stuff is that your unit of measure is wrong. The Standard unit of measure for electricity is the Watt, designation W - it is not the Amp, Volt, coulomb, Resistance, Ohms etc. It is the Watt that matters. Volts x Amps = Watts. Always calculate for Watts. That is what you use. Saying that you use 9 amps is a bit meaningless without also knowing the volts (since W=AxV), Claiming that a battery is 100amps is meaningless without knowing the volts as it could be 12V or 24 or 48 etc. you need to know the Watts. Next, remember that electricity is measure over time ie per hour. So Starlink uses about 48 Watts (per hour) expressed as 48Wh. Go calculate everything you use that way ie as Wh. Everything else, volts or amps, can be created by your inverter as long as you have the Wattage in your battery. So, now ask what are you solar panels? Are they 400 Watt panels? If so what voltage? Then you can easily calculate the Amps. Your panel almost certainly is made from a bunch of small 3 watt solar cells. You can count them and do the math. The trick is always think in Watts and, specifically, in Watt hours. Forget the Amps or volts since without knowing both and doing the math, they are meaningless. Tesla does this correctly and marketed cars as 80kw/h or 100kw/h cars - they did not go on about Watts or amps and nor should you.
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Thumbs down.
Wild old night down at the marina! Appears a good buy on the solar panels and must say Steph has knowledge and ability to explain which is a genuine talent. I thought Panama was in the grip of a severe drought, even impacting the traffic through the canal? Looking forward to your traversing the canal. Enjoyed.
Don't buy a bigger solar controller; by just another solar controller and run the two victrons in parallel. Many advantages: shading is better with the two controllers, always a backup in case one controller malfunctions, One can actually use a solar controllers to activate lights, victron solar controllers communicate to each other So no worries. Combined out foot of the solar controllers are in parallel and one cable goes then to your batteries. I use 4 controllers in our RV (1,200w) to control shading and feedback. Running in parallel minimizes shading effect so if you run both of those in series you'll not get the maximum efficiency during shading. And as a retired sailor, shading is a constant issue.
Yeah a bigger controller was much more expensive than just buying another one as well
Your new boat is awesome!
She’s a tank 🙌🏻
That was a great video, I even caught a glimpse of Super Nova in the marina.
Tips for the crossing to Marquesas....I assume you are preparing to cross the south pacific (coconut run). My advice is to leave PC mid-march. The trick on this passage is to get to Marquesas at a time when there is decent wind. That would be mid fall time. For the most part, you don't need to worry about cyclones on that part of the south pacific.
Also, the winds are much stronger at 10 lat than 8 lat but if you can make good speed at 8 lat and hold that all the way west to where the wind starts dying off, then you can cut it south giving you a better wind angle for the light winds. This is the key to this passage. Those who mess it up end up drifting for a month as the wind can die off 1,000 miles before Marquesas.
Most plan on stopping in Galapagos to refuel and have fun. I bypassed it due to all the regulations. Next time I'll have my family so we will stop. To get me through the doldrums and the last 2 days of no wind on the other end, I purchased a 50 gallon fuel Blatter. On my 37' Hunter I strapped it down under the boom and ran a hose with valve back to the tank cap. So after motoring for I think 4 or 5 days through the doldrums I was able to use that extra fuel to fill my tank and when I pulled into the anchorage, I still had 3/4th a tank of diesel. I was the only boat that year that didn't need fuel in Marquesas.
Also be prepared for very rolly conditions in the doldrums. There are a lot of isolated storms which kick up big swell that travel a ways, so you may find yourself motoring in 0 wind but have 6' waves.
If you find yourself going too slow about halfway and it's light winds with little swell, then you might consider dropping sails and getting into the water to clean the hull. Seems just about every boat will get these tubular things growing on the side of the hull and underneath too. I figured I lost a knot because of that growth.
Good luck in the canal.
Not sure if you worked out the solar panel amp readings. Test each panel for current output directly across the DC positive and negative with a digital meter. That will tell you what each panel outputs. To measure a system load, the meter has to be in series between the supply and load. It still does not fully answer your measurement of 28 amps, unless for some reason the first test of individual panel output is in excess of 14 amps.
I’ve had the same filming in a storm. Close strike and then no footage
So bizarre! Lightning messes so many things up
Hilarious @sailingsupernova is right behind you! Fellow Canuck! Watch you both … love the new boat!!!
Yep! Check out our previous episode. Darcy helps us out big time!
Nice to see Basic in the background
I thought that cat looked familiar!! 😀😀
If it is SV Basik, they have taken down there Mast.
That's Sailing Supernova, a newer channel.
Be sure to give an air space between your solar panels and mounting surface. This way the aluminum won’t turn into a heat sink. Check your fuse links with the new panels that you have protection. Be careful with your capacity rating on a full sun day! Good luck!
I love sitting out on the porch and watch the lightninfg storms we get here in Arizona, USA
Amazing you didn't get hit in the storm. I heard somewhere, that if you drop chain over the side and attach to your mast voltage will go directly overboard. Best going through the canal and passage to your storage.
Another great video guys. I also watch onboard Lifestyle Video. A number of your viewers mentioned In the comments seeing SV Basil demasted. Teal, said in 2 or 3 Videos before we could find out. Can you please let the cat out of the bag for us .
"A buck a watt" 😂 true Canadian 😅😅
is that a very Canadian thing to say ? 🤣🇨🇦
@SailingJibsea I don't know if it's a Canadian thing to say or not, But it sure did sound canadian. Lol
Glad you guys are okay ! Thanks for sharing !!
Keep those panels wired in parallel. Wire it parallel with two controllers. You're going wayyyy out there, redundancy is a good thing. Look at typical explorer vessels; 2 gensets, two engines, vhf's, water makers, etc. you have two engines (sail and motor). Start thinking/planning battery packs and having that redundancy too. Also consider LPS spare when traveling. also, if headed to Spain/Morocco have a makeshift/spare rudder. Those orcas man. It's sport for them.
All about redundancy!! Yes! Crossing the Gibraltar strait was terrifying last year with all the attacks! We were holding our breath the entire time
So glad u guys came away from this safe n sound. 💓
October 1985 flew from Victoria BC to Panama and Fort Sherman for the US Army Jungle Warfare expert course. Never imagined the internet or that I would see the place on so many videos.
I loved fast forwarding through your sponsorship segment.
Great video including all the suspense of watching the electric storm around you. You are going to the Pacific, but all your stuff is in Maryland. You going to the Mexican boatyard used by so many of the cruisers? Like watching you guys get stuff done. Budapeter
Pop open the voltmeter case... there's probably a blown internal fuse. Should be a quick fix. Also.. once you're able to run your new panels in series the current will go down ~ 1/2, but yeah, your MPPT will need to support the higher voltage.
Glad you guys faired well through that storm!
The first number is maximum voltage of the panels in series, add them up. Second number is max amps out from the controller.
You can cheat this a bit.
At my cabin I have one. 480 watt panel on a Victron 75/15.
I consider that one array.
Tried to put 3 of those same panels on a Victron 150/60. But since the panels are 53.3 volts.
It errored out, to high of voltage.
On a boat with all the little shadings. Treating each panel as an array would be ultimate but who has room, or want to spend the money on all those controllers. So I separate my arrays port and starboard.
Was able to put 2, 530 watt panels, one port and one starboard. They each have there own controller.
Groovy episode. Your sailboat is coming together nicely. Bummer about the lightening, but you have to admit, it sure looks cool.
Awesome episode!
Happy you didn’t get a direct strike , what you experienced was an electrical magnetic pulse that can cause instantaneous voltage spikes. Looking forward to your next adventure!
You should call Capitaine Rick from Sailing Sophisticated Lady . He is the best of the best with electricity problems. Welcome
Another excellent episode! - Thanks, guys!
Don't forget to install a lightening rod (a grounding system) on your boat in case lightening would strike your boat. Just a warning for your protection.
Good to put portable electronics in the oven. But the oven/stove needs to be grounded for best protection. Also you are on an aluminum boat. It’s is already a Faraday cage. And that’s good for you. Much safer than a FG or wood boat.
Great video guys!! I was wondering if you have already sold your old boat? And did you have all your belongings on the old boat packed up and shipped to you? All of a sudden when you left your old boat and suddenly showed up on this new one. Thanks 😃😃
We flew to Panama with barely any belongings. Didn’t ship anything to us because it would have taken too long and have been wayyyyyyyyy to pricey with how much we had
@@SailingJibsea Thanks!! Fair winds and calm seas for your trip across the Pacific !!
I love watching your videos well done on the new boat just could travis leave the glasses does he need them on all the time 🤔😊
Thanks! he’s got the most sensitive eyes and esp after laser eye surgery, even moreso but he tries! They just start squinting/closing/watering😅
@@SailingJibsea My eye doctor told me to wear sunglasses always when in sunlight and you are in more direct sunlight being so close to the equator. Also you might consider wearing the light long-sleeved hoodies like what Delos and others wear to prevent any sunburns and skin cancer. I was noticing in previous videos Travis' skin looked very burnt .
You’re in Shelter Bay? I think? If so you run into Gobins? They are there too. If so, Teal is a great boat source! great video too! There is a horn just like that at Waukegan Harbor and toots a code. Not sure what it means though but when the lake gets really rolly it goes off more.
Yep! He was a great help to us esp with us having no tools onboard!
@@SailingJibsea that is so good to hear! Glad you got to run into them! ☺️ Teal is awesome too! Stephanie get to do a food collaboration with Linh? Both chefzillas!
Is that SV Basic behind you when you were spraying the outside shower Nozzle
It is !
🧐
Awesome video guys !
❤ from 🇨🇦 BC
Great work man you should add an angled edge along the front / sites of the panels so strong winds cant wip them off
Is that SV Basik in the background
I didn't see Basik but I saw sailing Super Nova the pink boat but I believe Basik was there just a little bit ago.
Cmagain intreging video. Concerning lighting I think Pierre's from nova trek sailing he had done some ??? In bottum sail fellow canadian would certainly give . advice. They receintly sold their catamaran and keep a eye on it😅😅 for the owner. As for referrals on sokar power see" DIY SOKAR WITH WILL PROWSE " little nerd ge dies test on new material knows he's stull has done a video on beginner's abd advance system whow to install and save also. Cant loose to watch him especially you will glide in this new world goid luck ❤ Steph us so energise 🎉 Thank's. This, it is my 3rd time watching this video loll
I know exactly where y'all are at, it use to be the US Army's base for jungle warfare until we turned all of our bases in Panama back to the Panamanians. It's was call Fort Sherman. Swam all around that now Harbor. Great snorkeling outside of there as well. Keep up the work, looking good.
Yep you got it
Solar panels are rated for standard test conditions, which is full sunlight at 25 degrees celcius. The warmer they get the less efficient they get. So if you had a cool morning where the ambient temperature was a few degrees below 25°C but the sun was shining strongly on them, they could generate more than their rated yield.
The 100/50 means it can accept 100v in from the panels and the output is limited to 50amp to your batteries. If the batteries are flat, they will demand the max, so you may see 50a going in, as they charge up, they will demand less, so even in full sun, you may only see 2a or 4a going into the batteries.
The panels are not 100% efficient, so you probably won't see 102v even in full sun, so the 100/50 will probably be fine.
if it's a victron and you have access to historical data, it would be a "fun" experiment to monitor the charging in series, then swap the panels to parallel and monitor again to see what is best for your setup.
50 V @ 14 A will equal 700 Watts... but 700 Watts divided by 12V (Nominal) is 58 Amps... The formula is V times A (or technically E*I) ... or more specifically, A*A*R ... but volts is A*R, so you can say A*V. Btw, If you're charging at 13.8 Volts... that means that it will me 700W/13.8V to give you 50.7 Amps. You should look into a Sungold or PowMR all-in-one charger/inverter (I'm sure vectronics has them as well). They are solution that I'm using and it was fairly simple to install. (putting on my nomex suit for the vectronic purists) ;)
You’re speaking Chinese to these guys.
Good thing one of us is Chinese
Exactly what another cruiser shared with us
😂@@SailingJibsea
@@SailingJibseathis made me spit out my coffee! You guys are great, keep up the amazing journey! 😂😂😂
Talk about a lightening rod. Guess it’s grounded as good as it could be.
The whole boat being Al It's a full galvanic cage ... It should be fully safe like being in a car or plane ...just stay inside...and an easy route to earth IE the water..
When you see lightening flash your actually seeing the return stroke travelling from the grounding point back into the cloud ...
It's superheated air..
Which is why wooden boats can be dangerous as wet wood can flash boil and explode blowing splinters out. That's why you shouldn't shelter under trees or next to tall wooden poles etc.
Simple battery lights keep things safe or an old fashioned boat lamp./miners Davey lamp if your boat uses gas.
Is your victron controller in engine compartment as far as heat may not be good ,also having fire extinguisher in there too.ABYC regs a plugged hole in stairs to remove to insert fire extinguisher without lifting stairs giving massive 02 to fire
During lightning strikes take cover just like you did was great.. Nice solar panels what measurements are they?? I bet you guys are excited to sail soon hopefully you can take your time refitting your boat after your long journey. Be safe on your journey no licking your fingers tips during your next lightning strike.. great video
OMG 😱…….off to the South Pacific 🎉🎉🎉 Looking forward to that adventure with you guys‼️ My guess, based on all the hints, is you will be heading North🤔 ….or maybe out to Hawaii first. See you next time. ✨🌊💨⛵️🏝️👙🌞✨
can you see both of those lights from in front of the boat? Looks like it is being blocked by the anchor roller supports. 50 gallons is too much to waist on showers. Use that tank for dishes too.
Lightning damage can take months to show up in electronics. So you never really know.
I have lost depth sounder unit. Ssb radio, autopilot. In 3 different storms at sea here in south east asia. Closest thing electical storm wise cruise erea to panama .
Ah that’s a real bummer!! Really hoping nothing else shows up
can you cover one of the solar panels to cut down on the power intake
Good luck❤
Why are you standing on the Transom and holding the sprayer open?
Parallel is best. You'll still have power if one gets shaded. Power = Volts x Amps. So 1000 watts, 51 volts = 19 amps. The inverter changes this to 28V after losing 10% of the power so 900 Watts at 28V is 32 amps. You only get full power at noon on the equator with the panels pointing directly into the sun with no clouds! Lightning, your AL boat should do really well. Lightning gets pissed when there is no conductive path to ground. It then makes a path by blowing a hole in your fiberglass!
You had onboard lifestyle across from you Teal would’ve helped you out
He did!
Great price on that solar. You have a link to some details? Also that cat behind your boat at the time of filming called Supernova. Is that a boat owned by another youtube couple? THought I saw it on sailing doodles.
Put a link on the comment just below yours or Google Jinko 575. Yes Darcy helped us with welding our dinghy in the last episode! Very kind folks
I don’t know amps and voltages either. I feel least stupid now, so thank you for that. I think you’re smart ish. lol 🤔
Just learn Ohms law ... and then consult guide tables for selecting wire guage, distances and loads and devices.
You are going to get shading from your Starlink on one panel.
The backstay looks like it's Isolated. Will you be running HF SSB?
I hope other electronics don’t fail down the road. I’ve heard of boats losing electronics a bit later…
We hope so too 🤞🏼
Can you share your thoughts about Panama?
Do you have a link for the solar panels?
store.casabat.com/es/paneles-solares/273-panel-solar-monocristalino-jinko-solar-de-575-watts.html
Hi,
Will you be sailing or flying to the boat show in October?
read about Ohm`s law
Lightning is seriously bad juju! Realistically there’s not much you can do that is proven to work but we just bought two sets of the heaviest gauge jumper cables in could find with the intention of grounding the side stays directly in the ocean. Microwaves don’t have a good reputation as a faraday cage but your oven should do much better. I have a metal ammunition can for small items like phones and I disconnect the VHF/AIS cable as well since the strike is likely to enter through that antenna at the top of the mast. Bad juju! SV Zia
Fortunately our entire boat acts like a faraday cage and the microwave/ovens are unnecessary from what we just learned through comments!
You should not miss Bocas del Toro and Bocas Marina.
❤
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think your whole aluminum boat is a Faraday cage. Putting your electronics inside the microwave is a fibreglass boat thing. Not necessary or effective inside a metal boat.
We’ve heard the same about being a faraday cage but still tossed stuff in just in case? lol guess it wouldn’t hurt
You sould look into lightening preventers. A lot of people dont know they exist.
They don’t work. Nothing will ward off a direct strike!
and parallel and series circuits
Just remember any shading on a solar panel will affect the power
Yep, we’ve experienced that on prior boat
Parallel or series for panels only matters for shading and to achieve recommended voltages and current input limits for your change controller. Looks like you won’t get much shading in that location If one panel might get shaded parallel is better as the power of both panels won’t get limited by shading of one.
Power (watts) = Voltage (V) current (I) or said another way 575*2= 1150 watts total. 1150 watts feeding into 12v batteries = 95 amp max charge current but your 100/50 charge controller is rated for 700W max. You are going to fry your controller by over powering it. In the short term, I’d split the panels between the two charge controllers - one each IF the max voltage in is within limits. The VoC of the panels at 51.x volts would exceed max voltage in of 100V for the charge controller if you connect in series. Don’t! If you plan to sail in cold climates, expect that 51 VoC to raise as much as 10-15%.
The mistake @7:45 is those are the panel output values. The charge controller will take those inputs and change the output current in proportion to the battery voltage. Example: 15 amps at 50V becomes 30 Amps when feeding 25V out - and 60A out when feeding 12.5V batteries. This is why many larger DC solar systems are 48v - the amps used are 1/4 that of 12v systems. You are well over the output rating of your charge controller - especially with two panels feeding it. The magic smoke will evaporate from the 50A charge controller if you don’t reduce the input to within the CC specification. Usually CC can take 15-20% more watts in than they can output. Check the spec sheet for your Victron.
Just buy another mppt for the second panel.
👍🥳❤
Volts x Amps = Watts. OLD marine panels were typically wired for 12 volt, but you forgot the new panels are the now-standard household 48v panels.
You're lucky the newer charge controllers will accept any voltage 12v - 48v, they just drop the charge voltage down to 12v for the batteries, but that roughly quadruples the amperage output!
Don't try connecting them to an OLD unprogrammable charge controller...and when you do get your lithiums ensure your controllers have preset programs for LiFePO4 cells.
And for god's sake stay away from the cheap chinese batteries being flogged. Yes, the cells are essentially the same in all LiFePO4's, but the BMS is vastly different, and all the problems I've seen in the last few years are from people saving money by buying the cheap ones, BMS' failing and ruining the banks. My son does solar and battery back up systems on everything from sailboats to huge private villas with battery backups arriving in 40 foot steel containers.
Plan your electric system to run the entire galley as electric - other than my watermaker, going induction for cooking is the greatest improvement in the last 20 years. It's amazing how much cooler the galley is.
Waking up to the breadmaker and coffeemaker sending smells to say get out of bed, then finally realizing my asian wife was right with rice cookers, doing fancy dinners in a combo microwave/convection oven and of course the icemaker is not just for guests.
I installed a 6kW battery bank with 1400watts of solar, does my boat fine - but am planning my upgrade to 10kW with 2kW of solar (just by improvements in panel efficiency) so that we can add AC for the aft cabin.
Well designed electrical system = no generator and MUCH more comfort, just need to pan the heavy useage (watermaker) mid-day after the bank is full and the solar is free.
Nice! -- ELECTRICITY -- The reason you are having a hard time understanding all this Amps or volts stuff is that your unit of measure is wrong. The Standard unit of measure for electricity is the Watt, designation W - it is not the Amp, Volt, coulomb, Resistance, Ohms etc. It is the Watt that matters. Volts x Amps = Watts. Always calculate for Watts. That is what you use. Saying that you use 9 amps is a bit meaningless without also knowing the volts (since W=AxV), Claiming that a battery is 100amps is meaningless without knowing the volts as it could be 12V or 24 or 48 etc. you need to know the Watts. Next, remember that electricity is measure over time ie per hour. So Starlink uses about 48 Watts (per hour) expressed as 48Wh. Go calculate everything you use that way ie as Wh. Everything else, volts or amps, can be created by your inverter as long as you have the Wattage in your battery. So, now ask what are you solar panels? Are they 400 Watt panels? If so what voltage? Then you can easily calculate the Amps. Your panel almost certainly is made from a bunch of small 3 watt solar cells. You can count them and do the math. The trick is always think in Watts and, specifically, in Watt hours. Forget the Amps or volts since without knowing both and doing the math, they are meaningless. Tesla does this correctly and marketed cars as 80kw/h or 100kw/h cars - they did not go on about Watts or amps and nor should you.
Why do you have such an old iPhone?????
Because cruising life is expensive