Posts : 132 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 70 Location : Portland Oregon
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:26 pm
ok, looking good, got a few ideas for ya. first off, just keep the cardboard sheets down to protect your surface and put the panels in the locations you want. forget about the mounts for now, just square up and get the panels looking like you want. when that is done, get out your fishing line and go across and over the top of each panel at the cross section. do it for as many mounts as you want so you get a exact location. and put down tape to mark solar panel locations. use a magic marker to mark the locations each string passes over the panel to put the mount dead center on those cross beams. now you have a exact spot to put your mount and the panels are square or looking like you want. I would suggest a water tight J-box feeding all panels into it, and then the wires go thru and into the galley so you do not have to bore a hole thru the pilot house and you can run the wires thru the bathroom area into the pilot house without any wires showing. even feed then thru behind the fridge were you showed the opening to the pilot house possibly. I would definitely not go thru that beautiful teac straight in.
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Tue Nov 25, 2014 1:37 am
Hey SD.
This is a dilemma ! I want the shortest distance from the panels to the charge controller for absolute minimal power loss.
1 - drilling a hole on a horizontal surface on a wood boat, to install a pipe is just asking for a leak to develop. Keep in mind I have no home depot or hardware super store. 1 inch rubber Flanges and roof cap type items or not common or easy to find here.
2 - There are no hollow walls on this boat. Beams and marine plywood are all we have to work with on the V-Birth roof. Here is how they wrap the wires around the beams to get the power to the lights. Could you imagine the eight 10AWG (6mm2) wires running there or a large conduit...
I am going over to help a mate on his boat this morning... might be the break I need to gather my thoughts.
Here is a video with my current thoughts...
SilentDeath001
Posts : 132 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 70 Location : Portland Oregon
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Tue Nov 25, 2014 2:45 am
yep, I see what you mean for the shortest distance so you will have very little line loss. I can find rubber gasket material if you want to go from under and thru the galley. I just hate to go thru the wood. from under the solar panels then up over that 3/4 trim, looks like you will need a slight bend just from the view I saw
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Wed Nov 26, 2014 10:57 am
Hello...
Proud to announce that the 1,200w of solar is securely fastened to the V-Birth roof, and wires are now inside !!!!
NOTE: The 4 panels are wired in parallel !!! And so will be the other 6 on the flybridge hardtop (when I get to that point HaHaHa)
Alan
SilentDeath001
Posts : 132 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 70 Location : Portland Oregon
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Wed Nov 26, 2014 3:03 pm
really nice job on the panels. how soon are the batteries going to show up so we can see what kind of power your going to make? and guess what? now its sanding time again up top, lol.
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Wed Nov 26, 2014 3:16 pm
Hey SD...
I am dreading more sanding... but just like taxes, it is always fact of this project HaHaHaHa
I'll get the batteries once I make the upper hatch cover that is above the area I will put the combiner and solar charge controllers !
Alan
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Mon Dec 01, 2014 3:56 am
Hello,
It has been 1 full month of working on the boat... Things are moving forward, and we are close to getting the solar working !
Alan
SilentDeath001
Posts : 132 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 70 Location : Portland Oregon
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Mon Dec 01, 2014 5:06 am
looking good. nice selection of equipment for the control box. what do you figure, a few more days of wiring and you should be up and running?
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Fri Dec 05, 2014 4:10 am
Hello,
The Controller cabinet is coming along... the most time consuming part is the wiring, and the data cables. I have had to change some of the RS-232 connectors to fit the TS-60 controller boxes, and then figure out the best way to connect to the network.
Here is the progress so far !!!
Alan
SilentDeath001
Posts : 132 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 70 Location : Portland Oregon
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:15 am
Looks nice and clean. that front door to the control panel looks like it came with the boat. can not wait to see it up and running, lots of work left to do.
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:38 am
Hey SD,
Every boat is truly a labour of Love, and this boat has become my most favourite of the last 18 years.
As it is winter time, I have a lot of time to slow down and really plan things as a move along to make everything look like she grew there !
I some times find myself sitting on the main deck, drinking a beer as the stars twinkle in the sky, and plan bigger and better things in my head... We have only yet to begin how wonderfully "off Grid" and technically advanced this old Chinese junk boat (coastal cruiser) will become !
It is only getting better my friend ! One day at a time HaHaHaHa
Alan
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Sun Dec 07, 2014 3:01 am
Hello,
I am in a good position with the "Controller Cabinet" hardware install. Here is a quick video showing my progress !
This is basically how I am going to data-log the information of all the controllers from my computer...
Here is the first sanded "Fill Coat" of Polyester Filler...
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I'm still waiting for the batteries. Today would be perfect since it is raining today, and I can't do anything on the top deck, or on the bow !
Alan
SilentDeath001
Posts : 132 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 70 Location : Portland Oregon
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Wed Dec 10, 2014 1:11 am
looking good! you could of put a happy face pattern on it? if you cut out the bottom railing for water to drain out, you might find more surface that needs repaired once the wood is removed.
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Wed Dec 10, 2014 3:01 am
Hello,
Time to start getting the networking and monitoring system working, prior to the main House Bank install !
Alan
SilentDeath001
Posts : 132 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 70 Location : Portland Oregon
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Wed Dec 10, 2014 7:51 pm
That's cool you had some back up batteries so you can test the system. I think your right about the error message since no IP has been set up yet. I wonder why you can only use a MS operating system to establish the IP. should be able to use any operating system unless that is the only one they have it set up for?
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Thu Dec 11, 2014 2:19 am
Hello,
I am in Morningstar TS-60 Communication HELL !!!!
Communication methods used...
Serial to Ethernet Serial to USB 4 port serial to USB Serial to Serial Serial to RS-485 (EIA-485) Ethernet crossover cables (factory made and home-roller) Routers and Direct PC connect Ethernet to Ethernet
Using MSView on a Windows PC Using Browser on MAC and PC
After reading the web... I am not the only one !!!
Looks like they want you to use their Serial to EIA-485 converters... and it is stupid that the Remote Meter can only change the ID of the TS45/60 MPPT and NOT the PWM !!!
SilentDeath001
Posts : 132 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 70 Location : Portland Oregon
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Thu Dec 11, 2014 6:44 am
sorry your having communication problems with those 3 pieces. that's what I like about midnite classic, you can have 30 of them and they will all communicate. one question I have, can you disable, take the cables off each communication device. only go with your primary charge controller, and hook it up. see if it will communicate. there has to be a ip reset/default mode. usually by touching to contacts to reset it to default. a call into Morningstar might be the ticket. one other way, go eithernet direct from charge controller to router, from router to computer. that's how I ran mine until it was set up, then I could go wireless.
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Thu Dec 11, 2014 6:50 am
Hello,
It is easy with only one device ! It is the multiple devices that complicates things.
Alan
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Thu Dec 11, 2014 6:51 am
Hello,
It appears that MorningStar is not all it "says it is" in the hardware communication department... After more then 30 hours of continuous effort, and hardware combinations to get the controllers to talk and share its data... I have no more wind left in my sails.
Time to find hardware that does what it says for this "Off Grid" Teak Vessel !!! AND WORKS ON A MAC !!!!!!
Alan
Admin Admin
Posts : 170 Join date : 2014-08-07 Age : 57 Location : World-Wide
Subject: Re: Historical Teak Mon Dec 15, 2014 12:27 am
Hello,
I have sent off a few communications to MorningStar Technical Support, so as I wait for their reply I should keep on Keepin' On....
The top deck is looking much better at the end of this video !!!!