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  1. flippineck

    Resistance of dark solar panel

    Thanks guys. I'm building a string of these panels to feed an MPPT charge controller. It's rated as being able to accept 30A and 150V from the panels, it then does it's MPPT magic and charges a battery bank. The controller says it's auto-sense 12/24V for the battery bank; I have two 110Ah lead...
  2. flippineck

    Blowing a 3A fuse with an AA battery?

    I noticed once that cheap zinc-carbon cells were only capable of producing tiny sparks in pitch darkness with very finely stranded wire, whilst nicad rechargeables could smoke the plastic off a length of fairly thick insulated wire. I think batteries vary quite widely in their ability to supply...
  3. flippineck

    Resistance of dark solar panel

    I have two identical Chinese solar panels, which both claim to have "inbuilt diode prevent the reverse of charging situation". Open circuit voltage quoted as around 19V, quoted current around 5A. Let's say I connected the two in series, and illuminated both with bright sunshine sufficiently...
  4. flippineck

    run start capacitor

    I have no references to give you just opinion.. but yes I'd say non polar, I'd have thought any capacitor of sufficient spec would have gotten things going for you. Maybe the red and black wire cap you found, was a polarised cap? I wouldn't have thought that in itself would have stopped the...
  5. flippineck

    run start capacitor

    when you say 'didn't work', did you mean, no movement at all, or, was there some slight movement (or did you mean the capacitor went bang!) wonder if the coils in the motor are all okay. sometimes there's a fuse embedded inside or very close to, the windings. these fuses come in different...
  6. flippineck

    run start capacitor

    amazon shows a cbb61 with 2 red wires on a google search, but when you go to their actual page is has 1 red and 1 black link to google search http://www.amazon.com/Black-Capacity-Running-Rectangle-Capacitor/dp/B00HG9XZ3M here's cbb61 with 2 reds but a different capacitance...
  7. flippineck

    Switching 240v source automatically

    If I was going to go microcontroller, I wouldn't mind trying to go the whole hog & try to develop something that could accomplish not only the above, but also management of the power flow from solar panels to storage battery. The controller I'm using calls itself 'MPPT' but a lot of folks are...
  8. flippineck

    Switching 240v source automatically

    I've never played with a microcontroller before. Could be an interesting project :)
  9. flippineck

    Survey about a PCB to schematic conversion app? (10 seconds)

    Is it a commercial idea you want to profit from? If so I can understand you would want to confine major parts of the development to yourself or your team.. but if not, maybe this would lend itself to opensource-style development to cut down the workload? I like shumifan's analogy with a decompiler.
  10. flippineck

    Survey about a PCB to schematic conversion app? (10 seconds)

    Semi-automatic might be the way to go. I can see how converting a track pattern to a schematic would be feasible (not without some hurdles to overcome) but some components might be really hard to identify. I'm a bit behind the times but back in the 80's a lot of inductors looked a lot like...
  11. flippineck

    Switching 240v source automatically

    Are inductive loads liable to cause scenarios that need attention? Let's say, the system is powering a food mixer from the grid on a sunny day when by & by, the battery voltage becomes high enough to turn the controller 'on'. Relay coil is energised and (1) grid is disconnected (2) load...
  12. flippineck

    Survey about a PCB to schematic conversion app? (10 seconds)

    Sounds an interesting idea! I've done your survey. Good luck.
  13. flippineck

    Switching 240v source automatically

    Guess I have to consider the fault condition of one or more contacts welding themselves together, so that the load is stuck seeing: Inverter Live Grid Neutral Grid Earth Inverter Neutral Grid Live Grid Earth
  14. flippineck

    Switching 240v source automatically

    In the case of the actual country-wide grid, earth really does mean earth as in 'ground' as in 'soil'.. earth rods etc.. But the earth pin on an inverter can't be the same because.. well there's no earth rod?.. I'm assuming here, but I suspect an inverter's mains output earth pin is actually a...
  15. flippineck

    Switching 240v source automatically

    Do you think, tying the inverter's 240VAC output earth pin permanently to the grid's earth, would be okay? (To do away with one set of relay contacts, and make the load have complete permanent unbroken connection to an earth) Can't think of a reason why it wouldn't but I just remember, PC...
  16. flippineck

    Switching 240v source automatically

    Sorry, seems I've confused you. The controller provides a 12V DC output which goes live when the main storage battery voltage rises above let's say 11V, and goes dead if the battery voltage falls below let's say 10V. These voltages are programmable within limits that always ensure a bit of...
  17. flippineck

    Switching 240v source automatically

    This is the kind of relay I was thinking of. http://www.deltrol-controls.com/products/relays/magnetic-latching-relays-5-10-amps/105ml/20039-81 http://www.deltrol-controls.com/sites/default/files/brochures/105ML%20Series%20102011.pdf If I inserted a relatively large capacitor inline with it's...
  18. flippineck

    Switching 240v source automatically

    Source #1 is a solar power setup as follows: 3 x 80 watt solar panels "nominal 12V" in parallel One allegedly MPPT but probably PWM, 10A solar charge controller 2 x 12V 110Ah lead acid deep cycle batteries in parallel one 1000W cont / 2000W peak pure sinewave inverter (which can realistically...
  19. flippineck

    I've got to do something with it.. can't just leave it hanging

    Did the swingy thing using a big tie-wrap combined with, coiling up the wire in the middle like a spring. there's a handy transverse bar underneath the fuselage between the skids, could have been made for the purpose. Seems to work well. It's maneuvered as violently as a tired 4 year old full...
  20. flippineck

    I've got to do something with it.. can't just leave it hanging

    I just bought a nifty model helicopter from Toys R Us. It works on 27MHz and has aerials roughly 60cm long, one on the transmitter, and a loose wire one hanging from the helicopter itself. Flies great! Big fun & my 5 YO lad loves dad's heli, constantly wants control ;-) Only trouble is, this...
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