Drifter / Solar Charging

[Adam79]

Hello all,
I have the new Drifter control panel installed on our new van. We also had a charge wire fitted as an extra as we already had portable solar panels from our old Eagle. While testing everything out today o noticed that when the solar was pluged into the van the Drifter panel does not pick up that the battery is being charged. Wondering if anyone else has a similar setup and could fill me in if this is normal. Alsothere is a small round solenoid on the solar charge wire circuit that gets very hot when solar is connected is this normal aswell.?
Thanks

 

[Bmhdg76]

Not sure re the solenoid, but has the solar reg been connected directly to the battery instead of the appropriate lead to the shunt for the drifter?

BJ

 

[Adam79]

Not sure re the solenoid, but has the solar reg been connected directly to the battery instead of the appropriate lead to the shunt for the drifter?

BJ

I printed the PDF about the drifter panel install from TTbridge. Looks like this shunt has been bypassed and the wires go directly to the positive and negative terminals on the battery. I might re-run them as per the instructions for the drifter where it says all negative terminals are to go from the shunt and not the battery. See how that works. As for the little solenoid, might give jayco service center a call to ask the question.
THANK YOU

 

[TTBRIDGE]

I saw your post late last night, i was going to sugest the shunt. But sounds like you are on it.

The control panel should read "charging" and the amps comeing in display nect to it - the load. So 15amps in, 3 being drawn = charging at 12 amps.

Hope you sort it.

 

[Bmhdg76]

I printed the PDF about the drifter panel install from TTbridge. Looks like this shunt has been bypassed and the wires go directly to the positive and negative terminals on the battery. I might re-run them as per the instructions for the drifter where it says all negative terminals are to go from the shunt and not the battery. See how that works. As for the little solenoid, might give jayco service center a call to ask the question.
THANK YOU

Thought that may be the case as if it does not feed thigh the shunt, the drifter has no way of measuring it.