Comment by Bob Camarena on September 10, 2012 at 10:39am

I picked up a new, but older HF 45w kit at a swap meet.  When I hooked up a panel to test it, the regulator (no meter, just leds) puts out a high pitched alarm-like sound.  I can't find anything in the instructions (rev. 11/03) about an alarm so I don't know what it's telling me.  I haven't measured the output but there's enough to light one of the lights that came with the kit.

Can anybody tell me what's going on?

Comment by Renewable Ray on September 10, 2012 at 10:47am

Do you have it hooked up to a battery?

Comment by Bob Camarena on September 10, 2012 at 12:02pm

No, is that the problem?

Comment by Renewable Ray on September 10, 2012 at 12:08pm

Probably, hook it up to any 12 volt battery, even if it's a dead one you have laying around.

Comment by Bob Camarena on September 10, 2012 at 2:05pm

A dead battery didn't work but hooking up to my car battery silenced the alarm.   The dead battery I used may not be chargeable so a "good" dead battery may work OK.

Thinking I'd missed something, I re-read the instructions and there's nothing in them about having to connect a battery you want to just power something directly.  

Do you think there would be any problem in my putting a switch into the alarm circuit to permit operation without a battery?

Thanks for your help.  

Comment by Renewable Ray on September 10, 2012 at 2:11pm

Yea, the switch thing shouldn't work. These are designed to have a battery and charge controller connected at all times. Gonna have to bite the bullet and get a battery.

Comment by Bob Camarena on September 10, 2012 at 3:22pm

On reflection, this makes sense since the battery adds stability to the system.  Otherwise you couldn't be assured of a steady, regulated output.  Too bad the instructions, including the pictures, say nothing of this.  I haven't quite figured out what I'll do with this but it was too good a deal to pass up ($60 for both the kit and an Arco M65 45w panel). I already have solar on my travel trailer and love it.

I'm a ham radio operator so I may just keep it in my pick-up for emergency power.

Comment by Renewable Ray on September 10, 2012 at 3:46pm

Smoking deal Bob, no way any of us would have passed that up.

Comment by Jeff Thoele on January 12, 2013 at 7:36am

I've bought 3 sets of the 45 watt panel systems. How many batteries do I need?  do I need a charge controller?  And what about an inverter.  I plan to use it "off the grid"

Comment by Jeff Thoele on January 12, 2013 at 7:43am

BTW, I plan to get more panels, so do I buy additional batteries and big inverter?  Is there a big difference between modified pure sine inverter and a pure sine inverter? As of right now, I'm not sure what I will power with my system.

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