Sale today on 12 Volt flexible solar panel

If there's no master switch and a bunch of fuses or circuit breakers, and you are blessed with turning off each instrument separately, then you'll need to locate the wire that provides power to those fuses (there may be a common wire going from one fuse to the next to provide power to each) that wire would be serving as the "buss". You'll need to locate the end that comes from the battery and insert the diode in series with that wire at the "first" fuse.

This is much more the situation I have. No master Avionic switch, just a master battery switch. I bet exactly what you are describing is mess of wires that I have not deciphered yet. Possible there may still be a buss completely buried under all the instruments in the bottom of the bird, but what you said above is probably it. Thanks so much,

Kevin
92

If you don't already have something like THIS
http://www.molex.com/molex/products/group?key=terminal_blocks_and_barrier_strips&chann el=products&gclid=CjwKEAiAyO_BBRDOgM-K8MGWpmYSJACePQ9Cu65mQJFiWpHB7-x5a4XSZ6bTzoRBGPVID3DrTknrPBoCpq3w_wcB,
get a couple and install one (or more) as your DC bus and another as
your ground bus. It will make life so much easier.

On 11/28/2016 7:50 AM, wrote:
If there's no master switch and a bunch of fuses or circuit breakers, and you are blessed with turning off each instrument separately, then you'll need to locate the wire that provides power to those fuses (there may be a common wire going from one fuse to the next to provide power to each) that wire would be serving as the "buss". You'll need to locate the end that comes from the battery and insert the diode in series with that wire at the "first" fuse.
This is much more the situation I have. No master Avionic switch, just a master battery switch. I bet exactly what you are describing is mess of wires that I have not deciphered yet. Possible there may still be a buss completely buried under all the instruments in the bottom of the bird, but what you said above is probably it. Thanks so much,

Kevin
92

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Dan, 5J

Only been able to find a small ground buss so far. There are a number of wires coming from under the floor board under your knee area and multiple wires coming up to separate breakers. One main over to the side of the cockpit that cuts power on from the 4-6 volt batteries, two under your calf, 2 under feet. I will have to pull all the instruments, radio and transposder to be able to fully explore the area where the multiple wires are coming from under the front of the instrument pod. When we restored our 1-26 I used a similar buss that you linked too.

Kevin
92

Thinking a bit on this, they likely have 2 6VDC batteries wired in series to get 12VDC, a second set of these wired the same way and also paralleled for runtime/amp load.

Based on this, you could wire 4 Lithium cells in series to get 13VDC.

Sounds like time to rewire the beast.

Have you considered a 14 volt battery? Back in the 90s I started using
a battery made up of 2 ea. 4v and 1 ea. 6v gel cell batteries wired in
series. I continued using that battery configuration until a couple of
years ago when I switched to LiFePO4. I also have a 14v gel cell
charger purchased through an ad in Soaring magazine. If you want to go
that route, I'll give you the charger for the cost of shipping. Let me
know...

Dan

On 11/28/2016 9:57 AM, wrote:
Only been able to find a small ground buss so far. There are a number of wires coming from under the floor board under your knee area and multiple wires coming up to separate breakers. One main over to the side of the cockpit that cuts power on from the 4-6 volt batteries, two under your calf, 2 under feet. I will have to pull all the instruments, radio and transposder to be able to fully explore the area where the multiple wires are coming from under the front of the instrument pod. When we restored our 1-26 I used a similar buss that you linked too.

Kevin
92

--
Dan, 5J

Thanks Dan, but I will wait. Where the batteries are place they also are an important part of W&B. They are also in fiberglass moulded areas that would not fit a different size and are smaller that the standard 7ah 12v footprint.
Would really like to keep them just for motor, and possibly back up to inst., but put a couple of K2s I have back near the spar.

It will just involve digging into the wiring more than I have already.

Kevin
92

There is a huge difference in tempertures between an RV roof and a sailplane tailboom. I have had a solar panel glued on my tail boom for 2 years and it is showing no signs of melting or discoloration of the glass beneath it. Oh, and I NEVER have to remove my battery and charge it!

I would not do this. The temperature that will be generated under the panel is going to be very high, potentially weakening the structure. Those who glued flexible panels on top of their RVs know what I am talking about. I have seen melted flexible panels.

On Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at 8:34:25 PM UTC-5, Soartech wrote:
There is a huge difference in tempertures between an RV roof and a sailplane tailboom. I have had a solar panel glued on my tail boom for 2 years and it is showing no signs of melting or discoloration of the glass beneath it. Oh, and I NEVER have to remove my battery and charge it!

I would not do this. The temperature that will be generated under the panel is going to be very high, potentially weakening the structure. Those who glued flexible panels on top of their RVs know what I am talking about. I have seen melted flexible panels.

The high temp is not the result of a structure under the panel but the fact that the panel itself gets very hot in the sun transferring the heat to the structure below.

Lots of gliders come from the factory with solar panels already attached
to their backs, including my Stemme. Why haven't the tail booms fallen
off yet?

On 11/30/2016 6:47 PM, Andrzej Kobus wrote:
On Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at 8:34:25 PM UTC-5, Soartech wrote:
There is a huge difference in tempertures between an RV roof and a sailplane tailboom. I have had a solar panel glued on my tail boom for 2 years and it is showing no signs of melting or discoloration of the glass beneath it. Oh, and I NEVER have to remove my battery and charge it!

I would not do this. The temperature that will be generated under the panel is going to be very high, potentially weakening the structure. Those who glued flexible panels on top of their RVs know what I am talking about. I have seen melted flexible panels.
The high temp is not the result of a structure under the panel but the fact that the panel itself gets very hot in the sun transferring the heat to the structure below.

--
Dan, 5J

Aerodynamic cooling. Turbulent air absorbs heat better than laminar.