Solar Panels and Redarc BCDC1225

[olvansta]

Hi all, I have the Aux battery in the engine bay of my Crusade managed by a Redarc BCDC1225. The 4WD Supacentre has 160w solar panels with a built in regulator. The Redarc instruction manual describes hooking up a solar panel using a changeover relay between the start battery and panels, no mention of any other regulator on the panel. Does anyone have this setup and should the panels connect to the Redarc as described or connect straight to the Aux battery? I haven't got any panels yet but thinking about it.
Cheers Graham

[Kiat]

Maybe that diagram is only for power source switching reference. I remember reading somewhere the classic BCDC1225 requires some regulator to prevent overload. The BCDC1225D has a built in regulator, if not mistaken. Did you check your solar panel output capacity to see if within there input voltage specification of the BCDC.

[Pearltuna]

Straight to aux battery if using regulator on panel, if your redarc has a solar input it would be a better regulator then the one on the kings solar panels (pwm on panels, mppt on redarc) so you would need to bypass regulator on panel and connect directly to redarc unit

[Pearltuna]

if you have the bcdc1225 then it does not have a changeover built in to switch to solar when alternator not running.
the bcdc1225d has got this circuitry built in.

the mppt regulator built into the redarc units will give you maximum charging ability from your panels and is definitely the better option.
looking on the redarc site it appears if you do have the 1225 and not the 1225d then you will need the Relay kit to enable auto switching between alternator and solar charging

[Pearltuna]

https://www.redarc.com.au/relay-kit

[anderson-fiorin]

I have this setup on my car, IMO no matter the solar panel you buy, bypass the regulator and connect it to your Redarc, you will need the relay as mentioned above.
The regulator on the solar panel won't manage the 3 stages of charging your Redarc does!

[Llbaylis]

How did everyone run their cabling from solar panel to their battery. I have an Anderson input at the back of towball. Running to the Redarc dcdc charger and auxiliary.

[Graham]

Hi, I mounted my Panel on the roof using a couple of Rhino-Rack across the roof, then mounted the solar panel onto to 50 x 50 by 3 mil Ali Angle to the them, running the power cable down the side of the front windscreen, (their is space between the glass and the window frame) into the engine bay, it works well. (Also mounted my two way Antenna on the Rhino-Rack, running the coax down same position on passengers side, this gives me good Tx/Rx)