Patriot Power Generator 4.1L, User Manual

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8. My Patriot Power Generator won’t charge when I connect my
solar panels to it.
• Solar panels work best when pointed directly at the sun without
obstruction. The solar panel will not produce an adequate charge if it is:
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Not pointed toward the sun
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Placed behind a window (80% to 95% less efficient depending on
window type)
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Used indoors
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Positioned in shade
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Not connected to the generator directly or with an approved
extension cable
-
Used with an unapproved or excessively long extension cable
• The optimum position of the solar panel is slightly angled to the
south (if living in the Northern Hemisphere) at noon in an open
area. The panel will produce less power at times further from noon,
or angles that are not axially tangent to the relative path of the Sun.
• Solar panels will produce little to no power if they are placed in a
shaded area, behind a window, or next to a sun-obstructing object.
Remember, shadows move, so an object that is next to the solar
panel may not create a shadow during one time of the day, but may
produce a shadow for some or all of the rest of the day.
• Solar panels will produce little to no power if placed vertically or
facing down.
9. I can’t connect all three of my solar panels to my Patriot
Power Generator at the same time.
• The generator is designed to take a charge from a maximum of four,
one hundred watt solar panels. The generator only has one input
connector to take a charge from your solar panels. To use more than
one at a time you must connect the solar panels together. To do this you
need to plug the solar panels into each other. This is called a daisy chain.
On the inside of your solar panel are two cords. One is longer than
the other one. The longer cord is for the output of the solar panel. The
shorter cord is for the input. To connect the panels together, simply
plug the long cord on one panel to the short cord on another panel.
If you are using three solar panels then you would do the same thing
again. The long cord from the last panel will plug into you generator or
an extension cord, which will then plug into your generator. If you need
assistance with this please contact customer service.