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Solar Panel Installation
IMPORTANT:
the solar panel must be positioned facing the path of the
sun, due south and in an open area away from shade. It should receive at
least 8 hours of direct sunlight for a full charge.
HINTS for Obtaining Maximum Output from Your Solar Panel
1. Place the panel facing due south in the path of the sun, where full sun will strike its face throughout the
day(minimum 8 hours).
2. Mount the panel using the curved pipe provided to maintain the proper angle to the sun.
3. For optimal efficiency, wipe the face of the panel frequently with a soft, damp cloth. The output of the
Solar Panel is variable during the day depending on the intensity of the sun and the angle of the rays
striking the panel. The output may vary from a few millivolts to as much as 22 volts. To check the output,
simply disconnect the solar panel leads from the control board and connect them directly to a dc voltmeter.
In bright sunlight the panel output should read at least 18 volts dc at approximately 30mA.
Step 2: Determine the site for installation of the solar panel. It is impor-
tant to install the solar panel facing the path of the sun where full sun will
strike its face throughout the day. The solar panel cannot be shaded out
or obstructed by trees, bushes, buildings etc for any part of the day. The
curved pipe (D) maintains the proper angle to the sun. Secure the solar pan-
el assembly to a wooden post or fence using two pipe clamps (C) and #2 lag
screws (B) as shown in the illustration. If your fence post is metal, you will
need alternative hardware not provided, (i.e. U-clamps or metal screws).
HINT:
If the solar panel must be placed more than 10 ft. from the
control box (but less than 250 feet away), use multi-stranded, 16 gauge
(AWG), direct burial, low-voltage wire RB509 (see Accessory Catalog).
Never use telephone wire or solid core wire.
IMPORTANT:
To provide secure and moisture resistant splices for
solar panels use a direct burial splice kit for underground splices and
an above ground splice kit for above ground splices. These splice kits
can be found at hardware and electrical supply stores.
Step 1: Slide the
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" bolts (F) through the bottom of each channel so the threaded part of each bolt comes through
top of frame, position the pipe (D) between the bolts and place two clamps (C) over the curved pipe onto the bolts.
The clamp at the top of the solar panel should fit over the pin on the curved pipe. Secure with the
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" nuts (E).
