Solar powered golf cart

Can anyone tell me why this wouldn't work? Its not a dead short if the circuits are isolated from each other.

 

Look closely at your 12v charging circuit...dead short...left two batteries are shorted, center two are shorted, and 2 of your three charge branches are shorted.

Oops...right two batteries are shorted as well.

The problem is the two circuits are not isolated in your schematic. Now, if you did isolate them, i.e. charge OR run, then it could be done...but you cant have it wired both ways at the same time.

 

Your catching up to mine , View Midnight (where I design toys )

Really !
That Will never work !!

Don't do it !!
http://kb1uas.com/mnsforum/index.php?topic=3142.0

We lost Ryan & the forum died .
I'll post pix , I have 220Vac off the back & 12Vdc to jump cars & 48Vdc to parallel in to do the outback or snider gridtie . I can weld all ov er & i havent charged the "elly" for 8 years
Sloth

 

Ok you guys talked me out of it I'll use a 36v boost solar controller instead.

 

With off grid solar power trying to do something to save a little money can end up costing you a lot.

 

The pic just displayed on my phone. That is awesome!! How many watts do you have?

 

Ok, I solved my problem. I bought a 60 volt panel. It was cheaper than a charge controller. 320 watts

 

Not in Southeast Asia, where we are considerably closer to the Equator.

Just wanted to clarify that, while it may be true in North America, there are many places where it isn't.

EDIT: Disregard. I found the thread on MNS forum.

 

I'm in new Mexico, I'm as far south or further south than about 80% of the US population.
I see dummies trying to use flat panels way up north and I just laugh.
Problem is people see the rating on a solar panel and they think that's what they are going to get any time the sun is on it.

If you are near the equator then flat is where it's at.

 

OK pix to be posted , in a few posts .
This took time to see where they all were .
Golf cart is called Elly & elly gives me power out on the ranch where there is none in the forest /BUSH !!!
My 24Vdc man lift is charged also by elly & she can supply me Ac120v or AC240V with a quick swap of what she is to be used for. .
Now to drop that 300 foot tree , I use a man lift 24Vdc Genie , & elly powers the 120Vac electric chain saw as I go up & de-limb it , tie a 1.5" rope that the man lift caries up as I go up & the the tractor pulls as I cut it so it go's down where I need it .
All pix should show, then off to the woodmizer for toothpicks .
Sloth

 

I got this old ezgo golf cart for $200 from a lady who's husband passed five years ago. Its been sitting for all that time and the batteries are totally dead. I'm going to do the epsom salt treatment to see if I can revive them.

I found this 327 watt 60v solar panel,on eBay for $119. I happen to live not to far from them so I was able to avoid paying freight.

Hopefully I can start working on it soon. Ill post updates.

 

Now you're talkin'

 

I can't believe it! I was able to save 5 of the 6 batteries with Epsom salt and water. I didn't think it would actually work. They were dead for over 5 years. One battery was shorted out so I spent $100 on a new one.

I dont have a golf cart battery charger so these panels will be the only source of power. These panels will go on the roof in a couple days. I charged for one day and just drove around the neighborhood.

 

Wait... Epsom salt and water?

that's a trick I am unaware of? Please elaborate...

 

From the web:
To recondition your lead acid battery you will need Epsom Salt and a quart of distilled or rain water. Do not use tap or well water! Warm up the distilled water to about 150 degrees (very hot but not boiling). The temperature doesn’t need to be exact and will still work even if the water is at room temperature, it just won’t work as well. Mix 10 heaping table spoons full of Epsom Salt into the quart of water and stir until most or all is dissolved. Then simply pour this warm solution into the individual cells of your dead battery just as you would normally put water to maintain the acid levels. Then charge your battery over night. Do not attempt to put Epsom Salt directly into your battery because it will not dissolve properly into the battery acid, only water will dissolve Epsom Salt. Most dead batteries will be low enough on fluid that adding this solution will not over flow the battery. It is only recommended to add ½ quart of solution to an average size battery or one quart for a golf cart size battery. If your battery is already full of fluid then you will need to drain some of the acid to allow for the Epsom Salt solution. After adding the solution put the caps back on and shake the battery a bit to mix all the chemicals. Then charge battery overnight. If battery does not appear to have good capacity after the overnight charge, don’t give up. Sometimes it takes a week to 10 days for the Epsom Salt solution to “work” on the battery plates. Agitation is important. It is difficult to get the Epsom Salt solution to thoroughly mix with the acid in your battery because of the battery plates and baffles. One of the best mixing methods is to simply drive the vehicle (if the battery works at all) Some batteries have caps that come off the top to maintain the acid levels easily but low maintenance batteries require a bit more work to recondition. A low maintenance battery has its top sealed shut to prevent evaporation but it also prevents easy reconditioning. These batteries can still be reconditioned but you will have to look for the “shadow” marks on the top plastic that shows the holes into the cells. Simply drill holes in the plastic to get access to the cells then pour in your warm solution. You will then want to plug these holes with plastic plugs that can be found at most hardware stores. When purchasing a new battery it is recommended to look for the batteries that you can easily repair in the future should the need arise. It is also recommended to purchase a small solar or battery maintenance charger to keep your unused batteries charged over the winter to prevent this problem from happening in the future. This method works most of the time but not all the time. It depends on how bad the cells are decayed. This process can also only be done 3 to 5 times before the cells are worn out, prevent battery damage with a maintenance or solar charger!

So how does this work, and what is the success rate? When a battery loses its state of charge it has become more of a base than an acid, so the electrical power it generates through the chemical reaction of the magnesium sulfate and the lead plates inside the battery has been reduced. By adding water instead of the proper chemical solution you are accomplishing nothing. So, unless the lead plates inside your battery have broken off, which is rare, this procedure almost always works. The success rate is about 98% (on batteries that have never had this treatment). I have done this to many batteries (mainly golf carts) and only a few have failed. However, I’ve found this can only be done 2 to 3 times before the battery is no longer able to be resurrected.

 

here is how to do it right, 1080 watts solar, strong as bull.

 

Well I mounted them flat and at 1:30 pm at the end of September they're putting out around 500 watts.

Together the 2 panels are rated at 654 watts. I'll bet they get pretty close to that in the middle of the summer.

I'm using a victron solar charger with Bluetooth so I can track the charge history from an app on my phone.

 

I added a panel to front and rear that can be removed easily. both are 180 watts. Makes for a total of 1440 watts.Added two more panels by making temporary mounts than can be removed quickly. Brings the capacity to 1440 watts.. Its a little shaky in the back, but seems to be roadworthy. Just have to remember you have a lot more hanging off front and rear. Should bring the charging to about 35-40 amps

 

Put it up Ebay if anyone is interested. I plan on making another with the one the left. Taylor Dunn industrial cart/solar generator | eBay