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Weird reading from dashboard solar trickle charger

Naio
Explorer
Explorer
I have one of those little solar panels that plugs into the cigarette lighter port.

It also has a 1/8" round plug in the middle of its cord. That is, there is a cord going from the solar panel to the 1/8" plug, and then another cord with the 1/8" socket going to the lighter plug. Make sense?

Anyway, when I put my voltmeter on the 1/8" plug, I get a reasonable reading, volts in the teens. But when I put ithe neter on the cigarette lighter plug, in various spots, the readings are all around 65-70v. It's hard to get a good contact on the slippery plugs with my hand in a cast, but it seems pretty sure.

What the heck is going on here, and am I nuts?
3/4 timing in a DIY van conversion. Backroads, mountains, boondocking, sometimes big cities for a change of pace.
6 REPLIES 6

Naio
Explorer
Explorer
Today it reads a much more reasonable 20.35v. I don't know about the milli, but will check that and the cord. Thx, guys!
3/4 timing in a DIY van conversion. Backroads, mountains, boondocking, sometimes big cities for a change of pace.

red31
Explorer
Explorer
ain't this simple troubleshooting, IF voltage at the 1/8 plug is correct then the voltage further down the line being different indicates an issue in the added cord. Although i doubt 60v from a small panel is correct. 60mv I would believe!

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
Hope your hand heals quickly. Random readings suggest that the cord may not have continuity. But that is a wag.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

ndrorder
Explorer
Explorer
Auto-ranging multimeter. Look for the milli.
__________________________________________________
Cliff
2011 Four Winds Chateau 23U

Darryl_Rita
Explorer
Explorer
Missing a decimal?
***UPDATE 2006 3500 SRW MegaCab pulling a 2007 fleetwood 5'er

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
I have no idea. That doesn't make any sense.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman