GadgetPower GP1200 Owner's Handbook Manual - Page 8
Browse online or download pdf Owner's Handbook Manual for Inverter GadgetPower GP1200. GadgetPower GP1200 12 pages. Robotic solar generator
Print PageHOW IT WORKS - PLEASE READ
An understanding of how your device works will enable you to get the most from it.
OPERATING CONDITIONS
When the sun is SHINING, a solar panel (cell, PV) benefits significantly from being correct-
ly aligned. So significant is the benefit, that a proportion of the extra energy obtained
may be used to keep the panel aligned, if a properly-designed, energy-efficient alignment
mechanism is employed. This is the principle underpinning your device.
This device's dynamics are designed to operate in SUNSHINE: on a cloudy day there is
little benefit in maintaining an 'astronomically' correct panel alignment (an alignment with
a sun which cannot be seen) as the variation in energy levels across the sky on such a
day is small, and maintaining a 'track' would therefore be futile, as a greater amount of
energy would be expended by operating the tracking mechanism than would be yielded
by so doing – we would refer to this as 'futile tracking'.
BATTERY MONITORING
When the device 'awakes', it first checks the condition of its battery. If there is insuffi-
cient charge available to safely operate its motors, the device waits – charging the while
in its Standby Position – until sufficient charge becomes available. Similarly, the device
monitors the battery while the motors are running: should the battery condition 'droop'
below a certain threshold while the motors are running, then the panel is returned to its
Standby Position, where it may obtain more charge before attempting to operate its mo-
tors once more.
CALIBRATION
The device's dynamic Head has two operational 'axes' - a horizontal 'pan' axis driven by a
motor in the Base, and a semi-vertical 'tilt' axis driven by a motor in the Head.
When it is first activated, the device attempts to 'calibrate' itself (locate the position of
the sun). It does this by propelling the solar panel attached to its Head, first rotating or
'panning' on its horizontal axis, then tilting down-and-up on its semi-vertical axis.
No sensors other than the panel itself are used to locate the sun.
If the sun occupies a position within the device's operational 'axes', then it can properly
calibrate itself: the Indicator Light will reflect this by providing two blinks at ten-second
intervals, and normal tracking will commence.
If, however, the sun occupies a position beyond the device's axes, such that while
attempting to calibrate itself, the Head reaches the full limit of its traverse - either
horizontally or vertically - then the device will 'approximate' a calibration, and re-run the
procedure at intervals, until a satisfactory calibration is obtained. In this condition the
Indicator Light will blink just once at ten-second intervals.
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