Controlled Products Systems Group SWINGSMART DC 20 - Manual (Page 49)

Using A Solar Powered Operator
Revision E Power 2-11
For example, the Smart DC Controller has specific connections for photo eyes. When you attach photo eyes
for entrapment protection, you have the option to wire the photo eyes to the EYE COM and +24VDC. When
wired to these connections, the photo eyes only draw power when the motor engages, thereby extending
battery life. The same can be said for HY-5A vehicle detectors which draw a minimal 0.005A per detector;
compared to box detectors which usually draw, at minimum, 0.009A. For more information on photo eyes,
refer to the section titled
Installing Photoelectric Sensors For Secondary Entrapment Protection Only . To review
information about vehicle detectors, refer to Installing Vehicle Detectors and Loops .
Understanding Gate Activity based on Solar Zones
Use the solar maps to determine the number of solar hours per day that can be reasonably expected in a
particular zone. The number of solar hours per day affects the amount of gate travel powered by the
SwingSmart solar operator.
NOTE
Remember, the sun is the only source of energy. If you need to increase the number of gate
cycles per day, additional solar panels may be required. Also, the greater the battery capacity, the
longer the operator can cycle the gate on cloudy days without the recharge provided by the solar
panels. Sites requiring more cycles per day or those sites located in less sunny climes, need larger
capacity batteries. HySecurity offers a 50Ah battery option which provides six times the storage
capacity of the standard 8Ah batteries.
Four Week Average, December 7 - January 4
2.5
2.5
3.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
4.0
5.0
5.0
0.0 For up-to-date
solar isolaƟon maps, refer to
hƩp://www.nrel.gov/gis/solar.html
1.7
ArƟc Circle
3.5
3.5
4.0
This solar isolaƟon map recreated courtesy DOE.
5.0 100 (20W panel)
4.5 60 (20W panel)
4.0 48 (20W panel)
3.5 34 (20W panel)
3.0 20 (20W panel)
Solar Gate cycles/day
hrs/day using 8Ah baƩeries
2.5 6 (20W panel)
Map Legend
The chart is based on a 20 Watt (24VDC) solar panel system with
SwingSmart powering a 12 foot (3.6m), 750lbs (340kg) gate with the
following peripherals attached:
• One low current multi-code radio receiver
• Two HY-5A vehicle detectors
The number of amps that the peripherals draw coupled with the cycles of operation
occurring throughout the night determines the battery capacity required.
The number of amps that the peripherals draw coupled with the cycles of operation
during the day, determines the solar panel size needed.
NOTE: HySecurity provides a 50Ah battery option for sites where more peripherals may
be attached or inclement weather is an issue. For sites of this nature, consider a 40W
system. A 40W system increases the capacity shown in the chart above.
Figure 2-8.