Solar chargers
Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2016 4:35 pm
I can use some advice. I'm building a solar powered RC charging station at a remote flying field, no shore power.
Ive run into an issue with the controller outputting DC that hovers at 15v dc and pulses at high as 19v DC?
I'm using a 2 panel (120W ea) 20v setup into a $12 30A Chinese controller and (2) 130A heavy duty batteries used in buses that are in good condition
I'm thinking the controller is defective or damaged? I took a chance on a $10-20 range controller. It seems to be a pwm type controller by design.
.
I'm also using the 12v battery buss to power a link radio setup and its seeing this 15v + pulsing and not happy.
This also is what a smart charger will see and I'm sure, be very unhappy!
The charge regulator has a 12v output that's managed to shut off if too high or too low. I would expect this to be cleaner but it too is going too high.
This leads me to think the controller is defective or damaged!
Some facts!
The sparse info manual does mention to always connect the battery first then the panels, I'm sure I messed up there! I also found info saying to not use a battery or power supply as a substitute for the panels. Finding out to late, I did that bench testing.
So accepting I messed up, I've ordered another $15 brand to try again. This time I'll follow all the info supplied.
My questions for this post are,
Is this pulsing type controller actually too dirty for electronic equipment? Shouldn't the charge buss and especially the managed output port, be clean and under 15v?
I'm assuming these controllers are used with panels for clean 12v camping power?
Is there another type I should try that's still inexpensive?
Has anyone reading this built up a portable or fixed solar charging system using these pwm Chinese controllers?
Do I need to look into the $100-200 range for a controller and if yes, a certain type for clean 12v DC output?
Thanks
I'm going to try this one next.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Ive run into an issue with the controller outputting DC that hovers at 15v dc and pulses at high as 19v DC?
I'm using a 2 panel (120W ea) 20v setup into a $12 30A Chinese controller and (2) 130A heavy duty batteries used in buses that are in good condition
I'm thinking the controller is defective or damaged? I took a chance on a $10-20 range controller. It seems to be a pwm type controller by design.
.
I'm also using the 12v battery buss to power a link radio setup and its seeing this 15v + pulsing and not happy.
This also is what a smart charger will see and I'm sure, be very unhappy!
The charge regulator has a 12v output that's managed to shut off if too high or too low. I would expect this to be cleaner but it too is going too high.
This leads me to think the controller is defective or damaged!
Some facts!
The sparse info manual does mention to always connect the battery first then the panels, I'm sure I messed up there! I also found info saying to not use a battery or power supply as a substitute for the panels. Finding out to late, I did that bench testing.
So accepting I messed up, I've ordered another $15 brand to try again. This time I'll follow all the info supplied.
My questions for this post are,
Is this pulsing type controller actually too dirty for electronic equipment? Shouldn't the charge buss and especially the managed output port, be clean and under 15v?
I'm assuming these controllers are used with panels for clean 12v camping power?
Is there another type I should try that's still inexpensive?
Has anyone reading this built up a portable or fixed solar charging system using these pwm Chinese controllers?
Do I need to look into the $100-200 range for a controller and if yes, a certain type for clean 12v DC output?
Thanks
I'm going to try this one next.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro