xeitosaphil
Well-Known Member
Just as a matter of interest where do most people mount their Controllers - by the chart table, in the battery compartment, outside locker, engine compartment, bearing in mind that all the specs seem to say, they must not be enclosed in proximity of batteries – re gassing issues, air circulation re temperature criteria, waterproofing issues.
I just wondered where the normal place might be.
I still can’t decide if a PWM controller would be just as good as a MPPT controller as the sailing I do is mostly 2-3 days at a time or maybe 2 - 3 wks on the trot at most. Only trouble is with the fridge working, it will drain the 220ah battery bank to 50%, in approx 36hrs- two days at most. I assume a PWM would charge up bank over several days after weekend sailing use, but not sure how it would stand up to large discharge and recharge over relatively short period of re charge time, so should I invest in the most efficient charging system available.
MPPT is more efficient in use, suggesting I will get more Amps from the 100w panel but the PWM is - or can be cheaper and uses the same PWM charging characteristics as the MPPT controller. There are cheap Chinese MPPT controllers available but having bought Chinese electronics in the past with unsuccessful/unreliable results and reading that some cheap Chinese controllers marketed as true MPPT aren’t actually MPPT at all, I am a little reluctant to part with hard earned money to purchase one of them without some prior re –assurances as to performance.
I did wonder about a Victron Blue solar MPPT 12/24-15A
http://www.es-store.co.uk/bluesolar-charge-controllers/BLUESOLAR-12-24-15A-MPPT.html
or a morning star 15a 12v controller , but quite considerably more expensive and still only PWM charging system but has a useful monitor.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MORNINGSTAR-PROSTAR-PS-15M-12V-24V-15A-SOLAR-CONTROLLER-/120924169962
(Why is American stuff so cheap over there, until you try to buy it over here? Postage/Import Duty costs seem to add loads to the purchase price, in America £100.88, in UK £ 143.72)
or just the cheapest Chinese controller to be able to run a 10A - 100w panel and hope it works as stated!
Does anybody have any experience of either of the controllers mentioned?
I do wonder if it would be better to get another 110Ah battery to add to the bank of 220ah domestic battery bank, although accommodating it would be a nightmare due to the present domestic banks locality. ( would mean major surgery to the quarter berth locker. Also it would be adding a new battery to an ageing bank of two different age batteries which seem ok at the moment, but another new battery could create some problems. I have heard you should replace batteries in Parallel wired banks all at the same time. Either way I would still need a controller of some sort to run the solar panel.
Any recommendations for present day controllers with regards to reliability / functions and value for money.
After spending days looking through solar posts here and forums on the net for controller regulator reviews, my head is spinning in search for a reasonable solution.
Sorry for such a long post reply but just need to get some more informative views, from people who have some experience in these matters, as I’m starting to lose the plot a bit.
I just wondered where the normal place might be.
I still can’t decide if a PWM controller would be just as good as a MPPT controller as the sailing I do is mostly 2-3 days at a time or maybe 2 - 3 wks on the trot at most. Only trouble is with the fridge working, it will drain the 220ah battery bank to 50%, in approx 36hrs- two days at most. I assume a PWM would charge up bank over several days after weekend sailing use, but not sure how it would stand up to large discharge and recharge over relatively short period of re charge time, so should I invest in the most efficient charging system available.
MPPT is more efficient in use, suggesting I will get more Amps from the 100w panel but the PWM is - or can be cheaper and uses the same PWM charging characteristics as the MPPT controller. There are cheap Chinese MPPT controllers available but having bought Chinese electronics in the past with unsuccessful/unreliable results and reading that some cheap Chinese controllers marketed as true MPPT aren’t actually MPPT at all, I am a little reluctant to part with hard earned money to purchase one of them without some prior re –assurances as to performance.
I did wonder about a Victron Blue solar MPPT 12/24-15A
http://www.es-store.co.uk/bluesolar-charge-controllers/BLUESOLAR-12-24-15A-MPPT.html
or a morning star 15a 12v controller , but quite considerably more expensive and still only PWM charging system but has a useful monitor.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MORNINGSTAR-PROSTAR-PS-15M-12V-24V-15A-SOLAR-CONTROLLER-/120924169962
(Why is American stuff so cheap over there, until you try to buy it over here? Postage/Import Duty costs seem to add loads to the purchase price, in America £100.88, in UK £ 143.72)
or just the cheapest Chinese controller to be able to run a 10A - 100w panel and hope it works as stated!
Does anybody have any experience of either of the controllers mentioned?
I do wonder if it would be better to get another 110Ah battery to add to the bank of 220ah domestic battery bank, although accommodating it would be a nightmare due to the present domestic banks locality. ( would mean major surgery to the quarter berth locker. Also it would be adding a new battery to an ageing bank of two different age batteries which seem ok at the moment, but another new battery could create some problems. I have heard you should replace batteries in Parallel wired banks all at the same time. Either way I would still need a controller of some sort to run the solar panel.
Any recommendations for present day controllers with regards to reliability / functions and value for money.
After spending days looking through solar posts here and forums on the net for controller regulator reviews, my head is spinning in search for a reasonable solution.
Sorry for such a long post reply but just need to get some more informative views, from people who have some experience in these matters, as I’m starting to lose the plot a bit.
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