4-week review of the cheap solar charge controller.
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- Опубліковано 22 кві 2022
- About a month ago I did a review of a cheap charge controller which I expect will be useful for small solar power projects. I told everyone I would do a test of this cheap charge controller with a lithium battery. In this video, I will be showing how that test is coming after 4-weeks of use. These controllers cost anywhere from $10 to $20, depending on where you buy it (a modest expense if it works, but a waste of money if it doesn't).
This controller is intended for solar projects I will be designing and using as needed for any type of grid down situations.
Link to Charge Controller:
amzn.to/36Q62Qa
Link to Wingda 200Ah Lithium Battery:
amzn.to/3KhosXL
Link to inverter:
amzn.to/3kiNNGk
solar panel, how to, charge controller, solar charge, solar charge controller, solar charger, solar charger power bank, grid down survival, grid down preparedness,12 volt, diy solar, solar charge controller review, solar charge controllers, off grid, solar power system, solar power - Навчання та стиль
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Thanks for sharing your videos on this. Without you sharing i would know nothing. Diffently going to get one. Thanks for the advice.
Thanks for your comment.
Thankyou for sharing, i have pretty much the same controller as you and my cheap no frills lifepo4 battery manual says b04 setting so thanks for pointing that out, viewing from Australia
Welcome Australia thanks for the info and the comment.
Thank you for the update
Welcome
Awesome video and detail explanation!! thank you!!
Welcome and thanks for your comment.
just saw your video. very informative . thank you very much
Your welcome and thanks for your comment.
HAD MINE 2 YEARS AND ITS BEEN VERY STEADY, LEAVE IT ON ALL THE TIME, DOESNT TAKE MUCH OUT AND FULLY CHARGED IN AN HOURS, FOR THE COST ITS BRILL
Thanks for your comment.
@shoestringprep what has the charge controller worked like over the last 12 months.
the one thing I cannot work out is how many watts you can pull out of the 12v Dc connections, on the controller, ie, I have a 30a one, I always use the batt, good vid
Hi, thank you for the great video, did you measure how much watts are lost due to controller connected at night ? just wanted to know how much capacity is lost due to leaving it connected.
If I want to put a fuse between my 12V/100A LFP and the PWM, which fuse rating should I use ?
Thank you.
I don't know since I disconnect mine at night. Thanks for your comment.
Excellent
Thanks for your comment.
Hello, and thanks for this very nice video.
I am Daniel from France, I have a question. How do you think it works when the solar panel (or whatever other source) only provides a low voltage, between 2 and 10 volts ?
That's a trickle charge voltage. It will cause the battery to recharge slower. It causes no problem for the charge controller.
Thank you for your comment.
I think The Solar panel voltage should be greater than your battery voltage to start charging
Hello..
I did buy this unit and id do not charge the battery at al.
I hear about the cable must be G10 so what is wrong.
I did change the cable to the battery to G10 and still not work.
Must al the cables be thicker G10 cables ?
I se that you do have a thicker cable that comes from the solar penal.
How can i get a thinker cable to connect the solar penal to the controller ?
Who can help me out of this so i can use it as soon as possible ?
Does the gauge of the wires going from panel to the controller matter, or is heat buildup an issue? I've heard 14gauge is good, but have used extension cord thickness used successfully.
Solar PV panels under 200 watts or so I use 12- gauge (AWG) wires. 200 to 800 Watts I use a 10- gauge (AWG) wires. This allows up to 30 amps of current to flow from a single panel. I would not use 14- gauge for anything over 15 AMPS. I hope this helps. Thanks for the comment.
Hi just saw vid...great...my arrow icon doesn't flash...but the battery icon lines go up and down is this right.so is that charging.thanks.plus i switched of the load icon of the front screen same as yes.
Good video, this controller is cheap as chips and gets decent reviews but as you said it shouldn't be trusted without occasional monitoring.
That's a powerful battery connected to the Chinesium controller, I'd recommend adding an in-line fuse between the battery and the charge controller to protect everything so you have overload and short protection. i.e. protection from a short in the controller.
Probably not needed but a worthwhile extra for piece of mind.
Good tip. Thanks for the comment.
Wouldn't the controller pop the fuse. ???
@@murphyzlaw13 no, the controller will not pop a fuse. It will simply stop charging once the battery is fully charged and begin charging again once the battery needs charging. Thanks for your comment.
@@shoestringprep no, thank you...I'm still new at this stuff
@@murphyzlaw13 welcome
When you disconnect your controller from the battery, doesn't revert to the default settings? When you reconnect don't you have to set your custom settings back? Or do you just turn off the solar panel? I would think that LCD display drain would be miniscule on your battery. Thanks for taking my comment
The controller will keep its custom settings until you change them. Thanks for your comment.
Thank you! I set the floating voltage to 13.7V, but the controller ignores this setting and boils the battery at 14.8-15V. Has anyone else had this happen?
I warned everyone that these areas cheap and need to be watched. Thanks for the warning and
Thanks for your comment.
Will that sized charge controller work with a single 600 watt panel?. I'm a bit concern about the amperage of the panel and have purchased and 30a inline fuse as before hand.
You will want a 60 amp charge controller for a 600 watt panel. Thanks for your comment.
I have found these cheap controllers useful for small AGM batteries 12v/8ah, 12v/14ah to be charged off of a 20 watt solar panel a good fit. I use them on my 12 volt actuator motors on my solar array.
Thanks for your comment.
I've read a few reviews that claim that the MOSFET regulators stop working and even though the LCD screen tells you the battery is sitting at float voltage the controller is actually pushing panel voltage straight through possibly frying your battery.
Maybe, if you are going to use these cheap controllers it's worth having a second voltmeter connected straight across the battery, just to be sure.
It's a tiny bit of overkill but it could save you having to fork out for another battery.
Thanks for the tip and comment.
I have one of this solar controller and I had it connected to the panels (100w x 2 in paralell), to a car battery and in the load i had a 12v 180w water pump, the battery was marking 13.5v, so i started the pump and after about 3 or 4 seconds the pump stopped working and the charger was full in smoke, it burned itself. It was supposed to be a 60amp solar charger. 😟 What could has happened?
@@ronaldd.1355 The load terminals are only for small loads like LED bulbs under 10 amps. Your pump draws higher amps than that especially when it starts. Also pumps are inductive loads which can fry transistors on cheap electronic equipments like this SCC.
I had the same controller in my van conversion chart to a 120 W solar panel. It worked fine for about a year and then went wrong. and over charged the batteries. 2×110 amp sealed lead acid batteries completely fried Lucky they didn’t catch fire. The wires from the solar panel had burned black when I removed them. I guess they are cheap for a reason. Does anyone have experience running these controllers for over a year? Thanks
I never run mine full time. Thanks for your comment.
Vehicles charge batteries around 14.2 volts while running , a split charger system will charge the battery at the same volts. So your right to set your controler at that voltage . 🇬🇧
Thanks for your comment.
Hello! We have this same unit (ours is a 40A), but I can't get something to work and was wondering if you could provide insight. Everything is seemingly connected correctly. However on the main screen I don't see the solar panels that should show up on the right hand side and the battery is not being charged. Is there something I did wrong? Is it not functioning properly? Thanks
Typically, you connect the good battery first (center pair of screws +/-). LEFT is solar panel connected next on LEFT +/- pair of screws. The LOAD is the RIGHT screws +/- and connected last.
I have one but my panel icon is flashing not sure what that means and I lost the instructions manual
Here is a link to a video I made about the manual. I hope it helps. Thanks for your comment. ua-cam.com/video/So0j8uMxLIo/v-deo.html
I have one of this controller but the voltage on the controller is not actual voltage when measured on battery
They are cheap and should be watched. Thanks for your comment.
How much amp does your SCC have ?
I have been told that lithium is b05. B01 b02b03 are lead acid dry sealed and wet battery. Please tell me which is right
I just have it set on bo1 on my lithium battery but I lowered the float voltage to 13.4 and it's been working good for a few months now it's a 100 ah with 130 watts of solar it seems to have it's full power I can keep my gaming pc powered for 8 hours takeing 170 to 220 watts
If I'm not mistaken didn't you mention not to use with this charge controller with lithium battery?
Great channel! I'm learning a lot about solar. Thanks Tom in Orlando.
That is what the manual that came the charge controller said. I am pleased you are enjoying the channel. Thanks for your comment.
Same question I have! CONTRADICTION!
@@desertdogdan5920 The manual said not to use this with a lithium battery. So I mention that. But it will charge at 14.6 so I do. Do as you see best. Thanks for your comment.
@@shoestringprep Thanks for your great explanations! My question is because I can't find my manual! In your video of the manual it lists battery type 1 as lithium. In this video you have it set to 2.
Below is a link to my video of the" Manual for Cheap Charge Controller" I hope this helps. Thanks for your comment. ua-cam.com/video/So0j8uMxLIo/v-deo.html
Q: What battery type is this controller supported?
A: The regulator is only suitable for lead acid batteries:OPEN, AGM, GEL.
B-01=LEAD-ACID, 12V; B-02=LITHIUM ION 3s, 3*3.7V=11.1V; B03=LIFePO4 4s, 4*3.2V=12.8V.
I think you should be on B3 think you have LifePO4 battery... I think I wouldpay extra 5 10 dollars toget Intelegent regulator...Funny says regulator not for Lithium but still offers Lithium settings
This type of controller will do wet lead acid. AGM, and lithium battery.
@@shoestringprep I pulled that text from Amazon small print my be they mean not suitable by default... I saw similar model with what they call an Intelegent regulator..Might only make slight difference you know more than me. Thanks.
@@SolarResurrection always pick the model of a piece of equipment that's best for your needs. Thanks for your comment.
Hi, from inverter to the battery,it looks you doubled up on the cable. Cant I use just use a black,and red 4 awg only two cables.Im going to do exactly what you did here with a 100ah lithuim battery. Same exact set up
great video!
As long as the cable you use can carry the current going through it. Thanks for your comment.
@@shoestringprep what cable do I need please from inverter to a 100ah 12v battery. You did not explain why you use two cables . help me out here short string😃
@@shoestringprep ok, I see in the other video. those cables come with the inverter. My mistake.
@@shoestringprep ok, I have 100ah 12v lithium battery.can i hook this up to the voltworks pure sine wave, and the cables that come with it.I think I saw a video you have that it was done.
My load icon just flashes when I push to switch on... was working a few days ago... I assume my appliance has shorted?
It could be. Disconnt the controller and try it again. Thanks for your comment.
How many panels can you use with that controler I have a renogy and I can only use 5 100 watt panels 12v looking for a cheap controler that can take higher power
That will depend on which model of charge controller you buy. I suggest once you pick up your charge controller read the manual and follow the directions on it. Thanks for your comment.
Can I use it to charge a car battery? How would be with setup? I have a spare car battery and want to try to use it
The simple answer is yes you can use a car battery, but they are not made to be discharged and recharged like a deep cycle battery. The car battery will not last very long in that capacity. Thanks for your comment.
Why would my negative and positive coming down from the control/charge box onto my batteries be getting hot? My negative wire was completely melted…
This could be caused by two major problems first the wires you have connected are too small or the amps and watts your solar panels are producing is too great for the charge controller. I would check these possibilities first. Thanks for your comment.
Double check your polarity
Does it show solar amps? This was supposed to be a review or overview of the charge controller not the other stuff
hi, you say at night you do disconnect to avoid discharging it your battery, the following morning must you re-program settings or it automatically will remain on the settings last programmed?
The settings remain at where I left them the night before. Thanks for your comment.
Use isolator to switch of and on
@@nsanyarasheeed8693 thanks for your comment.
Hi Shoestring, in the first video you said never connect it to a lithium battery?
Yes, I said that because that's what the manual says. But you can actually set it where the voltage will charge a lithium battery. Thanks for your comment.
That's eye opening I actually returned what I bought because the manual said the same thing
Thanks for the nice review, but one big question. Are these charge controllers really rated for 60A or 100A (whatever they are advertised for) and are they really MPPT? Seems like these are too tiny for so much power. More expensive 100A or 60A charge controllers seem much larger. For power electronics, like charge controllers and inverters, I usually go by weight of the equipment. If it's rated at high power, then it should have significant heft. A true MPPT controller would have much more heft due to hardware for DC to DC convertion, where as PWM controller would be significantly lighter. I guess these super cheap controlers are all PWM despite what they are advertised as.
They are rated for what they are advertised as, but they are small and cheap. I watch mine from time to time and make sure it is working ok. Thanks for your comment.
I bought a couple of these cheap things as backups. They are certainly not MPPT. They just cut out when voltage gets to high. Fairly useless.
I don’t have a manual. What are they rated for? 60amp 100amp? I have 2 x 100 amp batteries. Is that too much
This video is being really informative. I don’t have a manual unfortunately please can someone tell me what they are rated for 60 W or 100 watt maybe? mine was hooked up to a 120 W solar panel charging 2×100 W batteries. Batteries completely fried and lucky not to catch fire. Wires from solar panel burned black. Did someone say they were not quality approved?
Why didn’t you use the LOAD connections on the charger itself for the inverter?
I don't use the load on the charge controller. Thanks for your comment.
Just got same controller. Is there any way it shows watts amps or volts going into the battery from the panels??
I think that's asking a bit much of the worlds cheapest MPPT 😂
thanks. do you really need to "unplug" the charge controller overnight as you said, what is the drain if you don't? ergo is it just a few milliamps for the controller? how many days (or months) would it take to make a significant reduction of charge on that 200Ah battery? Or are you implying that there is some kind of loss occurring from energy absorbed by the non-active solar panel due to the controller not blocking it?
If you keep the controller connected at night you can drain the battery. Thanks for your comment.
@@shoestringprepis that a characteristic of these controllers? I don't unplug my Epever tracer controllers. They stay plugged in all the time. Does the manual say to unplug at night?
I've just replaced my controller and noticed that the load out bulb is not showing on the led and the USB ports don't work. Any ideas why. 🇬🇧
You may have a defective controller. You may wish to replace it. Thanks for your comment.
Nope.. not defective. This is the issue i had when first buying my first of the 3 scc like this, i have now.
U and I did not read the manual carefully enough.
U must connect your battery first.. Then choose settings (which it will likely auto select the proper battery u have) .. then u connect your solar last.
When u do that your accessories will work (2 usb and power out.
Also disconnect in reverse.. disconnect solar first.
Manual says if not u may damage the controller.. but i dont think i damaged mine.. this first one, before i was clear on these instructions.
Hi can I add two 100amp solar panels in parallel and one100amp Ah platinum plus 12v leisure battery and one 100ah platinum AGM plus 12v leisure battery in parallel to this controller ,I have a 60amp version.
Thanks
You can use the panels in parallel as long as they do not go over 60 amps. As for the batteries please make sure the batteries are all the same type. Such as all the batteries should be AGM and the same voltage. Thanks for the comment
Hi thanks for the reply. Both batteries are made by platinum 12v and 100ah. One says AGM the other says wet leisure is that a problem thanks
@@kevinmurphy1457 if the batteries are not both the same type you will lose some effectiveness. Try to use the same type if possible. Thanks for the comment.
Great thanks
Hi. How can I switch on the 12V output while the battery is charging? And how the timer works?
The charge controller reads the voltage from the battery so if you're a have a 24 volt and you want to change it to a 12 volt battery you'll have to disconnect the the charge controller and reconnect it to your 12 volt battery. Thanks for your comment.
@@shoestringprep I mean I want using electric while the battery is still charging by the solar panel. (My battery is 12V and I want to use 12V during the day. Not at night.
i have the orange 30 amp one of these. i have 600 watts in 12 volt panels in my garage i just bought, and a 1kw inverter and 5 car batterys. post on amazon say that 12 volt i can go 300 watt, and 24volt i can go 600 watt, WHY IS THIS? 2) the controller can accept up to 55 volts, so can i do 4 panels in series at 12 volt to make 48 volts to the controller with 24 volt battery set up? whats the maxuim watts in panels for the controller is what i dont get, or if over 24 volt panel input over heats the controller. any info about these things?
WHY IS THIS!!!😂 Well, I hope you’ve sorted it 🤔
I have a different specification to the controller you have although they’re all fairly similar.
The solar panel/s voltage & current to the controller has limitations.
On the controller this is denoted as charge current (imho)
I would assume this charge current is 30A for your controller - as you state 12V 300W or 24V 600W.
(Note - the discharge current of the controller is also limited). You can work out the power output by multiplying this figure by the voltage output of the Controller).
It’ll automatically detect the voltage when you connect the panels.
The way you arrange them is upto you but you need to make sure you keep within the limitations -
I’ll paste this video link for info that will be of use - as I or anyone else but you will not know how you envisage putting the panels together.
Seek help from professionals if still in doubt
Good luck
ua-cam.com/video/GFjL0-r6LbY/v-deo.html
Than ks for your comment.
Can the inverter be ran the at the same time the solar charger is charging the battery without issue ? i was curious because i noticed you did not wire the solar chargers load option .
Yes, they can run at the same time. Thanks for your comment.
@@shoestringprep thanks for the clear info!
I connected the solar panel to the wrong terminals and now the controller is set for a 24v system. Is there a reset button?
There is no reset button. Diconnect the controller and try reconnecting it. Thanks for your comment.
I'm starting to learn about solar and I thought a mppt controller was necessarily for LiPoFe?
A mppt is best but it is not required. Thanks for the comment.
If you have it set to 14.6. Does it stay there or does the charger have a way to float the battery at a lower voltage.
The voltage stays at 14.6 volts where I set it. Thanks for your comment.
GOOD QUESTION! NO WHERE IN ANY OF THE REVIEWS I HAVE SEEN DISCUSS THAT .
14.6 is the max input he set it at. U may not get that from your solar sometimes.. the setting is only the cieling.
Lol. Previes video you said not to use it with lithium. Though a good lithium will have a bms. Pwm isnt good for lithium even though many new pwm controllers list lithium.
Lifepo4 is almost a perfect match for lead. Pwm is hard on lithium by the way it works. It starts and stops the voltage to charge. I suppose newer pwm controllers may have a means to regulate voltage on top of pulse width modulation.
Thanks for your comment.
@@shoestringprep You're welcome. I bought an all in one inverter, charge controller that had pwm. The company advertised it compatible with lithium. It was different than what you are doing. It was 24v and I was using a 7s lipo battery. 7s wasn't a match to lead like an 8s lifepo4 would've been. Long story short, pwm ruined the battery after about 9 months of use.
Thank you for the response and the videos. If this unit is mppt and it's not the followup to pwm one I apologize. Though I do find it hard to belive the cheap mppt units are really mppt. I suspect they are a modified pwm of some sort.
Bought one of these controllers, when its connected to my panel and battery, the voltage doesnt stay constant, do you know if its meant to regulate the solar input voltage?
panel brings in
Solar panel output should be more like 24v if it's 100w.
B1 is lead acid b2 gel and b3 flooded
@@Asfanboy1 tested the controller on another battery, worked fine. so pretty sure my lead acid is dead
thanks for the reply tho
The charge controller regulates the voltage from the solar panels to the battery do the battery will not over charge. Thanks for your comment.
Can i charge my phone from the usb without the battery conected to the panel?
Yes, you can as long as the charge controller is connected to the battery. Thanks for your comment.
No.
How Many watts of panels can be added and used on this controller. .
A 10 amp charge controller can handle a 100 watt solar panels. Thanks for your comment.
4:29 b02 is for a normal Lithium ION battery, but you have a LiFePo4 battery and the setting should be 1b3. "Read" the controller manual again. The LiFePo4 setting is underneath the Lithium setting. Also, the amount of charge the controller would drain overnight to run that display is so microscopically small, it's not worth worrying about. A small single button battery would run that display for months.
Thanks for your comment.
Maybe yours works, but mine did not.
I tried the 30A and the 100A models.
The voltage reading (on both) was .6A higher than the rest of my meters.
Neither model actually charged my battery.
I have 2 sets of 2 batteries wired in series for 24VDC and 5 sets of 2 100W Panels wired in series parallel.
Neither model gives me an output for the load.
Don't know if the panel voltage is too high or low, and the user's manual does not tell me anything useful.
Very sorry to hear that. Mind did work. Thanks for your comment.
You can't use a 12v solar panel to charge a 24v battery. It simply won't work
What type of connectors do you use to connect the wires to the charge controller ?
I used 14 gage for my video. Thanks for the comment.
@@shoestringprep My controller didn't come with any connectors. Do you just push the 14 gauge wires into the holes on the bottom of the controller ? Thanks
@@geraldwegener8376 that is correct. Insert the striped wires and tighten down. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Shoestring, Can that controller be used on AGM batteries.
Yes, it can. Thanks for your comment.
Correct, it can be used for AGM batteries. Thanks
Yes
Can this handle a 400 watt solar panel
The charge controller I was testing is rated at 60 amps that comes out to around 7,000 Watts. So I suppose you could hook a 400 watt solar panel to that charge controller. But I've never tried it so I would watch it closely and be very careful. Thanks for your comment.
What does it mean when your battery flashes on your controller
Normally when the controller is flashing it means the battery is charged. I would check that first. Thanks for your comment
Flashing should show an arrow to the left too if im not mistaking.
But flashing could mean its charged if the symbol is fully shaded in.. when partially shaded in battery is not fully charged
It's in trickle charge state
Will it charge a lawnmower battery?
The charge controller will work on any 12 vol battery. Depending on the settings. Thanks for your comment
How to find out if the battery is fully charged ?
When fully charged the battery voltage will equal the level you have set for it and the charge controller will stop charging the battery. Thanks for your comment.
@@shoestringprep
Does the arrow on the panel stop blinking?
@@sihanvideo1814 sometime it does and sometimes it does not. Do not relay on that. Thanks for your comment
@@shoestringprep ok thank you
Hey! I got some question, since this is PWM does it work for lifepo4 batteries, on the battery it says it needs MPPT controller, but those cost around 100$... Do you think PWM controller won't damage lifepo4 battery? The pwm controller I am looking at says it is used for lead batteries, so I wonder whether this would work and be safe. Thanks in advance.
You can set up the controller for lithium battery. 14.6v but watch it. These are cheap units. Thanks for your comment.
@@shoestringprep Thank you for fast reply. Subscribing and liking!
I have seen these cheap controllers available in versions of 20, 30, 40, 60, 100 amps. I can absolutely guarantee these will not be able to take 100 amps. For one thing, they have all of the same terminal strips and the wire for say the 60 amp and 100 amp are too tiny for the proper 60/100 amp wire to be secured to the controller. 100 amp would need a #2 AWG copper wire and it will not fit under these tiny screw terminal strip. I believe they could handle 20 amps. Pushing it to take 30 amps, after that, I will say you will have a burn off/melt down.
Thanks for the info and the comment.
I have this controller and it says in the manual not for lithium battery's?
You may have a different model. Mine does not say that. Thanks for your comment.
You don't have to disconnect it at night. It won't drain the battery lol.
Thanks for your comment.
Min 2:16 , i thought this is about the charge controller , and now you have been talking 2 minutes aobut your Batt .... , i am anxious to see how it works , and its settings ...
Min 2:19 , and now how often would you like to tell us how pure your sin-converter is ..., boy ... ? today its pure-sin wave tomorrow its about to be old ...
Nice how you take care of your wifey ....
Thanks for your comment.
Lol .. I was soo pissed off, but now soo relieved when I heard u say .. I dont trust it, and when the panels arent making power at night you unplug it.
I been liking these cheap charge controllers so much, between 12/2018 and around 4/2022 i got 3 of em (2 in my Rv parked at an Rv storage .. 1 on front dash, one in rear bedroom not connected right now .. the 3rd in my big rig truck thats been parked)
Ive been pissed off because it seems to be true, that at night it appears to drain batteries by keeping the reading and for the last 3 days Ive just started to unplug it Because I couldnt figure out if I bought some bad Solar panels or not (they are all used Harbor Freight 25 watts each.. i got at 3 different times, from 3 different sellers)
Got 6 panels all together.. all 25watts each.. 5 of them are matching, current models HF sells, 1 is their old 25 watt model. The older one is slimmer and a couple inches smaller, but significantly heavier than the other 5 matching, current models.
I had no knowledge of testing solar panel amperage, only knew how to check voltage (and doing it with the cheap HF multimeters ive been using for years.. I have 3 of those, and 1 better multimeter i have from a pawnshop, a couple yrs ago. HF multimeters read a little above actual voltage, or possibly below when faulty or low internal battery.
Discovered today that the older ones could be opened and adjusted more accurately.. comparing readings from a better quality multimeter. They all can be opened.
When i opened 2 of mine i have handy.. they cant 1)be adjusted, 2)replace the tube fuse like the older ones .. they look pretty much the same. U can only replace a possible low 9 volt battery.
For a while in 2016 they had a handy light button on them.
Back to the point.. Now i will be trouble shooting if i have bad panels that dont push amperage (Once i confirm that I am checking Amperage correctly)
or did i damage the cheap charge controller as far back as 12/2018 when i got it (by finding out later that youre supposed to always connect the Solar to these last.. after connecting the battery.. I didnt get that understood until much later down the line.
I dont think i damaged this first controller, and surely havent damaged my 2nd and 3rd ones after knowing the connection / disconnection sequence. Its early am and dark but when sun is up
Ill be checking amperage on the 4 panels (out of the 6) i have handy.
Getting over my disappointment by now as I been upset from seeing good, expensive batteries seem to charge.. but trickle down lower and lower over weeks and months.
These charge controllers work i believe, but like u say they should be disconnected at night or when not getting solar. Theyre so cheap but decent, im sure ill be putting a shut off switch inline.
Disappointed and had to pay for lack of knowledge buying used panels not knowing to or how to check amperage, but should be able to get some solid solar power now. Thanks alot 4 this video. Ill go see your previous one now, for more on operating this SCC.. i pretty much know but youll likely know more. Thanks
I like Harbor Freight solar panels as well. I do suggest the cheap charge controller be turned off at night. Thanks for your comment.
Absolute rubbish.. Got one on a new 540w solar install, 50 camper.
Showed only 13a maximum, did immediate swap for my renogy showing 31amps.
Even the menu is inaccurate.
They are cheap it is true. Thanks for your comment.
I have been using the cheap charge controller for a couple of years, and I find information on youtube on how to set it up constantly different from one youtube channel to the next!
The stupid (chinese) instructions are totally screwed up and I cannot follow them. And some you tubers say to hook up the battery first, while others say nothing about which order you should use. When I try to set it up I am unable to get any menu options to work correctly, such as how long to keep it on or off, (and there is no option for that available it seems), how much discharge you should allow, how high a charge you can set, etc. and even your review doesn't seem to address those issues! In your first "review" you said to use only on lead acid batteries and specifically NOT for Lithium, ( by the way),and In your follow up you are using it on a LITHIUM battery! What's up with that ? You say you disconnect it at night when the sun goes down. According to others they say it can be set to shut down. How the heck can that be done?
Let me see if I can explain this better. Book says not to use it on lithium, the manual says do not use this charge controller with a lithium battery. I have been able to charge my lithium batteries with it so I do. But since the manual says not to, I tell you the manual says not to, even though I show you that I do it.
This is a cheap charge controller so I don't trust it. I don't just let it run. Every so often I watch it and double check the voltage to make sure it's charging the battery correctly.
I disconnect it at night because the charge controller draws power from the battery and weakens it when it's not being used. I don't know of any settings that will tell it not to do that, so I do it manually myself.
Thanks for your comment.
Do you really want to trust 100-1000's dollars of batteries to a $15 charge controller.
No, but some people that is all they can afford. Thanks for your comment.
These are junk. I got two and neither one of them pulse width modulate. They just completely disconnect charging at 14.6 volts (Lifepo4) and then don't resume charging until 13.1 volts which is about 75% discharged for a Lifepo4.
Thanks for the info and your comment.
U may have it set wrong.
I got 3 within like 2 yrs, still have em and they charge up to the set point.
The problem i have is what Shoestring mentioned.. They seem to drain batteries with no solar pushing into them.
I plan to disconnect at night with a switch but Now i think i figured out the real problem (i could be wrong) .. maybe it has todo with that 24 that showed on the menu screen in this video.
Mine now shows that too when i know it should show 12(volts)
Its 12/2022 now.. when i got my first one in 12/2018 i remember being able to set it to 602 battery type and 12volt instead of it bein stuck on 24.
I think this is a flaw with these controllers and has to do with them slowly taking back power from batteries when no solar is pushing in.
They straight on off the full current on a 8 second period. Dangerous.
This is not helpfull. No technical knowledge.
Thanks for your comment
It's all to do with what you can achieve with minimal cost . You could set up one of these in each room of the house if you was desperate and potentially and spend hardly anything to what you would spend for a real big set up . Generators are the future tho . They have the full kit in them but still to power a whole small house would still be high in terms of bucks great video and it's enough to work out what you can do
@@andrewholdsworth4421 thanks for your c6.
Complete JUNK! Died after 3 months. Panel is good, generating about 20V, charge controller on the other hand doesn’t have any output to charge the battery, pass through for power output is dead as well. Control buttons have a mind of their own, sometimes they cycle through modes, most times they don’t do anything. Complete waste of money. Very unreliable.
I agree they are cheap and must be watched. Thanks for your comment.