MPPT Charge Controller Review - EPSolar EPEver Tracer A Series - 12v Solar Shed
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- In this video I'm looking at the EPEver Tracer A MPPT charge controller which I purchased from eBay : ebay.us/JmMI0W
❗️These links are affiliated and I may earn a small commission if you purchase❗️
I open the box, look inside the case and fire the charge controller up for some initial testing. I also look at what parameters you can change in the menu system.
This is a fairly new MPPT charge controller on the market. A new version in the tracer range from EPSolar who have branded it under the name EPEver. The integrated screen is unique within the tracer series, but the eTracer and iTracer controllers have one too.
It comes in 10 amp (1210A), 20 amp (2210A), 30 amp (3210A) and 40 amp (4210A) versions. All of them are slightly different physical sizes as well as being designed for larger currents. All of them allow your panel open voltage to be up to 100 volts - or more accurately 92 volts at 25 degrees centigrade.
I've connected this charge controller to a home made USB cable to see what else I can change and monitor from my PC: • EPSolar Solar Station ...
After nine months of using this charge controller I have an update to this review available here: • The EPSolar EPEver Tra...
This charge controller uses a common positive design which meant I couldn't use the arduino test rig I used in my review of the eBay Eco-Worthy MPPT Solar Charge Controller: • eBay MPPT Solar Charge...
#Solar #Review #OffGrid
I know this is an older video...but, darn good! Been using their newer 20-amp charger (with MT-50 remote display) in a 24v configuration. Absolutely great solar charger. Thanks for doing these videos...really, really, really helpful Sir!
Cheers Chris. I did an update video a couple of months ago after getting through a winter with the tracer A. May be of interest too?
Chris DIYer to you sir I want to come and learn from you
Thanks Adam. On the basis of this video review I bought a 30A Epever Tracer and after crawling around on the roof connecting my new solar panel connected all the rest together and had a successful "Takeoff". From the manual I couldn't work out how to set my battery type to Gel but quick re-look at this video and I was away.
+Mike Smith Great news. Thanks for letting me know Mike. Enjoy your free energy!
yes buying an mppt controller from and discount place can be interesting. I learn from you about the induction coil. I took this one apart no coil just a simple controller. I check their web site and it said they were shut down for non specific reasons. I know why. thank for the info.
Thanks Adam. I'm a newby to solar power. In fact it is on its way to me. I bought gel batteries and while they are in transit read that I must have a charge controller that understands them. I am not sure if the one i bought does so found your video very interesting and thought provoking.
Hi Adam, I've been running the 30 amp model in my motorhome for over 1 year. I have two 24 volt 125 watt panels on the roof hooked in series. The panels put out nearly 80 volts in full sun and the controller converts it all the way up and down the PV voltage range. I've seen it putting 18 amps in the battery max so I could have probably got by with the 20 amp model. I've got it under a seat so I need the MT50 on the wall. It's a lot easier to control with the MT50 anyway. One small problem is that it registers battery voltage about .2 volts high. I didn't realize it was a positive ground unit until I bought it. Don't know what the implications are but I haven't grounded it. It think that I would buy the negative ground series if I were to do over. I have DC switches next to the MT50 to disconnect the PV and Battery. I have had to reset it a couple of times by cycling the battery switch. All in all it works great for my application.
Had m new controller for the last month and its working great... Getting all the power out of the panels. Panels are happy, Batteries are happy and I am happy/.
+gary s Great news. Well done.
I have had this controller for two years.. It seems to work exactly as promised and has been very good value for money...
Does this unit need to be programmed using an external source. Like a laptop or PC?
@@adam56usa No ... it was in my case plug and play.. Lovely machine BTW... Wish I could use it RIGHT now .. our boat is at our yacht club and we have been shut down tight...
Dan Erlich thanks, I am living on my sailboat in Miami. Just trying to squeeze a little more out of my solar panels. I currently have a PWM controller.
@@adam56usa The efficiency of this controller and the quality and reliability is excellent particularly for the reasonable price. I tried it both parallel and series, found slightly better performance in parallel - but so tight that it really made no difference, the rational became that if one panel failed that parallel kept things running while series killed off the power. Are you permitted to leave the dock to sail currently? They allowing the marina to function? Our club has been shut down TIGHT - we can not even VISIT the property to do maintenance on the hard now which really pisses me off - and as we are on an island this is even tougher.. The police are fining people heavily - $880 minimum, no fun what so ever.
Dan Erlich same here. They shut it down. People can check on their boats but cannot take them out. Also, no mechanics or brokers. I can use the showers and laundry and the staff hand me my mail but we cannot go into the office. I can understand that. The mayor got really ticked off awhile back because people were going out to the sandbar and rafting up to have parties. He shut down everything. Only boats allowed out are commercial fishing boats.
Thanks for all your help with the controller. I’m going to invest in one.
Noob question, if I may? On these controllers, there is a load out. I have two questions regarding the load out line. 1. If you are using a 24v battery setup, would the load out be 24v, or is it auto stepped down to 12v? 2. If you had this charger hooked up to a solar panel, but without a battery, would the load out still work? Thanks for any info you may have regarding these questions. I appreciate your videos.
Of cause you may.., Yes the load output will be the same voltage as the battery. So nominally 12 or 24 volts depending on your battery. But remember your battery is charging and discharging so in a 12 v system your load output could range from perhaps 11.5 volts up to 14.4 volts.
Most charge controllers will not power up without a battery. Most are powered from the battery. Of cause there are a few exceptions.
Thank you, sir. Very helpful! Much appreciated.
Great review. I needed a 'real' MPPT controller to add to my existing PWM controller. Your tear down gave me the confidence to outlay for the 30A version. Thanks!
Glad to be of assistance - thanks for the kind comments.
Sir, just one question: I bought the mppt tracer epsolar 4215a, I can't find what's the limit voltage/amps, I can output from the Load Terminals: Connect loads.? Do you know something?
Saw you talk to it with the computer. This got me really interested. Cool work
Hi Adam, Great posting. I fitted the 3210A to my Motorhome in the spring with 360W of panels, 400ah battery bank and 1000W inverter.
I was told MPPT controllers are more efficient at higher voltages so I decided to wire my panels of different Amps (8A+7A+4A) in series. Each panel has a nominal voltage of 22V and I normally see 60+V on the controller.
The highest Solar output I have seen at 1pm in June on a pretty clear day is 266W which is near the theoretic maximum for a 360W array at this Latitude.
Therefore, so far I am very impressed with this controller.
Hope this helps others decide.
BTW - EP Solar customer service is pretty poor.
+Michael Fennec Thanks for the info. The manual states that with a twelve volt system the most efficient panel configuration is two 36 cell panels in series.
I'm surprised you're getting such good power with your three panels in series. The string will be brought down to 4 amps - the value of your lowest panel. At 60 volts that's about 240 watts - so your 4 amp panel must be over producing slightly. So the good news is next June you might see more if you run them in parallel rather than series even though the charge controller is less efficient in this configuration. 19 amps at say 18 volts is 342 watts.
I be never had to use the customer service, but their pre-sales has been reasonable for me.
Thanks again.
Agree. Only put same Isc rated panels in series.
Thanks for the review, Was looking at getting the older 2210, but with the great prices on the new models and the addition of the built in LCD I have ordered this one... agains thanks.
+gary s You're welcome. Hope you like it. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for your review! I bought a unit on the strength of your review :) Received it today and put to the test. Seem to working well. Once again thanks for a comprehensive review including part 2.
+fongiddd Super - I hope you remain a happy owner!
+fongiddd You're very welcome. I hope it gives you many years of service. Thanks for your feedback.
Can you please make video about experience with this controller after few months of use? How good is accuracy of displayed values, how good is MPPT in different weather and your opinion on it.
I just bought 30A version and I have to say MPPT is not good as expected.
Thanks.
+Ohm711 I'm planning to do something like this fairly soon - stay tuned!
Adam Welch Awesome! Thank you.
I will give it a try. Im looking for a controlled dump load on a battery (alternative a Supercap bank) connected to a EPever solar charge controller. The idea is to measure how many wattHr I can get from my solarpanel (just a testpanel for fun 25watt). So when ever the battery is full I will burn the energy comming in from the solarpanel and measure wattHr via EPever software. Found something called shunt regulator, any suggestions how to go about it?
Thanks for all your great videos.
Thanks for the video. I'm hoping to purchase a unit from Amazon. On their ad, they had a picture of the device connecting to a mobile phone. I assume it is via Bluetooth. Is this true or do I need to buy another component?
You’ll need the optional ebox bluetooth add on for that I’m afraid.
Just purchased a 40A unit for my 500w 30v cells, the new unit is now Backlit for 30s / press of either button.
MY EPEVER 40A UNIT STOPPED WORKING THIS WEEK AND THE CURRENT (AMPS) WILL NOT COME THROUGH - WHAT IS GOING ON PLEASE?
mine stopped working today after owning it only 5 months. i have (4) 60W panels hooked in parallel @ 22V and 1.5A each. so the voltage reads correct as 22V but the current reads as 0.00A.
my question is what could it be? or what is the contact for the manufacturer? or is this a known failure?
after watching many reviews it seems i should check the internal fuses, which i will do right now. ...FUSES ARE BOTH IN TACT!
one thing i did notice was the screws are NOT good in salt water air conditions because mine are corroded. i will attempt to replace with stainless steel screws.
I just got the 40 AMp model a few days ago, no idea on the efficiency, this is my first solar setup, don't even get my inverter until tomorrow, but it was dead simple to setup, with the USB adapter wire to hook it to your pc. Setup parameter for these lifepo4 batteries I purchased was easy to. No complaints for the price.
Again I haven't checked the "effiency' of the the device, really I can't yet, as the batteries are completely full (so, it just stops pulling and goes to some state where it collects almost no power), and the only dc load I could find around here was a couple small bulbs that only pull 15 watts!, never drains it enough even overnight. But tomorrow will have a real load going, then can see.
I'm happy with it thus far, but I already have dreams of a 48 volt system hehe..... So this is probably eventually going to be devoted to pure dc loads, and a bigger system will do the AC loads. I'm not sure yet, it's been like 3 -4 days I had it running at all.
+SoGladUCame Sounds like you've got the solar bug! Thanks for your comment.
So if you have different PV panels, or groups of panels, each connected to its own MPPT charger. Can more than one PV MPPT be paralleled to a bank of batteries with a single grid-tie inverter? I would think different PV panels would produce different power levels due to shade, etc., and as such the MPPTs would produce different voltages. Would they "buck" each other? Are they designed for this? How would such an arrangement be set up?
My roof has six different areas that each receive sunlight at different times and for different periods. I was thinking of using separate small groups of panels. Each group would have its own MPPT charge controller but these would all go to a single battery pack with a single grid-tie inverter. Am I overlooking something.
Hello.
Multiple charge controllers is possible yes but you need to be aware of a few things. Lead acid charge controllers generally have a three stage charging algorithm. Bulk, Absorb, Float. If we imagine a single charge controller system for a moment, bulk will happen first on a morning when your batteries have been used over night - it delivers as much current as it can to your batteries when they are low. It will then get the batteries up to your absorb voltage setting and hold the batteries there by throttling the power coming into the system from the panels. After (usually) a pre-set time the charge controller will go into float mode. Similar to absorb, but generally a lower voltage.
So now lets imagine a two controller setup. You're first controller gets the earliest sun. It's done bulk mode and because it's a bright day it's in absorb. Your second controller starts to make a bit power lets say after an hour or two, but the batteries are already quite high - you've set both for the same absorb voltage so the second charge controller goes straight to absorb mode and it starts it's timer.
The first charge controller has now completed it's absorb cycle and wants to go into float. At this point it stops harnessing power from the solar panels because it wants the battery level to drop. However the second charge controller is in absorb, and so your first charge controller is doing nothing. Once both have completed absorb, both go into float and both (assuming again both are set the same) maintain the float voltage.
So for periods of time one or other strings of panels in full sun (potentially) aren't creating any power because the charge controllers are doing different things.
If your batteries are full by the end of the day then you might not be worried about some lost power, but you might worry about a battery which has been held at absorb voltage levels for a long period of time. A way round this would be to have the first controller to get sun on a morning to have a 90 minute absorb cycle and the following ones to have one as short as possible.
Now you are also looking to put a grid tied inverter into the mix. This depends on the model of inverter - but presumably if you are looking at separate strings and separate charge controllers the inverter is going to run from the batteries rather than directly from the panels? If so that could work too. You want to ensure it has a low voltage cut out though so it can't completely flatten you battery bank.
Hopefully that makes sense and is of some use to you.
I was thinking about using the load to power a pc fan to help cooling. I haven't noticed alot of heat yet. then I haven't used it alot . I haven't pulled the bank below 25.6v. I have the remote screen also. I'm also trying to make the whole system so anyone can use it. I'm putting all the manuals in a binder. for the inverter charger. and the charge controllers. great info.
Mine doesn’t get very warm - but I’m well within its rating. Also remember the units are only working at their hardest when you batteries are low. If they are kept quite well charged your charge controller won’t be doing much dc2dc conversion, so no switching and little heat.
Thanks great review. I seen there was no battery setting for lithium batteries. Is it possible to change the values of the charging float and bulk to suit a lifepo4 battery? Thanks 👍
Hello. Yes you can change the parameters to suit lithium (both my tracer a’s now charge lithium banks) but to change the charging parameters you need to connect to the charge controller over rs485. The cheapest way to do that is a cheap usb to rs485 adapter and an old network cable (I made a video where I built one) and using the epever windows software. Alternatively you can use the ebox adapters, the mt50 lcd screen or one of the many other home brew options out there (the most simple probably being the one Colin Hickey sells on his tindie store).
@@AdamWelchUK Thanks mate. I just watched the whole video. I ordered a cheap usb to rs485 adapter and have plenty of network cables lying around. I have ordered 4 cells of 280ah 3.2v Lifepo4 with a 200a Daly BMS from Alibaba. I want to try keep the cells around 90% state of charge as i believe it will make their life cycle higher.
Thanks for all the info. My garage will be fully off grid soon.
I see they have a 10A edition available. If you put the load output through the input of a solid state relay and connect the battery direct to your load via the relay then youreonlyblimit is the relay amps.
And the charging limit...
I thought it was only an output limit. These limits are pretty much only there so they can sell a more expensive model imho.
Loved your video. Very helpful. Based on the positive review, I might install this on my motorhome (max 95W solar)
Thanks Adam, I have 12 of these REC 220 Watt Panels, and about 12-14 each 6volt Trojan batteries. I want to build 2 systems. 1 for everyday use, and 1 as JUST in CASE system... which will be stored underground, for use after an Event (Tornado or whatever). I don't have to use all these panels. What would you recommend? Each Battery is 225Ah, Trojan T-105.
All info is appreciated .... Thanks again
Got a Tracer 4210A yesterday and put it into a system with 4 PV panels 250W and a 24V LiFePO4 battery with 300Ah. The panels are 60 cell panels and two are in series. Means PV voltage is between 45 and 60V, max. current roughly 18A.
The unit works very nicely, finds the MPPT reliably and chargers the battery just fine.
I have then connected a load (in this case this is an AEconversion grid tie inverter with 350W). I am using this during times with no sun (nights) to compensate for my inhouse consumption.
But this is where I have a problem: The Tracer is not able to switch this load ON successfully. It seems to sense a short circuit, presumably because of the high inrush currents of the inverters input capacitors. If I disconnect the inverter, switch the load ON on the Tracer and then reconnect the inverter everything is ok. But automatic switching is not possible.
Connected to this, I get very erratic current readings for Battery and load currents. The inverter draws a maximum constant 11.5A and I get a stable reading on all digital meters I have. But the Tracer will show between 0.x and 25A. The same for the battery current. PV current readings are more stable, but when my Fluke multimeter shows a stable 6.5A PV current, the Tracer will show a current reading which varies between appr. 5A and 6.5A.
The readings via Modbus are even more erratic and absolutely unusable.
I think that the adc filtering is not appropriate to the situation. It is clear that for output short circuit protection, the response of the filter for the load current has to be fast, but for PV and battery current reading it could certainly be much slower (more heavily filtered). Even more so for the Modbus values which cannot be read with an interval of less than 10 seconds.
+Jörg Becker Hello. I've not seen the behaviour you describe but I'm generally pulling much lower loads.
Usually I wouldn't place an inverter on the load output of a charge controller - and with it being a grid tie inverter I think you're causing some issues. Remember a grid tie inverter has its own MPPT controller within. It varies the load on the input to find the maximum power point. Your tracer probably find this very confusing.
I know people do run grid tie inverters from batteries - but they are designed to be run from solar panels at a higher voltage.
I'd look to find a more stable load and test all the readings on your tracer - if they are more stable and more accurate you know your grid tie inverter is adding to the confusion.
If you want to run the grid tie inverter from your batteries (which it isn't really designed to do) then I'd probably try a DC to DC converter boosting your 12v battery up to 17volts or so which will be closer to the target within your grid tie.
Thank you for your fast response.
I have disabled the MPPT mode in the 350W grid tie inverter I use as load, so it is running with a fixed (controllable) input current. And yes, this load is an SMPS (switch mode power supply), but this is true today for a lot of other loads. Purely resistive loads (like the old fashioned light bulbs) are becoming rather uncommon. An LED lamp will also have an SMPS inside as will computers, chargers and so on.
I still think that the filtering of the measuring inputs is not very well done (if a Fluke is able to show a stable reading, the Tracer should do the same.). The erratic measuring values are more or less a cosmetic problem, but the far too sensitive short circuit detection is a real show stopper. I have already seen this problem on a number of low cost PWM solar chargers with load output. In all cases I could easily fix this by either removing the short circuit detection circuit or by modifying the filter characteristics. Think I will have to dive a little deeper into the circuits of the Tracer to find a solution here too.
Using a DC/DC converter would not help at all as this is also an SMPS with a capacitive load (the input of the grid tie inverter is a DC/DC converter from 24V to 380V).
hi jorg, i have the same problem the load and battery current shift from 0A to 18A for a stable 300W (@25v)grid tie.(gti 600)
internal sensor seem resistive 0.004 ohms.Have you do a modification (capacitor)on current sensor?
i am very insterested for your mod.
Sorry, I tried to do something about it, but my time is very limited atm and I did not really get a very good result. It is also not very easy, because especially grid tied inverters mostly have very little capacity in the input stages. As they have to generate sinusoidal output current, the input current also looks more or less like a sine wave with 50Hz frequency. This means that a filter on the Tracers measuring inputs will need to have an even lower filter frequency. But than it would not be fast enough for an output short circuit detection.
I am still planning to do something about it, but it would be much easier to do some decent software filtering instead.
HI jorg,
Thanks for answer but the problem is on my tracer 2210A. inverter cuurent is very stable +/- 1A but on LCD tracer load and battery current swing +/- 18A!!!!! I think a problem with ground on current sensor in the 2210A.Battery and load sensor are resistor shunt in serie with middle point to ground,i suspect a ground false with op amp input or A/D input .
regards
hey adam. thx for the effort and great vidz. im using a 12v windturbine and im curious if it will run with a solar mppt charge controller ?. the problem with the PMW is that the turbine will do a free spin when the battery voltage is high enough to cut the charging of the battery. will a mppt do the same? or will it cause the turbine to go into break mode , so its not over charging?. i know that wind turbine chargers is not in your field of interest - but you might have some insight on this anyway.thx
How do you feel about this product today 3 years later.? Are you still using it ? How did it perform?
I did a follow up video after nine months and my feelings are the same. It’s very good for the money but has a couple of very minor quirks. I use two of them these days.
I have a few questions about the connection for load. 1. What is the output of the load, ac or dc? I presume it's dc. So, do your appliances use dc? If not, do you convert the dc to ac using inverter? If yes, that means your inverter is connected the load, right? I have a 700 watt inverter designed to use a 12v battery 100 or 200 amps hour? Will the draw from the inverter not overpower the charge controller?
+Akinwande Olaifa Load output is DC. I wouldn't recommend attaching an inverter to the load output - best connected straight to the battery with as short leads as possible. The load output is rated to the same value as the battery output. So a twenty amp controller has a 20 amp load output.
Adam Welch thanks for your prompt response. Could I ask some questions? What do you connect to your load output? 2. Do you use inverter? If so, are you connected to the utility grid? My concern is, if grid power comes through the inverter while solar panels are supplying charge, what would happen? Will the Battery or something else not be damaged?
+Akinwande Olaifa My load output powers lights and other low powered loads. I use an inverter but it's not connected to the load output, it's connected to the battery directly. Grid tie inverters are different - and are best suited connected to the solar panels directly rather than a battery via a load connection.
Hi Adam. Excellent reviews! I have purchased the 30a controller for our rv. I was thinking of placing it in the living area of the rv so that I can easily monitor the info on the screen, or would be better to locate it in the basement compartment, where it would be closer to the battery bank. What do you think? Thx, Rick.
+Rick Lemon They are best placed close to the battery, but I doubt in and RV anywhere is going to be miles away. The other option is to buy the MT50 screen that way you can control and monitor the tracer in the RV and still have the controller next to your battery.
Hello, i have one stupid question. I wanted to buy four panels which are working on 48v and producing 260w nominal, imp is 5,38. So my question which mppt i should use? I have ordered epever 50amp but isn't it to strong? I mean maybe i could save some money?
grate stuff Adam i bought this after watching your video i have a question if i have a few bad days camping in caravan can i hook up my car to battery and charge without damaging controller or should i disconnect controller first
Thanks Lee. No, there isn't any need to disconnect the charge controller. I'm guessing your caravan will be a 12 volt system and these controllers are good all the way up to 30 volts on the battery side. If your car starts producing a voltage that high loads of other things will break before the solar controller! Even if some sun hits the panel while you're charging from the car the solar charge controller will throttle the solar panel back so to not over charge your leisure battery.
Hi Adam,
Just found your channel and your videos are quite informative! Keep up the good work! If I might make a suggestion though, it would be to see if you can change the white balance setting on your camera to be fixed rather than auto. You can really see the change when you bring your hands into the frame at the beginning of this video. Keep up the good work!
Thank you. Yes - I'm trying to improve that. Sorry if it was distracting.
Thanks for the review and info! I just ordered a 1210A version from ebay for 3,75£! It's going to be interesting what i get, a brick? Or some clone?
As a hobby project i was thinking of bulding a small solar setup in the shed.
During the day it would charge my 24v robo-lawnmover and during the night my 12v led outdoor lights.
Should i go with a 24v battery setup or 12v? I'm thinking two 12v batteries in series then i can get 24v tapping both and 12v just tapping one battery.
Do you think this will work?
+Nash.A Chiller Wow £3.75! Bargain of the century if it works out for you. 24v is probably sensible but you’ll need a panel (or panels in series) to ensure your input is higher than that.
Taking a 12v feed from just one battery will result in an imbalance which could lead to one battery being over charged. I’d go for a dc2dc converter across the 24v. I did a video on a few of the options and their efficiency. ua-cam.com/video/dZHuj3R-g9A/v-deo.html
Thanks for your input! Gotcha about the imbalance, i was thinking about that, maybe better going with a converter as you suggest.
I'm gonna check out the video, thanks again!
Great video, my 2210a was working great for 2 years until it took a hi voltage hit, I think lightning. It fried d12 (diode ?) Every thing seems to work except it will not receive power from the cell. Any Idea what d12 is? I would like to replace it to see if I can get the controller working, thanks
Thanks for the video Adam!! Couple of questions if you don’t mind taking a look please?
- What parameters would you use with a 12v sealer lead acid battery? I seem to be getting to my over-charge limit of 14.4 far too easily yet my maximum charge is just 14.1?
- Also, do you know how you would set the load time to run during the day for example from 11am through to 3pm.
I also have the Bluetooth adaptor so can adjust setting easily via the app
Thanks for your help
Is the output voltage of the load terminals of this charge controller regulated? That is, does this voltage fluctuates with the battery voltage? What is its nominal value? Is there any significant ripple? It would be awesome if you could provide the shape of output voltage using and oscilloscope :D
The output is not regulated. It is the same as the battery voltage.
@@AdamWelchUK Thank you!
I like my 30 amp version. I basically have it maxed out. I can't put anymore 150 watt. panels in series on it. I have 4 150w 2s 2p. and can get about 22+ amps out of it. it's my first. so I have nothing to compare it to. I seen on amazon. that it said the tracer AN is upgraded version of the A. by the pic. it looked the same. do you know anything about this? I'm using mine on lead t105's for now. but I have over 100a in lithium I need to incorporate. and eventually use the lead bank for more of a backup use. when the lithium is getting low. I hope to double the cell count in my lithium bank soon. great ol video..
I like the "make sky blue" Chinese " mppt 60 amp. It produces max solar panel output in good weather. More than max sometimes, by 5 or 10%.
I have installed this regulator but I have two questions
1) The regulator has turned off the load for no apparent reason and requires rebooting. It wasn't too hot, the battery had plenty of charge and the load was less than 1 amp at the time. Why?
2) we've had problems with our 12 volt TV freezing especially when running the inbuilt DVD player. Do I need a separate voltage regulator?
I hope you can test it as the solar panel condition! the weather sometime is good, the voltage is at 17V, sometime it is at 12V! also the current is changing depend on the sun! so you can tell when the voltage is low, how the MPPT can boost up the voltage tothe battery needs! this may needs a variable DC power supply.
You may have covered this question in another video, but what if you have two power sources. Like solar panels and a small windmill. How would you connect them to the controller?
I bought the 40 amp version. Worked great for one day. Second day, full sun, showing 20v from panels, but showing my batteries at 13.8v. Problem is testing batteries with multi-meter shows 8.6v. Controller's display is showing .1 amps going to the batteries. Why does controller think the batteries are charged and delivering no current to charge them when they are testing low? Not a bad multi-meter because my inverter is faulting because the batteries don't have enough juice.
Awesome. What is the long life span of this controller? (how often I have to buy a new one)
How long is a piece of string? I only run my 20 amp controller at about 10 amps. The components should last for many years and the build quality seems pretty good. If you stress the components then they won't last as long. Keep well within rating and keep the item cool and it should last for years and years.
Hi adam your vidoes are great ,i bought a 20A tracer model.to charge my one 12v,70 Ah lead acid battery with 2 pv of 150wattss ,36 mono crystalline cell,kindly suggest me which configuration of pv is best for battery series or parallel?
I bought this after seeing your video. good value. along with remote display. when you do a vid onthe mt50 look forthe spelling mistake. also temp offset is limited to +-9mV/2oC whereas most AGM specs so. far tell they require up to 30mV/1oC. not sure how important that is but do look for it.
The normal compensation value for lead acid is between 3 to 4mV per °C and cell (which is very much what you say with 30mV/10°C). So the adjustable range of +/-9mV/°C of the Tracer covers this easily. (I am pretty sure that the 20°C you specify is just the 'neutral point' of the compensation curve, which is normally set to 20°C or 25°C. Means that at 20°C there is no compensation done. ).
+Jörg Becker thanks for reply. that wasn't 10C. couldn't find it on mini KB. rechecked specs says
-30mV/°C. checked other batt brand specs for AGMs which give same spec. This is stated for cyclic use. for float use shows -20mV/°C. not sure if it's really big deal. just if I see something is available I use it.
Please recheck that! If a compensation of -30mV/°C is given, than this is very likely for the whole battery! If you have a12V battery with 6 cells, this means -5mV/°C per cell (seems ok for cyclic use, as you say the value for float use is -20mV than this is very near to the -3 to -4mv value I have given above). And as the Tracer is made for 12V and 24V batteries the compensation value is given per cell.
+Jörg Becker oh my... makes total sense. will adjust. thank you
Thanks for posting this great information. I am about to buy this controller (40A) version for 500w of solar panels for my rv and came across some info saying that this controller has a positive ground. Will that be a problem for my RV since it uses a negative ground?
+JYDOG Depends... If your solar panels are wired straight to the controller and not via any part of your RV chassis then I think you'll be ok on the charging side. If your wanting to run loads from the controller then you'll need to think carefully to ensure it doesn't cause an issue.
Ok, then I should be safe with this controller not using the the load side then. Thanks for the quick answer and great videos
.
Adam, nice review. Which one of the following do you recommend :
EPsolar Tracer 4215BN MPPT Solar Charge Controller Regulator or the EPSolar EPEver Tracer A Series and what's the difference? I have 220 watt panel, for a 12v system. Your recommendation would be appreciated... T H A N K S
The size of the heat sink worry's me, how much is the loss to thermal? Also, do I understand this correctly, that the controller can be turned off when there is no power coming in, so as to not drain the batteries? As someone new to all this I never thought it could be so complicated. Enjoy your video's immensely and I'm learning fast.
My unit temperature internally sits at around 8-10 degrees Celsius above ambient. All MPPT controllers create a bit of heat - they have a number of mosfets switching inside them quite rapidly to do the DC2DC conversions. Better to overspec the heatsink in my mind than under. Remember there is also no active cooling and these things are designed to be left in some fairly harsh environments working away.
You could switch off the controller (manually or via a relay and an additional circuit) once the solar power is no longer present, but then you will also loose the load and it's control options. In all honesty the charge controller doesn't pull much when it's not doing anything so very few people would bother I 'd suggest.
Thanks for the kind comments.
Excellent! Thank you
Hi, I watched your video last year after I purchased the same Epever Tracer. Mine was for solar charging in a travel trailer in the US. It's has worked well, but I got to wondering about the "LOAD" connect. I have run wires from my batteries to the power distribution center. Why not run wires from "LOAD" connectors on the Epever to the power distribution center? Your thoughts? Thanks
Hi Adam. I am new to your channel. I am also new to solar panel system. I watched several of your create your own 18650 battery pack video and wondering if i can use a MPPT solar system with balance battery feature to charge up the one single 20p 18650 battery (18650 Building Blocks - 12v Solar Shed) like on your video. My goal is to setup the solar system by my new shed and use it for in shed and out shed lighting. Nothing heavy at the moment. Eventually, add another set of recycle 20p, 18650 packs to the array to get more power to run out door shed light longer during night time. May i ask if you have a complete video showing how to setup a MPPT solar panel / charger system to a single 18650 battery pack? If so, i would like to review it and get some ideas what i can do. Also, do you have any newer MPPT solar charger system that you recommend for beginner? THank you in advance sir. :) Cheer!!!
Hi Jack. Sorry for the delay. I use a Tracer A series on my 7s20p lithium ion pack, but the EPEver tracer AN series isn’t also good. None of them will charge as low as 4 volts though if that’s what you mean by one single 20p battery. You’ll need to split the pack down to get either 3 or 4 cells in series. You’ll need to adjust the charging parameters though via an MT50 meter, a usb cable or one of the network solutions. I’ve covered most of them on my channel. I use a standard gel profile on my 7s pack but they need adjusting if you go for a twelve volt option. I’m afraid all this information is spread across various videos over the last few years. Cheers
@@AdamWelchUK No worries Adam. Thank you for you reply. My goal is to recycle my current 18650 batteries with a 12 volt solar panel system. I am still brainstorming this idea. I know it can be done but i don't know enough to implement it. I want to use load to power up my lights in the backyard at night for a few hours. I will check more of your videos and go from there. But if you are planning to redo a new solar panel charger system by using 18650 batteries, please let me know. :) THank you in advance and greatly appreciated your reply. Cheers!!! Take care.
Great video. If the input voltage is 11v at 10a (110 watts) and the battery is at 12.0v then, will it boost the voltage to deliver 110 watts to the battery?
No - boost MPPT controllers a rare. 99% of MPPT solar charge controllers use Buck, the solar voltage must be higher than the battery.
Thank you for the information. Maybe, I should buy 2 CC/CV boost converters at 6 amps each and wire it up in parallel before the PWM charge controller to extract the 110 watts.
If you need a controller that boosts solar panel voltage to a higher battery voltage (24 volt battery system or above) try looking at this: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575189419&toolid=10001&campid=5337903455&customid=Boost+MPPT&icep_item=262363427085&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229508&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg It was recently reviewed by Julian Ilett.
I have a 12v battery bank :D
+Brian Dean Ah well, not for you then. Your panels are producing less than that then? Could you run them in series to get higher voltage then use a normal mppt charge controller?
Question for Adam: I've recently purchased a 30a unit and before I fit it to my motorhome, I need to consider the wiring. My motorhome already has a mains electric hookup which has 12v charging system connected to my leisure batteries. The alternator on the vehicle also charges the leisure batteries. Would I need to permanently disconnect the mains charger & Alternator charger from my leisure batteries before connecting the solar controller, Or can I connect all 3 charging systems to my leisure battery in parallel? Would there be back feed issues?
You should be able to safely attach all the systems together. If the alternator charges to a higher voltage than the solar, the panels won’t supply any current but the charger won’t be harmed - it can handle a 24v system after all. All of the chargers should be protected for reverse current.
i have 2 trogen 6 volts connected for 12 volt bank. long story short they have sat for a yr with no charge to them a currently read 5.38 volts. i ordered a mttp controller and a 100 watt panel .not yet installed but after research i dont think the controller will recognise the low volt batteries to start charging them.can i hook the panel straight to the bank to bring up the voltage to then add the controller to finish the charging?........will this work ?.how long do you expect it would take to bring up the voltage to maybe 11.6
+bob woerner Hi, yes that's an option if your controller refuses to charge - but you might find it does. I'd attach the panel across both batteries and not individual ones to keep the panel closer to its operating voltage. How long will it take? Those trojans are pretty hefty batteries - you're just going to need to keep an eye on them - once they reach 6v each you'll define toy be able to use your controller.
hi good video one question i have been told by several people they are no good , they said to buy a Vicron smart solar controller instead what do you think
I know Victron are well regarded, but I have no experience of them. I have extensive experience of EPever, and they’ve been great for me. You pay your money, you take your choice. Good luck!
@@AdamWelchUK Thank you i like the Epever so going to go with them will a 30 Amp mppt suit my 300watt fixed panel and my 200 watt folding panel when i pull up at camp i have a 100ah AGM battery i run a waeco fridge and a few solar lights
@@Farmer2492 with 500 watts of solar that translates to 41 amps if you’re battery is at 12 volts. So you’re over the rated output of the 30 amp model. It’ll actually cope with that, but will throttle the charge to 30amps. If you got the 40 amp model it’d charge at the full capability in full sun.
@@AdamWelchUK Hi i will be only using one panel at a time folding when i set camp up and the fixed one will be when i am driving
Adam,
have you tried to run the Tracer A controllers at a lower baud rate? I own three controllers that I can monitor from a distant location using MODBUS RTU. The problem is that I have other devices running at a lower baud rate. I have tried to use the Solar Station Monitor Software to change the baud rate using DeviceComParameterForm => Update and receive a "Operation Failed" error. Are the Device Com Registers accessible? With my RTU software I have the capability to Read/Write registers. I assume certain parameters are protected to keep people from loosing communication.
Any information is appreciated.
Your channel is very educational. Thank you...
Hi Adam,
thanks for the really useful video. Can you say readings the screen cant give that the MP50 can or vice versa. In particular, can the builtin screen tell you what current you are drawing from the battery at anyone time. Also, can you explain what the load thing is, I didnt quite get what this is. Many thanks, Jamie
Hi Jamie.
The MT50 meter is fully compatible with the Tracer A series - and in my opinion shows the information in a slightly better format than the inbuilt screen. The inbuilt screen is useful but the info rotates on a carousel so you have to wait for it to come round, but you can press a button to speed that up. Check out page 14 of the manual for all the info shown on screen... admw.uk/iM
The load output is simply a connection to the battery - so it isn't regulated to 12 volts for example. However its useful for two main reasons - firstly you can control that output automatically, either when your battery is very low it can switch it off, or it can turn the load out on for a time after dark or before dawn. You can also turn the load output on and off manually on the charge controller itself or via the PC software or app if you use a USB cable or some other way to connect to it.
So the built in screen will show you the current draw of the load output, but if you connect something directly to the battery (an inverter for example) it won't be able to show those stats.
Hope that helps
We have had a lot of cloudy days i guess i should hold off and check max watts over a month.I probably will add 1 more panel on each side of the roof maybe 2 on each side .I guess i could replace my 30 amp controller and use 2 40 amp controllers do you think that would handle it.I have seen on some charge controllers it does not matter how many watts of panels you have the controller will limit the output to the rated amps of the controller.I have not seen this info on this controller.THANKS
what about the voltage? I mean, in the case like the one above... it's rated 20A & a maximum of 260W at 12v. what if the charging voltage of the battery is 14.8v? Will it still input 20A at such volt? Bringing it to 296w?!
+Sammy Kalintosh Remember that at 14.8v your batteries are full. Therefore the charge controller isn't doing mppt anymore and instead uses pwm. At that point it's not using the maximum power point of your solar panels and the current will have reduced to very little. Lead acid batteries simply won't accept much current when they are at such a high voltage.
+Adam Welch thanks for the info. one more question; I was thinking of getting the Victron 75/15 charge controller rated at 15A & 200W for 12v to power my 12V battery from 250W solar panel. Budget comes into play here. Considering that I won't get all 250W, will I be under sizing & , possibly, jeopardizing my charge controller? Or is that, actually, enough?
+Sammy Kalintosh You may get the full 250watts if your battery is low and you've got good sun. I wouldn't recommend exceeding the maximum rating of any charge controller - you're likely to have problems. Although I have no experience of the victron so perhaps a reviewer of that product may be able to help further.
+Adam Welch thanks. I get quite good sun and for long hours: Coast of Kenya. I, probably, should just import the Epever. The victron I was talking about can be bought locally. That's why I wanted it. Anyway, thanks so much man.
Thanks for the video much appreciated. I do have a question if you have the time. What does the positive ground mean to the controller and is the negative ground safer?
The EPEver is common positive which means it switches in the negative side of the circuit. Many charge controllers do this because it's a bit easier and therefore generally cheaper. Ground is just a reference to earth and could be on the positive side or negative side with no ill effects. The only thing is that you need to be aware of which your charge controller uses so you don't wire it up wrong. For example a car or RV will probably use the chassis as common negative. So you couldn't use that to connect your panel negative to - it would effectively bypass the charge controller.
Hi Adam, I've been binge watching your solar charge controller videos for a couple of day, they're great !! One thing i can't seem to find an answer on is this, I have a 20ah 3s lithium ion powerstation that i purchased from amazon. It can be charged at 15v and up to 5 amps as it can with a dc power adapter for charging at home. There is overcharge/overcurrrent, etc. protection built in. How would you go about charging this device with a 100 watt Solar panel (i ordered one) which has peak 18v and 5.5 amp output ? I know i would need a charge controller, but what would it tell the charge controller to do ? Is there a constant current option on MPPT charge controllers where i can specify the exact volt and amp output ? Do you think a 100watt solar panel with the specs i described be enough to charge this battery pack in a reasonable amount of time ? Just can't seem to figure out how I'm going to charge this pack exactly, any input you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and keep up the great work !
This is the lithium power station www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018GE8JPY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I've had a look at the amazon listing - and looked at the solar panel it suggests to charge this device. Both suggest they'll work to around 18v. The listing also points out that there is overcharge protection.
If you connect a solar panel straight to a battery the panels voltage will be dragged down to that of the battery - or just above actually. So it might be possible to just connect the panel directly to your unit - there clearly is some charging circuitry in there.
You might find you can't connect a solar charge controller to the solar input - it may have a diode on it to ensure the battery can't feed the solar panel. That would stop most solar charge controllers from working properly - they might not power up at all, or they can't work out what voltage the battery is at.
So first job is to see if the solar input, is also an output. Can you place a multimeter across that input and see a significant voltage? If you can it may be worth looking for a solar charge controller that will let you set a battery voltage target around 15v leaving the internal circuitry to do the rest. If you can't see a voltage on that input then most charge controllers won't work.
The other thing to test is the voltage output of the AC/DC converter. It states 15v but it might actually produce a higher voltage when it isn't loaded - much the same as your solar panel.
If you don't fancy connecting the solar panel straight to the unit without any protection I guess you could drop the voltage a little across a series of diodes or something - but I'm struggling to come up with a commercial charge controller or module that is going to fit the bill here.
Thank you so much for looking into this for me. I really appreciate it. Coincidentally, I plugged in a 2.1mm dc jack that usually lights up when it sees power, into the charge port. The adpater didn't light up, so i believe that there is no current flowing out of the charge port. I will conduct a more conclusive test with a meter tonight but i'm pretty sure i will see the same result. In a way I am glad you are struggling to find a charge controller that fits the bill as I've been feverishly looking for almost a week now and haven't found one either. Last night i connected a 200watt hot air gun to the inverter and it ran fine. I ran it for about 10 minutes and lost about 20 percent of the battery capacity in that time. On yet another note, the dc output of this device puts out 12.6 volts when the unit is completely charged and is always live(whether i turn the unit on or off). This makes me believe that the dc ports are wired to the output of the BMS on the battery. I wonder if i can charge through this dc output port as well. Also, I'm tempted to open this thing up and seeing if there is a way to bypass whatever is blocking the the battery from flowing current on the charge side as well and perhaps charge the batteries directly from a mppt lithium charge controller. I suppose depending on what i find in there i may have to add some kind of extra protection as well . Either way it looks like I have a lot of homework to do. Thanks for your feedback once again. I will let you know how it goes with all of this.
Hello Adam,
there seems to be something wrong with the software to read out from a distance via WiFi .
it used to work perfectly but I cant get it working now and the update it is all in chinees nowadays.
Perhaps you can give it some time to investigate it?
Great Details in your Vids, love it.
How many wattage solar panel we can connect on this and does it support current up to 40 amps or 30 amps..?? kindly reply my thanks is already reserved for you
That model number suggests its a 20amp mppt. Yet we all saw 2x25 amp fuses. So technically could someone pump 50 volts through it?
I assume by 'could pump 50 volts through it' you mean could pump 50 amps through it? Well no, not really...
There is some head room however the microcontroller will limit it to 21.6 amps (I think, as I did the maths using the values stated in the manual). You can connect about 780 watts of solar up to these controllers, but it will take the panels out of their maximum power point to reduce the current going into the batteries - never exceeding the correct rating for the controller. That's my conclusion anyway.
It's quite a clever idea in a way. You can attach more solar than it is rated for - useful in the winter when you've generally got little current coming in, but when the sun does shine it doesn't blow your controller. Seems a little wasteful in the summer though.
Hi there, thanks for the vid! I'm getting a 330W solar panel and a 12v battery for my camper van, so what model mppt do I need? 10a, 20a or 30a? Would really appreciate some advice. Cheers
The manual suggests you'll need the 30 amp model. Quick bit of maths... a battery sat at 12 volts could be charged at 27.5 amps at full tilt on a 330 watt panel. 330/12=27.5
Aha! I thought so, just needed a clarifying answer! You wouldn't believe how long I've been searching for this info! Cheers
One other quick a, What type f battery does it suggest? Ie. Gel. Cheers
It has preset charging settings for Gel, Flooded and Sealed. Or if you get (or make) the USB cable, use the MT50 or eBox products you can adjust all the charging parameters to your liking. The manual is available here... admw.uk/iL
Hi Adam, Its me again. I hooked up my new Tracer 1210 A and everything seems to be going good with one small detail. There is no charging status showing coming from my PV array. Ho do I get this active in a step by step procedure???
+Thomas Ferko Odd. It would be hard to diagnose the issue with such little info, but let's say you had one panel - it's positive needs connecting to the positive solar connection. The negative to the negative. As long as your panel has sun and is producing a voltage more than your battery everything should work. If you use more than one panel then it comes down to either parallel or series wiring. Can you test your panel with a multimeter? If it's producing decent voltage then it's probably OK. I guess it could be a faulty unit but check everything else before assuming that.
I just ordered one of these expecting to run at least a couple thousand watts of PV off of it. Now that I am reading the manual, I am seeing that the 4210A will only handle 520 watts at 12V or 1040 watts at 24V. I have a whole bunch of 310 watt panels. So I won't be able to connect more than 2 at a time on this? That makes no sense. If I connect 2 at 12V, it will be putting out 620 watts. If I plug in 4 panels, I'll have 1240 watts. Is this going to cook the device in full sun? I was hoping to run eight 310 watt panels on this device and didn't want to spend $600+ on a Midnite Solar box to do it.
+GMoney The charge controller output is limited to the models maximum current. So a 40 amp controller can charge a 12 volt battery at a maximum of 40 amps (actually a tad over). That's about 480 watts.
Thing is it's unlikely your battery will be at 12 volts on peak sun. At 14 volts you're looking at about 560 watts - but then again you're probably not wanting to charge at 40 amps at that voltage.
Now you can attach larger arrays to the controller and on a good day the charge controller will limit the output to 40 amps but this has the advantage of a large surface area when the sun isn't at its strongest.
Sadly if you were after a controller that had a 40 amp input limit (and due to MPPT an even larger output) - this isn't really the right one.
I have two Duracell 100 Ah batteries. Do you think if I run 4 of those panels on it, putting each pair in series, that it will hurt anything? On the backing it says: 310 watts, vmp 37.1, imp 8.39, Voc 45.7, Isc 8.90. I have a whole bunch of these panels sitting in my garage waiting to be connected.
Just installed a 4210A model for 12V batt sys and 280 wp solar panel
Great videos, Adam! - Thanks so much. Quick question: If you don't use an external meter or some form of software... what features do you miss out on if you just use the cheesy screen on the unit? I don't have the MT-50 meter yet, and I was unable to get the wi-fi module to do much on my mac... If just use the screen on the unit and those two buttons, would the default config be ok for a single battery and 2 small panels? Is the external display / config actually worth it, or are they just more bells / whistles?
+Ben Thanks for the kind words.
Ultimately the software, wifi unit and MT50 do two things. They allow you to see what is going on in more depth than the in built screen and they allow you to customise the 'user' battery settings. The user settings are useful if you have an odd setup or want to stray from the norm.
With the screen attached you can change the battery settings from flooded, sealed or AGM. Flooded charges to the highest level, sealed in the middle and AGM the lowest level. Hope that helps.
Hi there, I have this same model and am looking at adding another panel to my array, by adding another panel, it would bring the total panels up to 290w (this controller is rated at 260w, 12v sys) and a total of 15.6amp (9.1a on the 190w panel and 6.4a on the 100w panel)
I see that this controller has a particular feature "Ability to connect a larger array. The controller has the ability to restrict the charging current."
Does this mean that I could still use this controller and it just restrict the total panel output to 260w as rated and I just wouldn't get the full use of the panels?
Or, would it run a fire risk and melt down with an extra 30w of panels? Any info on how this larger panel array feature works would really help. Thanks.
You’ve correctly identified a neat little feature of these controllers. Yes you can over spec your array however the charge current to your battery bank will never exceed the rated current for the model (it does actually, but only by one amp).
I think the best part of this is that you can achieve more current in the winter without having to reconfigure in the summer.
@@AdamWelchUK Thanks Adam, Do you know what I need to look out for to avoid blowing the controller or damaging the system? The Panels I mentioned in my first comment is what I'm looking at, and I notice that the controller is Rated to 20amp, but the combined total of the panels I think is around 15amp. I'm a little worried as I know that in New Zealand the sun can be really harsh (big hole in the ozone) during the summer months and I've seen some panels totally crank it in the summer.
@@joemcenteer2688 I haven’t been able to test this I’m afraid. I don’t have the solar I need to over rate my array with my controller (an in northern England we don’t reply get the sun) but I have heard that others have successfully done this. You’re over specking by less than 15%. My gut says it’ll be fine because EPEver claim it will go far higher. The controller will place your panels in a less efficient range when they are producing a too high current to reduce that output. In reality it’s just another calculation in the algorithm. Create as much as possible until you hit this limit, then throttle back to maintain that limit.
@@AdamWelchUK thanks, good advice, I'm thinking about putting a 12v fan heater or something similar on the light bulb port of the controller, my theory is any excess would be burned off pretty quickly by this. My gut says the same as yours as the over spec is so little, plus I've got an issue with part of the panels shaded by the roof bars and luggage box of the camper, so all things considered, it will probably work out fine and a nice balance. Thanks for your input mate
@@AdamWelchUK I've successfully overspec the solar array without any issue, yay!
Now I'm trying to set the load mode timer to run the fridge only during the day time but I can't seem to understand the modes, the manual is saying "load on for 1 after after sunset" and timer 2 "load in for 1 hour before sunrise" but when I set it to this its not on when the sun is up, its pretty confusing, is that to say that the load is only on during that 1 hour and then off again? Any ideas what I should set it to to make it only on during the day? Cheers
I will buy the 100A version and i will make a test with it. I want to see what is inside that one. I will let you know how it works
Adam, I noticed on your MT50 you can press the left arrow and your battery charge mode came up, it said boost mode in your video. My meter does nothing when I press the left arrow. I've changed my parameters using all buttons and it works great, except I'm missing that screen. Any suggestions?
I have just upgraded to this controller, my system works but I don’t understand why I am not getting an Amp readout in the display on either the Battery or PV amp readout. Have you any ideas?
I would like to use one of these to charge a small battery storage system. While at the same time run a small micro inverter to power the base loads of the house. If i put this and the inverter in paralel with the solar output, I'm thinking it'll reduce the output of both but would they both work?
hi, i'm wondering if I need to make a splitter for my battery to load, or if I can connect the load to the mppt directly given my load requires high current. how much current can be pulled through the mppt if the load is connected at the load ports?
I have the same and my load max is 20 ish amps 12v no probs.. I think it's limited at the amp rating (40) but not sure. My 12v 230 ac is connected directly to batteries.
@@robinhood4640 yeah the limit is 10A for me
Adam, what are the details of the switches etc you used in your control panel?
I am about to setup my system and would like to know what you may have used
I await your valued advice - Craig
For switches I used these... goo.gl/mWTHvr Make sure to stay within their rating and fuse them appropriately (if you haven't already it might be worth checking my video about fuses and breakers).
thanks
Hi Adam , great video , is this charger not suitable for AGM Batteries then
+Karen Mallinder AGM if set it to Gel. If you get one of the optional extras such as the MT50, eBox Wifi/BLE or the USB cable (of which I've also done videos), you can adjust the charging parameters as much as you like. I've just upgraded my battery bank to AGM and it's running on this charge controller.
Thanks Adam , you know your stuff :-)
what parameters did you change for AGM?
+Karen Mallinder I'm set at 14.4 boost and 13.8 float. It's probably the maximum for AGM
Adam Welch have you seen any higher amp lithium MPPT controllers? Been thinking of switching to lithium, but it has to handle at least a 160w panel (preferably double that). All I've seen are utility units which aren't sold to DIY folks like us.
Hey!By any chance do you have the Solar Monitor software installation kit saved somewhere? I'm looking for an older version, I got the feeling the latest one v1.91 is not responding so well.Thanks!
Interesting - I've not had any issues with 1.91 but I might have some older ones which I've downloaded. Do you want to email me and I can share them with you? You can find my email address in the about section of my channel.
its not assuming the 25 degrees, it says in its specs that in absence of the sensor it sets itself on 25 degrees.
HI Adam, excellent video. I just purchased one of these for my truck camper,
Brian, Boston, Ma
Thank you Brian. Hope it works out well for you.
Hi Adam,
Great videos. Pleasantly entertaining and informative all the same.
I'm looking for a charge controller for 2x150w poly-c panels to go on a motorhome. The EPEver Tracer A series seems to be the number one choice in my price range. I have a couple of questions though if you don't mind.
A) On an idyllic sunny day with an EPEver MPPT controller should I expect something close to 300watts out of the two panels on a flat roof (shade dependant of course), or would I see considerably less than that?
I understand panels are rated under standard test conditions' irradiance but not sure how that relates to a British summers day.
The reason I ask is that if I shouldn't expect 300w out of 300wp in ideal conditions then I might go for the 260W/20A Tracer for (mainly) the cost saving and to keep the controllers load closer to it's optimum. However I don't want to be throwing away those extra amps too often.
B) How much heat do you find the Tracer A generates, and in your experience would it manage to keep cool with an ambient temperature in the high 20's on a warm day? I figure not to mount it in a cupboard but even so I'm not sure I can guarantee regular breezes passing over it.
Just another thing, browsing eBay I came across this. It has a RS232 port but uses something called Solar Eagle software. Have you any experience?
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Y-SOLAR-100V-20A-Solar-Charge-Controller-MPPT-12-24V-Back-light-Controller-LCD-/222381620970?hash=item33c6fa3eea:g:1yYAAOSwx2dYIwop
Thanks for the kind comments. It's worth looking at my update video about this charge controller to get a full sense of my thoughts about it - ua-cam.com/video/YowgBCl1F1I/v-deo.html
I'll try to answer your specific questions though...
A - A perfect day for this setup is in the middle of the day and the middle of the summer, perhaps with a light breeze helping to cool your panels. Your panels are not shaded and they are clean. Assuming you've got a well depleted battery or you are pulling a fair bit of current from it then you will probably see the full 300 watts. You might even see a touch more. But remember days like that not terrible frequent here. However on those days it's likely that a pleasant morning of sun has already charged your battery a good deal. The main purpose of a charge controller is to prevent overcharge. So if your batteries are nearly full, the charge controller will effectively waste the potential power to prevent damage to your batteries.
If you put your two 150w panels in series - increasing the voltage but reducing the current - then the 20 amp tracer will deal with that fine. If you're using this system in the winter though my tip would be to pop the two panels into parallel to increase the low voltage current coming in - and raise up the angle of your panels if you possibly can.
B - Heat hasn't been an issue for me with the tracer. I have two 100w panels in series going into my tracer - so at peak that's about 8.5 amps coming in. The tracer will adjust the DC2DC conversion so the output to the battery is 20 amps (21.5 actually I think) maximum. Now in reality my battery bank isn't that big and not often heavily discharged - so the current is generally a lot lower. So heat hasn't been an issue for me.
C - Nope - I've seen them on ebay but that is all I'm afraid. Not sure those little screen captures of the software give much away either. It seems more expensive that the tracer which has a lot more customers (I'd guess) so I'm not sure it'd be for me that one.
Thanks for the reply. I have watched several of your videos, all recommended.
Good point about the batteries having taken considerable charge by noon on a good day. I think the 20Amp looks like the way to go on the budget.
I was planning on two panels in series, could you explain the reasoning behind wiring them in parallel in winter?
+Sebastian Wilde Yeah if you look at my update video on this controller you'll find on bad winter days the panels are connected straight to the batteries. When the voltage is dragged down to this level you'll get a better charge when you run panels in parallel because you'll effectively get twice the current. Cheers
Oh I see. Yes because the voltage would be much the same either way. Good thinking
Hello Adam, what do I connect the load terminals to, dc to ac inverter ? fuse block ? I have the 2210 tracer And I am trying to keep an eye on whats going out of controller thanks.
Hi Adam thanks for great work and very informative videos.i have Remote temperature sensor for this model of controller.kindly tell me how and where to attach or install the remote temperature sensor with my flooded lead acid single 12v battery?
+Saqib Javid If you've bought the official one it should just plug in near the solar input. I've placed the temperature probe in between my two sealed lead acid batteries, but if you've only one I guess you could tape it to one side.
Thanks for your kind comments.
I saw some settings on the manual and maybe I can get the epever to turn the load on only when it's taking in a solar charge. Would hate to have it running throughout the night. I have a fridge running on a inverter which is connected to the batteries. Probably would kill my batteries over night.
+Eric Serrano I've not seen this option. The timers two timers are based on sunrise and sunset but they are both on when it's dark. The low voltage disconnect parameter might be your saviour here. It's adjustable in user battery mode.
in reguards to the epever tracer 1206AN, would it be possible to link up a 36v 200w 5.5A solar panel and have it convert to a 12v 450ah battery system? im confused at all the jargan of open circut this and that in the user manual.
heres the workshop manual for that particular model @t
I understand this controller can be viewed by 486 port to a android but i can't get it to work. can you help?
Awesome vid, isn't agm classed as a sealed battery not a gel
It all comes down to which profile on the Tracer matches best with your batteries datasheet at the end of the day.
Hello. A question if I may: can I use the EPEVER 2210AN with a solar panel of 280W, 31.38V, 8.93 A. In the PV specs it also says: 39.12V in open circuit and short circuit curent of 9.45A. I'm interested in charging a gel baterry 12V, 90Ah. Is the controller able to transform the Volts from PV to 12V of the battery? Thanks.
Yes it is. It may limit the charge current though if your panel is in good sun and your battery is low to stay within the 20amp limit.
Adam, I have some REC 220 Watt Panels, the Open Circuit Voltage is 36.6, and the Max Power Volts is 28.7, can I use this MPPT Charge Controller the 30/40A version .... ?
+BWWGL9 Yes. This charge controller will work at those voltages quite happily. You can put two panels in series if you like too.
hello Adam Welch.
i got a general question. i have the 30amp version.
my question. if i have a 12v systeem can i go max 380watt?
and if i upgrade the batery to 24v can i go to 760watt?
and then put a step down converter back to my 12v fridge?
so doing 24v you can get 2 times the wattage? is this correct? or wil it not be able to put that much wattage out?
sorry for my bad english.
thanks :)
+ben grobben The manual explains how much solar power you can connect to each version of the controller but I think it's a bit misleading.
According to the manual you can put a max of 390w at 12v or 780w at 24 volts. Now looking at the maths P=IV so I=P/V. But 390w/12 is actually 32.5 amps and 780/24 is also 32.5 amps and that's because it's referring I believe to 12 volt panels and 24 volt panels that are really 17 or 18 volt panels and 35 or 38 volt panels.
So for me my 100watt panels have a maximum power point of 100 watts, 5.56 amps at 18 volts. I use a twenty watt version, so for me four panels in parallel would take me over 20 amps.
So that's a long way round of suggesting that you could calculate your maximum by doing the maths. Just don't exceed your amp rating.
Remember that panels in series - the current stays the same and you increase the voltage. Panels in parallel you add the current and the voltage stays the same.
Hopefully that has helped?
hello, i understand the maths. but i just thougt that going for the 24v you can almost double your solar panels and then conect a step down converter to 12v at your 24v battery.. that way you still get 30amps but then at 24v. so that is 60amp at 12v.
so you can buy a 10amp version and go 24v. it wil be the same as 20amp 12 right?
that way you dont have to buy a 20amp solar charger. its just my way of cutting the cost of the whole solar system.
is this true what i am saying?
+ben grobben I guess you can look at it like that. Finding a decent DC to DC converter that can deliver 20 amps, and has a high efficiency and a low price might be tricky.
i think with this you can. and its not exspensive.
www.ebay.com/itm/24V-to-12V-STEP-DOWN-DC-DC-CONVERTER-VOLTAGE-REGULATOR-30A-20A-10A-5A-3A-1-5A-/322032625464?var=&hash=item4afaa3e738:m:mwUAN1AcxnFL77PRQOWL68Q
keep up the good reviews, have something to ask. do these controllers have a on how big the battery bank is? many thanks
Hello Adam
Ive had a few problems regarding these epever controllers ive had two fail, the first one blew both fuses after only 2hrs work at less than 500w input and wont accept any dc input as it just shorts out and the second (replacement) stopped mppt tracking today on day 5 ,lost power to the lcd screen and the usb connection but still seems to charge in pwm mode? but at around 50w--100w max only with very good sunlight.
My setup is:
2x 250w panels (in series 60v)
epever tracer mppt 30a
300ah 24v lead acid battery bank
I also noticed that the volts dropped off from round 59v to 29v (losing its mppt function?) while boost charging during middle of day(batteries at 65%) according to data logger and that was around the time the lcd and usb dongle stopped working too.
ive opened the charger up and nothing looks or smells burnt.
So my real question is ,is there a known fault with these 30a models ive never shorted out the setup while installing and never overloaded it and its never reached anything hotter than 33deg c.
I have friends that use the 40amp version with no problems.
Hey, Carlospicywiener
I am afraid I am on the same boat as you.
I had THREE 4210a models fail on me!!!
My system is as follows:-
Three 150watt panels connected in series giving me approx. 60volts.
One 12 v150ah battery.
The first 4210a unit I bought was made in 2016/5 which is indicated on the serial number, it blew out as I heard a "pop" sound and I went to look and the screen was blank.
I went to the retailer I bought it from and they wouldn't refund me my money, so I contacted Epsolar and told them the situation and they contacted the retailer and told them to take in my broken one for an analysis, then the retailer gave me one to use until mine gets fixed which they said had the exact same problem as me and they fixed it!!
So I took it home it worked for a day then the next day at noon approximately 11:45pm I heard the same pop sound from it and sadly it blew like my old one.....
I contacted Epsolar they said that it turns out the two I had were "bad batches" they came this conclusion from my broken one they told the retailer to test the mosfets with a multimeter and they found out that it's a bad batch. They told the engineer to replace the mosfets and replace the two 35 amps fuses and it started to work again, however they told me to disconnect one panel so that the voltage remains under 60 as these bad batches can't handle over 60volts.
Nevertheless the MPPT's manual clearly indicates that the controller can handle voltages from the panel upto 92v.
So then the company Epsolar told me that they will get me a replacement ASAP with a new batch which can also handle my three panels upto 92volts, so two months later it arrived from China and this batch was made in 2016/11 which was a relief to see.
Sadly it worked for two days (it was cloudy) then on the third day which was sunny I looked over to the MPPT and saw a blank screen.
It's the weekend now Epsolar told me to wait until Monday to resolve the issue, I will be making an update on this frustrating problem here.
Hi yusuf sorry to hear your problem also ,i suspected a bad batch from a certain manufacturer myself even after the seller accused me of incorrect setup. Im now on my 3rd epever controller (and the last if it fails) but this one is from another trader on ebay and all seems to be working fine,ive also noticed this new controller is running a LOT cooler than my previous other units with the same current.
I look forward to hearing how you get on.
+Carlospicywiener thanks for this.. my 30a charger quite working and just doesn't charge... it's actually draining my batteries with the load turned off.
Hello Adam, thank you for this video, it was most helpful in branching my understanding of these devices. I have an interesting project that I've been working on and I wanted to share with you my progress. I recently purchased on ebay, 7, 2 volt, 2180Ah industrial AGM batteries, wired in series, 12v battery system and 1 spare battery. I also purchased 2, EPever 40A Models and they both have 2, 235watt pv panels. I figured I need a lot more of these but could you advise on precautions I should take when I wire them to the batteries? Also, do you know if the EPever controllers communicate with each other when connected in parallel? This is in reference to the desktop software.
+parkypark84 Sadly they won't communicate but as long as they are setup for the same charging voltages and profile they should work pretty well in tandem.
I would recommend a fuse and/or DC breaker in between your batteries and your controller. Although they are internally used this is really a last line of defence. Suitably rated external protection is a must.
The manual states you should connect the battery to the controller first - then the load and finally the solar. Other than those two things it should be fairly straight forward.
adam we are having problems getting the Light to turn on/off which is in the manual under setting 100 why cant we get it to set....is this a backlight on the display
Can I buy this to charge a 3s lithium ion 18650 pack? I would mainly be concerned with setting terminal charge voltage to 12.6 rather than the 14+ for lead acid. If not, can you please recommend a fairly inexpensive option for me? It would be for a 10a or 20a controller. Great videos, thank you!
+Dimitris Zarmakoupis You can but you’ll also need a RS485 cable so that you can program the charging parameters to suit your 3s pack. You can make one yourself for about $2 or buy the official one for $5. I did a video about making your own cable and connecting the software.
Adam Welch thanks! I will check it out.
Hi....sorry don't know where my previous post went too.....anyway further to our discussion.....yes this is the newer model despite being cheaper...If you go on Tracers Website you can age the downloads.....This is dated last year....The other is 2014.....
+tanyano9 Thanks for the input. Dates of the manuals & things - nice work.
Hi Adam. I bought the 1210A to run my portable camping/backup power box with a 100AH AGM battery. I have the solar (100w panel) and wall charging (32v 1.5A supply from an old printer) sorted but I want to be able to connect the box to my car to recharge it while Im driving. Being that I will be running it through the MPPT controller, can I just connect it directly or will the car battery/altenator push more than 10A into the controller? If so is there a simple way of limiting the current to 10A? Or will the MPPT only draw the current it needs to balance the input/output? Cheers, Cory.
I'd be looking at connecting your vehicle battery straight to your AGM either via a manual switch or a split charge relay so you can charge it on the move. I wouldn't place your vehicles battery to your solar input (if I'm understanding your idea correctly) to charge your AGM. With the batteries connected in parallel your controller wont see any of the current going through it, so it'll be fine. I've never done this myself so you might want to get some RV type people to confirm, however I think this is the best way.
Cool thanks mate. Im thinking now I might just get a bigger 225W 24v panel and mount it and the power box on my camper trailer so it will keep charging while on the move anyway.
Could you connect solar panels and a wind generator in 12 volt operation and use this EPEVER tracer 40 amp unit ???
Thanks for this. According to a review I saw on this Tracer, there is no setting for AGM batteries. Is it not advisable in this case? We have 6 AGMs in our bank
There is a Gel battery mode. However all the charging parameters are adjustable with either the USB cable and windows software, the MT50 remote meter, or the wifi or bluetooth dongles. So you can easily set it up how your battery manufacturer would advise you to.
AGM and flooded batteries are reportedly the same setting for charging - according to the documentation I had with the Xantrex charger inverter we run on our boat.
I got the 20a, and woundering why the battery indicator shows only one or two level. But the battery is totally full, charged by ctec. Battery is a Varta 180Ah new! Please let me hear your optinon. best regards
Yes - check out my Tracer A after nine months video. The SOC meter is a bit odd.
@@AdamWelchUK nothing to care about then?
I tend to ignore it. Unless it is actively being charged the meter never shows full. 2/5th is typical when their is no sun and you’ve got any kind of load on.
@@AdamWelchUK okej. 2 of 5, when full loaded?
@@AdamWelchUK Yeah, this day it shows 5/5... with out charger on... maybe its atempt to be full now ;) peakpower full ;)
I have just got myself a mttp controller but not getting any amp or wattage showing. so it looks like i have to remove the solar panel from the roof of my van and check the diode
Adam what about a battery balancer? Test some battery balancer (victron) or some other cheaper please
I’m using the diyBMS v3 on my lithium ion pack. It works very well. I’ve made videos. Still need to build version 4 to see all the improvements.
Hello,
first of all great your channel I watched everything.
Among the MPPT Charge Controller you have tested, which is the most suitable (a ranking of the three best) for: a battery 100ah agm, a solar panel 100 / 120w for a motorhome.
Exuse my English thank you google.
thanks for your reading.