Looking at this Charge controller

[robert9999]

Any thoughts/reviews on this controller
https://www.amazon.com/Regulator-Con...=dradisplay-20

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by robert9999

Any thoughts/reviews on this controller
https://www.amazon.com/Regulator-Con...=dradisplay-20

I wish I cold help you on your decision, but I have no clue as to how good the SOLAR controller is, or how accurate the Amazon reviews are. Have you compared it to Renogy's 30Amp unit? Probably all that you will be able to rely on are the reviews, search the web for more Windy Nation reviews.

Good Luck,

Don

[Ela1948]

If you look around the web and youtube, Windy Nations solar panel are not usually regarded as being as efficient as Renogy. That doesn't mean that there controllers are better or worse then others. My personal position would be to go with a brand that's got more of a track record. Renogy is certainly better known and respected with a very reasonable price if you want a PWM controller.

[robert9999]

I like the Renogy panels but the reviews on the controllers seem a little weak

[klassic]

I don't know if this applies to the unit you're looking at, but I saw a YouTube electronics guy take apart one of those Chinese units and his conclusion was they are not good at all.

[robert9999]

Wow, good to know . I will keep searching

[Seann45]

I have been very happy with my Blue Sky Unit.. made in the USA and the price reflects that...

[Loboclone]

Originally Posted by robert9999

Any thoughts/reviews on this controller
https://www.amazon.com/Regulator-Con...=dradisplay-20

I went with a Zamp controller, I put up 3 of the high efficiency panels from Zamp and decided to stay with there controller also. Works great!

[Fire_Instructor]

I had a problem with my five year old MPPT controller from Rogue Technologies last month, after five years of flawless performance, and the owner had me ship it to him, He diagnosed it, repaired it (replaced a bad diode), updated the firmware, and sent it back to me. I asked him how much I owed, and he wrote it all off as "warranty". You wont find customer service like that with a lot of the companies out there!

I would HIGHLY recommend their products!!!
http://www.roguepowertech.com/produc...pt/mpt2024.htm

[JPBeck]

Solar Panel Regulator LCD 10 20 30 40A 12V 24V MPPT Charge Controller 3 Timer KJ | eBay

[JPBeck]

I went with this one -- it's the same as what Renogy sells as their "LED" controller. I'm happy with it. Works well-- I have a 160 watt on the roof pulling in 9amps. I only lose .5 at the battery. That's pretty good for a pulse controller. Adjustable LCD 60A 30A 12V 24V Solar Panel Battery Charge Controller Regulator | eBay





Not too big--

[JPBeck]

If you want a smoking deal on a good 160 watt US made, 25 year panel for about .90 a watt-- check this out. Adjustable LCD 60A 30A 12V 24V Solar Panel Battery Charge Controller Regulator | eBay I got mine in hand in 5 days. Great panel -- sturdy and delivers just under 9amps. Can't beat that.

[Subaru297]

Don't cheap out on the charge controller. Spend the money on something that is proven. If you want PWM then look at Trimetric....
SC-2030 Solar Charger — 30 Amps Max- 12 or 24V PWM type - Bogart Engineering

If you want to go with MPPT I would get Morningstar.

Or go cheap and add an extra panel to the roof to make up for what you are loosing in the charge controller.
Whatever you get make sure the charge voltages are user adjustable so that you can program it for your specific battery. Not just generic lead acid or AGM settings.

Cheers

[Mustang65]

As Subaru297 said x2. I went back and looked at a lot of the reviews for the SOLAR 30/30 and there are a lot of inconsistencies, yes even voltage issues. I would say that the voltage discrepancy is more than likely a software/firmware issue in the voltage/amp calculations.

If the controller is no longer under warranty, you could open it up and look for a POT (not that kind), it is a variable resistor that can be adjusted. Most voltage display units, especially the inexpensive ones have them designed into the circuit board. This is so that the Q/A (if they have one) can fine tune the voltage with a known voltage source, prior to shipping the unit.

Personally, I would invest in a good SOLAR charge controller, be it PWM or MPPT (of course I am partial to the MPPT controllers as PWM only uses 75% of the panels available wattage) and you will probably eliminate the voltage discrepancies. There is limited roof real-estate so I would go for more controller than adding panels to make up for the PWM losses.

How did you do the 22 panels at home. Did you go with Micro-inverters on each panel?

Have a GREAT EVENING!!!!

Don

[JPBeck]

Update on that charge controller I posted above. It stopped displaying amps (though it continued to charge the batteries), so I got a refund. I bought a Zamp 30 amp charge controller, it is definitely a better controller as it's a 5 stage charger. It is more simple to read (as there aren't any smiley faces), and when I had a question I called the manufacturer in Oregon and spoke to one of the engineers that designed it. I'm sorry for ever posting that controller. You definitely get what you pay for.


https://www.zampsolar.com/charge-controllers

[JPBeck]

Micro controllers at home

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by JPBeck

Micro controllers at home

Way too go!!!!!

Don