New Solar Controller

[dapope]

Hi, all.

T.I.Terry - the shunt was wired back to front, and yes, I should have written 30amps charge.
I'm hoping that charging via the Projecta when possible will give the batteries a good 14.4amp rev, and the PL40 will be updated to Program 4 when time permits. Has anyone had 14.4 on their controller using solar only?

You can program the controller to put out 16v if you want, so 14.4 is a piece of cake for it

[BernieQ2]

My AGM' battery is at 14.4 by 9.30 each day Shonky and only on solar I don't have a battery charger in the bus, the fridge is the only thing running at present.
Also no charge from bus engine haven't even started bus in the last 6 weeks. Not that that would do any good any way as the bus is 24Volt and the house is 12Volt.
I have 600watts of solar on the roof.
Bernie.

[shonky]

Hi, all.

BernieQ - how much does the fridge draw overnight?

[BernieQ2]

Don't know Shonky? its a 190 Lt 2 door. Book says 5 amp when running but they have been known to fib a bit .
It doesn't run as often as the 90 Lt we had in the Civilian .
I think people get to tied up in their solar and battery use. I just let it happen.
Bernie.

[shonky]

Hi, all.

Does anyone know the maximum amount of current the PL40 will allow from a battery charger? Currently I have the "dumb" 40amp charger hooked up which will only supply a max of 30amps which I believe is due to the controller's preset limit. At the same time the PL40 has indicated up to 15amps from the solar panels, giving a total observed of 45amps. I also have my Enerdrive VSR connected straight to the batteries, and, while I'm not sure how much it supplies, would the charge be limited to the same 30amps, should I run it through the PL40?

[dapope]

I got 40. 1 out of my pl40 before it went and moderated itself to allow maximum throughput of 40a
I would bung dumb charger direct to batteries. Once you are near full, shut it off and let solar finish off.
I will check my manuals, but I dont think the amps is adjustable down. edit, nothing obvious in my manual

[T1 Terry]

If you are only charging lead acid batteries then just connect any chargers through the shunt to the battery, not via the solar input. The Plasmatronics range can be set to reduce the max current that passes through the solar input to the batteries, but it can't limit what is coming through the shunt, only measure it.
The problem with your charger is probably cable size and poor quality clamps, these will cause high resistance so the battery charger will think the voltage is higher at the battery than it really is, so less current will go to the battery. Fit larger diameter cables and good quality clamps or terminals to the lead and you should see the full 40 amps at the shunt going into the battery.

[shonky]

Hi, all.

Been fiddling around with cables while Mrs shonky was in Singapore, and I'm finally set up to have the dumb charger direct to the batteries, and it's reading on my new you beaut clamp meter 48amps.

The Projecta 25amp charger, while showing 25amps at it's monitor but not more than 20amps on the PL40, diminishing as the batteries (4*125amp AGM's) are charging up. The fridge,inverter and the Apple iMac are connected at the shunt and while the Projecta is running it stops displaying any load. Not so with the solar input.

Had a lot of fun wiring up the Projecta - first I disconnected the block connector on the lead direct to the battery with heavier cable to the Projecta aka P25 and came up with an error message indicating the wire was wrong. OK, then ripped out the old cable to the battery, and connected that from the block to the PL40. Sorry, wrong wire again. This was when the bad language started. Called up Projecta, and was told that I could order a new cable, with heat sensor, via any Projecta outlet. Then I called up the company that installed the P25 and was told they didn't have that cable in stock. Finally went to the installers and asked how it was possible that they had the right cable then, but not now. I pulled out a scrap of the original cable that was going to the batteries, and then, lo and behold, a Kiwi staff member turned up to assist. He explained that to extend the sensor cable one had to strip back the original cable, and the sheath for the internal wire, coil up the inner or sensor wire then connecter it to another cable which was modified the same way. Yes, but this sample cable hasn't got an internal wire sensor. The blood pressure was escalating as we spoke. So he came out to the bus, and asked if the original cable going to the connector block had been disconnected.Yes, for a moment, then put straight back in. Aha, he says, and stripped out a short length of the inner wire, twisted the outer cable around it, and connected it up in one minute. All done.

The batteries are now receiving around 65amps and all is well. One hour ago there were 4amps coming off the roof and the charging voltage was 12.3v. Now it's the magic 14.4, with 18amps from the P25, 5 amps off the roof and the rest from the dumb charger, which is programmed to rev up and down as an audible alarm once the batteries are full.

The moral is ASK A KIWI!