Cheap MPPT 40A Solar Charge Controller from BougeRV - Install and Test

[@LoveYourRV]

*Update* Recently had a chance to torture test this controller under extreme heat conditions. Here is the video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3jHdHSVmpihjMk See my other BougerRV product reviews on the LYRV website - www.loveyourrv.com/?s=bougeRV

[@miguelsalami]

First review of this model where I actually got to see it installed & working. Very nice unit for the $ Whoever manufactures it rebrands it under various names & models ranging from 30 to 50 amps with Bluetooth features with the app.

[@LoveYourRV]

I still have it and has been running 24/7 for 3 years now, no problems. It's manufactured by SRNE www.srnesolar.com/productdetail/Mppt-Solar-Charge-Controller-MC24v.html

[@yelworb]

We got to run around Arizona in January and February for the first time, our solar made it so nice by not having to run the generator, and not having to worry about hookups. Thank you for the inspiration by sharing your adventures. Hopefully we can get back to normal by next winter

[@TracksideNW]

Thank you for posting the link to the MPPT user manual. I couldn’t find it online or on BougeRV’s site.

[@jimbertrand2499]

Excellent review Ray. I often wonder about some of the cheaper units advertised...

[@willlockler9433]

Thanks. I was curious about this thing. Good price for a 40 amp mppt. Hope it continues to work out.

[@darrellwampler6473]

Wow you have that Bogart in service quite a while now👍

[@LoveYourRV]

Yeah, they are pretty simple little controllers and run quite cool, so not much to go wrong, great for a small system.

[@dennisbesler2448]

Looks promising so far ray.

[@PentaxLife]

Looks good Ray more charge controller never can hurt You always need more power.

[@mikeq5664]

Nice review Ray, I'm looking to get a budget solar system (don't have one now) we usually go to campgrounds but looking to boondock a bit more... this might be a good option. Thanks !

[@bigj2345]

It'll be interesting to see what the long term durability of this unit is. I have a Morningstar PWM controller but I'm only running 200w of solar to four 6v Trojan batteries. It keeps them topped off but we mainly camp in the desert southwest and clouds aren't really a concern. That Bouge RV controller is about half of what I paid for my Morningstar.

[@LoveYourRV]

Yeah, will have to see how it goes. Morningstar are very high quality often used in commercial applications.

[@billdennis2993]

Hello Ray thx for your informative review. I have been using one of these with 380w of solar 2 Samlex 100w pnls and 1 Bouge 180w for about 1 month and have seen 24amps charge going to my bank of FLA Trojans T105s. I like you have done a fair amount of effort to utilize the User defined Bat mode but could never get the product support to verify the schedule for equalization so I defaulted back to the Fla battery config even though it does not match the T105+ recomended settings. Also had trouble getting accurate temp sensor spec from Product Support so I'm using my Samlex sensor from my PWM 30 amp this one replaced and hopefully it will adjust for high ambient conditions I camp in. Maybe in your communication with them you'll have better luck than I did. FWIW I was told that SRNE model unfortunately has alot of features that aren't supported in unit marketed by Bouge even though they appear identical. I got the feeling Bouge Product Support was limited in knowledge of operation of their unit especially when I asked about type of remote temp sensor i.e. resistive or self generating (thermocouple) and voltage charge reduction values for temp increase. Your pumping alot more power thru your system so anxious to hear your long term reporting. Stay Healthy and hope to see you both out and about once the Covid 19 border restrictions reduce.

[@LoveYourRV]

Hello Bill I have found a Canada website that sells the temp sensor - azimuthsolar.ca/product/srne-temperature-sensor-for-mppt-solar-controller-mc-series/ they also sell the Bluetooth dongle so you can see stuff on a phone azimuthsolar.ca/product/srne-bt-2/ but I will likely buy it from overseas as much cheaper funny enough shipping is cheaper from overseas versus my same province. :) www.aliexpress.com/item/33029331284.html?spm=2114.12057483.0.0.128f2ed3Ze3Zq9 also looks like there are temp sensors there too - www.aliexpress.com/item/4000068249045.html

[@elixoid]

I had the same result with BougeRV support regarding the temp sensor. I am running SLA so I do want and need temp compensation. I would appreciate knowing if your sensor worked.

[@latergator3367]

It Equalizeses, so it will get the stamp of approval from all the Karen’s. Thanks for your solid and honest reviews. We trust you.

[@geebonzo]

It's really hard to know where to go on the low end for a 24v LFP controller. It's nice that they throw in the meter. Looks pretty good, really.

[@georgewheeler3731]

Sounds Good, keep us updated,

[@LoveYourRV]

Will do!

[@MichelPoirier-Mipo]

Interesting and reading from the description it is mentioned weather resistant. Could be an interesting option to replace the PWW controler on my 200W Renogy Eclipse portable kit.

[@LoveYourRV]

Its not great with only an IP32 rating "Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical" but could easily be improved I bet with a little silicone rubber on the seams and tape across the wire screws.

[@MichelPoirier-Mipo]

@@LoveYourRV Just read the PWM Voyager is IP67, but could get by as the controller is on the back of the panels and when in use they are always angled at around 45 degrees. But just saw the Renogy Rovers are also IP67. Not sure why, was under the impression they were not waterproof.

[@avelezusmc7929]

It looks promising

[@patcellucci3431]

Looks similar to a Renogy . Display and manual look almost identical.

[@OmahaWayne]

Thanks Ray, just starting to research solar for our full time rv retirement in a couple years. Not going crazy not going to be boondocking a lot. without taking up to much of your time would you say start with a 12 or 24 volt system.

[@LoveYourRV]

Personally I would stick with a 12V system starting out, keeps things simple and cheaper, then if a person really gets into off grid RVing and decides to invest in a more powerful advanced system could look into 24V. There are some wire size advantages to using 24V but also some hoops to overcome meshing it into the 12V RV DC circuits. On a smaller system I don't think its worth the hassle.

[@OmahaWayne]

@@LoveYourRV thank you friend

[@fortwaltonbeach]

Hi Ray, i noted in video the unit showed battery @ 100% but was charging @ 42amps....will this overcharge battery or what have you noticed about battery level indicator. I noticed on a review that it gets the battery levels all wrong, its just one review so maybe just a defective one? I was putting in an order on amazon and added from your store to my cart but wanted to double check that. I will be using lifepo4. Thx

[@LoveYourRV]

Yeah, the battery level indicator is pretty well useless for lithium. It has no way to know the battery capacity and how much amperage is going in and out so it's guessing based on voltage and lithium is much higher than lead-acid and has a very narrow range between say 75% full and 100%. The meter may be somewhat useful for lead acid but not for lithium. To get an accurate state of charge of the lithium bank you'll need to use a dedicated battery monitor with a shunt or have lithium batteries with a Bluetooth app that can show the state of charge of the cells. So far this cheap MPPT is performing well but we haven't had much hot weather yet. I'll be interested to see how it performs when ambient temps are around 30C. Cheers, Ray

[@JoelWelter]

Thanks Ray!

[@spudmaster8280]

Eh Ray I think I might have to buy ya a beer when I get up to Campbell lol I have been looking at the renogy 100 watt suitcase with a 20 amp controller. It's like 250 or whatever . What do you think ??? My guru

[@LoveYourRV]

Cool. :) I've had good luck with Renogy, I now have 7 of their 100W panels. www.loveyourrv.com/boondocking-power-upgrade-200-watts-wiring-update-mods/ My first kit was a Renogy 200W back in Dec 2014 and those panels are still working great - www.loveyourrv.com/installing-renogy-200w-solar-kit-rv/ I also recently bought their DC-DC charger - www.loveyourrv.com/renogy-40-amp-dc-dc-charger-installation-and-demo/ So overall I think Renogy stuff is a pretty good bang for the buck. Cheers, Ray

[@dirtroadsailing6418]

I'm not sure if that controller is programmable or not, but I just bought 4 Lion batteries and they recommended I set the controller voltages to 13.9 for bulk, absorption and float. Apparently they regulate the incoming voltage down to 13.9 anyway so I guess that any higher than that might just make more heat (just guessing).

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes, it is fully customizable and also has a preset just for lithium batteries set to 14.4V which is about what most lithium specific chargers use some even use 14.6V The lithium specific chargers don't use float, bulk or absorption like a lead acid charger does, so they just charge with a constant voltage and let the battery management system deal with the regulating the charge to the battery. Back when I installed my Lion UT batteries their engineer recommended I custom set my Bogart controller to 14.4V. That's the same as Battle Born prefers. Maybe Lion has changed the BMS used in the newer batteries or is trying to extend the lifespan by not recommending they be charged to the point the BMS cuts off. I had a look at the online manual for the UT1300 and it just says max charging voltage 14.6V and *What are the charge settings I should use for the Safari UT 1300?* We recommend a lithium charger. You can use a lead acid charger. If the lead acid charger is programmable, use the Lithium setting if it has one. If it doesn’t, set the Bulk to 14.6V with no time limit and the absorption, float and equalize to 0 or off. If these have to be set to something, then set all to 14.6V. If the lead acid charger can’t be programmed, it will still charge the UT 1300 up to approx. 13.6V and 80% capacity. If you put the UT 1300 in 24V series, we recommend charging at 27.8V. For a series in 36V, 41.7V and for a 48V in series, 55.6V.

[@dirtroadsailing6418]

@@LoveYourRV I think one of Lion's deficiencies is the lack of consistency on the charging profile that the recommend. I think to make it easy on themselves they just stick with what people have for chargers and more than not they will work just fine. If my batteries last more than 10 years I will have scored a win and probably won't be travelling anymore either.

[@LoveYourRV]

Yeah, I don't see the point of babying LIFePO batteries to save a little lifespan, even at the 3500 cycles they warrantee them until, the battery will still likely have up to 80% capacity left, and like you say 10 years is a long time. :)

[@skipro3]

This controller doesn't have the load tied through it, only the solar panel and the battery. This is not good. IF the battery voltage drops too low, the load won't be shed and save the battery from an over discharge. I highly recommend getting a controller that has the load wired though the controller as well as the battery and solar so that a Low Voltage Cut-off can be used. Another person mentioned this in an earlier comment, but I don't think you understood what he was questioning. Not only will a controller trip the load if the battery voltage drops too low, it will also provide you with a readout of what the load current is. So, if the solar, is providing, say 20amps of power, you can see what your load is at that time as well. If the load is greater than 20 amps, then the battery is draining but if the load was lower than 20 amps, the battery would be charging. Hope that makes sense to you.

[@LoveYourRV]

Loads encountered in a typical RV are often above 100 amps or even more. For solar controllers of this size, the load outputs are for running small wattage things like lights, etc at night. Not for powering DC loads of the typical RV running slide, awning, power jack motors, etc and that is utilizing an inverter for providing off-grid AC power. A battery monitor or the inverter will alarm if the battery bank is getting too low or a low voltage cutoff switch could be installed.

[@skipro3]

@@LoveYourRV I've seen most all of the high end controllers include the load through the controller. They stipulate the inverter be connected direct to the battery, all other DC loads through the controller. Inverters will trip on low voltage input by their design and don't need to be in the controller's circuitry. The controller you are reviewing here has no business belonging in an RV that routinely runs at 100amps or more.

[@LoveYourRV]

This is an RV channel so my content is aimed at that audience. I've seen a ton of RV solar system installations and I can't say I've seen anyone use load terminals to power the RVs DC loads. Most aren't using controllers that even have load terminals since they don't use them. Doing as you say might be practical for small vans or truck campers systems. But, most larger RVs like have, 30 foot trailer, use a 60 amp circuit to power the various DC loads other than the inverter. You don't want to be running that through the solar controller. You want that feed straight off the battery bank. Most solar controllers load outputs are max 20 amps, not enough to run DC motors in a typical RV. I can't even imagine the cost of a solar controller that has a 60 amp max load output. Like I said RVers usually have a battery monitor (Example: amzn.to/3H5f9uf )that alarms if the battery voltage get too low or install a Battery protect switch if worried about it (Example: Victron BatteryProtect 12/24V-100A amzn.to/3aBDSKk ) Also, nowadays most RV off grid systems are using lithium LiFEPO4 type batteries (Example: lionenergy.com/products/lion-safari-ut-1300 ) and they have their own BMS (Battery Management System) It automatically shuts off discharging if voltage get to low. Finally, most RV OEMs install a 45-70 amp converter charger on the DC line from the batteries to the DC distribution panel for the RV. If I tell people to use the solar controller load output to power that DC feed. The next time they plug into shore power that AC to DC charger will be trying to feed power backwards into the solar controller load terminals. so now their batteries won't charge. Cheers, Ray

[@joepah51]

I own this controller, with the HQST brand name. Works fine, but don’t expect the custom user settings to work as shown in the Manual. Won’t charge the batteries past 15.6 volts

[@LoveYourRV]

Interesting since I have lithium I'd never need to set for that high of voltage. I assume you are trying to do an equalization on some lead-acid type. Where did you measure the voltage? At the controller output terminals or at the battery? If you are charging a 12V lead-acid at that high of voltage it's going to produce a lot of amperage so voltage drop on the wiring between the controller and battery bank may start to be a concern.

[@joepah51]

@@LoveYourRV I have a 4S Li Ion 2kWh battery pack I made from medical pack batteries.. Full charge is 16.8 volts.. Manual says USER MPPT battery setting can be adjusted to 17 volts, but nothing I do will charge the batteries past 15.6-7. I measure the voltage at the battery bank output... Tried cheating a little and relocated the MPPT battery leads to the inverter input, which is the lowest voltage in the circuit. All I really want is 16 volts, the high voltage limit on my inverter before it wails!... This is not a problem for most users.

[@LoveYourRV]

Sounds like an abnormal use case for these solar controllers. Maybe try asking SRNE www.srnesolar.com/contact-us They are the manufacturer of these controllers.

[@glenschumannGlensWorkshop]

Thanks!

[@diysolaradventures7894]

Hello Ray I'm having a confusing issue with my panels amp output current at Pmax Imp say 8.69A then when look down further on the spec sheet on back it also say maximum electrical rating fuse current 15A my solar charge controller is pulling in 18.70 amps on one panel alone so witch actual amp rating is the panel ??

[@gordonwearsch2381]

Nice job Ray Have you ever built a diy combiner box? I want to have one for roof top panels and a ground panel Thanks

[@LoveYourRV]

No, I was a little weird and actually ended up combining mine inside one of my walls. www.loveyourrv.com/boondocking-power-upgrade-200-watts-wiring-update-mods/ Most people usually cobble then together from stuff found at hardware stores - Something like this - 2smoc9hdrhc9eko13nc-cdn.plushcontent.com/uploads/files/33/3m0nggcw564fayk9.jpg Cheers, Ray

[@hammertoe1767]

Ray, based on your review, I considered purchasing one on amazon.ca. However, I took some time to read the reviews and here is one in particular that caused me some concern: Product has no means of connecting or disconnecting output loads and therefore no way to protect the batteries from over discharge as indicated in the marketing. If the sun (charge coming in from the panels) is not sufficient to provide charging current in excess of the load current, the batteries will be drained dead. There are no load sensing output terminals capable of disconnecting the battery from the load/s. You know if this is true or not? If it happens to be true, it would be a dealbreaker.

[@LoveYourRV]

I'm not sure what you mean by load current as this model *doesn't* have solar load terminals just battery charging. My manual says it has night reverse charging protection and so does the manual that corresponds with the model number azimuthsolar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MC-SERIES-SRNE-MPPT-MANUAL-V1.01.pdf Tomorrow I could measure the current drain with the panels off if you'd like.

[@hammertoe1767]

@@LoveYourRV Hi, Ray thanks very much for the quick reply. (a) I REALLY had a ‘problem’ taking ‘the claim’ that the controller would ‘allow’ that to happen as per the Poster on Amazon claim. ‘Like’ - ‘I mean’ - that’s ‘so basic’ (basically) an absolutely mandatory Functional Requirement that I would’ve thought that - if true - it would’ve been discovered and fixed/there would’ve been an absolute flurry of complaints long ago. (b) thanks for the link to the PDF for the user manual - if it’s the same one (and it appears to be!) that you posted in the comments section above, I had already downloaded the user manual and read through it fairly carefully and “it looks to me like” the charge controller does in fact have that capability… Again - I simply can’t IMAGINE it would allow that to be possible! One particular problem in general with stuff/technologies/products like this lies in the area of ‘terminology’. FOR EXAMPLE: an awful lot of ‘jargon’/’terms’ seem to ‘pop up’ when you get into the nitty-gritty of trying to program/set all the parameters that you want for various voltage cutoffs and temperatures and so on and so forth, but these parameters are often referred to only in three or four words AND with no more detailed, follow-up explanations as to exactly what it ‘means’. I’m pretty darn technical and when I read some of these terms, it’s frequently not 100% clear to me EXACTLY what it means… For example - Fancy Terms like ‘Maximum Power Points Tracking’ is (my interpretation, anyway) simply a mechanism by which Excess Voltage over and above that necessary to ‘drive’ a charge into a battery IS CONVERTED TO CURRENT’. Anyway, not sure that’s the best way to say it’s distinctly but that’s the interpretation I use. ANYWAY, I KIND OF FIGURED I WOULD FIRE OFF AN EMAIL TO YOU BECAUSE I FIGURED IT SHOULD BE PRETTY EASY FOR YOU TO SIMPLY SNAP YOUR CLAMP METER OVER THE OUTPUT LINES FROM THE CONTROLLER TO THE BATTERIES WHILE THE CONTROLLER WAS STILL CONNECTED TO THE SOLAR PANELS BUT WERE PRODUCING NO POWER FOR EXAMPLE AT NIGHT AND SEE IF THERE WAS ANY ‘BACKFLOW’. I would be surprised if there was any. One other thing that was kind of interesting to me (actually two things) was the fact that reference was made to a Temperature Sensor which might be a neat accessory to have to use with the unit. I think the manual said that the unit will assume the temperature is 25°C if it doesn’t detect a sensor. It’s not exactly clear to me what use the controller might make of signals from the sensor when temperatures drop to freezing or below OR above 25°C? Would be interesting to know, I think. In addition, the manual seem to make reference to ‘Bluetooth (dongles)’ and PC software that presumably could connect to/through the dongle to the unit and supply various functionality and so I thought that would be an interesting area to know more about. Sometimes, being able to use PC software in a dongle can be very nice because of a better interface being available rather than having to step through all the functions on the display panel that comes with the unit. And further, it kind of makes you wonder if there might not be some Apple or - in my case Android app - that one could use to monitor and or set parameters on the controller (à la Victron for example). Anyway, don’t want cause you unnecessary work or anything but I figured - again - that it should be pretty easy to snap your clamp meter OVER ONE OF THE CABLES FROM THE CONTROLLER TO THE BATTERY WHILE STILL CONNECTED TO THE SOLAR PANELS AT A TIME WHEN THEY WERE NOT PRODUCING ANY POWER SUCH AS AT NIGHT. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD PERMIT attached solar panels to drain the battery, but - anything’s possible (in this crazy world we are in)!

[@hammertoe1767]

@@LoveYourRV Ray - a follow-up: BELOW is a comment from a Verified Purchaser on the BoogRV website. I have CAPITALIZED some parts which I thought were important: **************************************************** I have 2 units of the same kind (40A) from the same seller. One calibrated correctly another not so much. That not so much thinks that voltage is 14.2V when in reality it is 14.4V. This causes issues with properly finishing loading of the LiFePo4 bank (BMS steps in). The remote monitor is displaying battery capacity for LiFePo4 way off (like it shows 49% for depleted battery and 100% for little loaded one). THERE IS NO USER SETTING FOR THAT... Also there in no backlit for that remote I can find. So I rely on another monitor for battery capacity. MPPT is working but slow not sure this is due to the panels reactance time or internal logic. WHEN REACHING POWERS AROUND 300WATTS THE UNIT HEATS UP CLOSE TO 22C ABOVE AMBIENT. I think it needs cooling in hot climates and bigger powers. Super positive features is it will not get damaged when battery is disconnected (or connected after panels) and it will still output 14.4V even with no battery. Manual is well written and unit is very simple to understand. THE MODEL I GOT DID NOT HAVE LOAD DISCONNECT ON OVERLOAD OR DEPLETION OF THE BATTERY BUT IN REALITY THIS IS WHAT BMS IS FOR. The unit is relatively compact. I say ideal for small RV B class or van conversion with up to 4 panels (4 different models cover from 260W 12V battery bank till 1320W @ 24V battery bank). ****************************************** (I’m not exactly sure what the last point in caps ‘means’, Ray.)

[@LoveYourRV]

I tried my clamp on and it showed no signs of any significant backflow amperage, so little I couldn't get an accurate measurement, but somewhere in the 10s of milliamps range, I'd guess. As far as the battery capacity figures they going to be inaccurate, especially for lithium. I'm surprised they even try to list it on the screen. The controller has no way of measuring the input-output amps via a shunt or even knows the amp-hour capacity of the battery bank so it simply relies on the voltage measurement, always a very inaccurate way to determine the % charged. I use a separate Trimetric battery monitor system for that - www.bogartengineering.com/products/battery-monitor.html To add the battery temp sensor for better charging of lead-acid in cold weather I found this link - www.aliexpress.com/item/4000068249045.html To add the Bluetooth Dongle for the smartphone app I found this link - www.aliexpress.com/item/33029331284.html?spm=2114.12057483.0.0.128f2ed3Ze3Zq9 I think this is the app that connects - play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shuori.gfv2.guangfu&hl=en_US&gl=US Cheers, Ray

[@Dontfearthereaper001]

Stop using quotations.

[@spudmaster8280]

Ok this is the last time I will bug you . But we have the same trailer and you know TONS I been watching . But you guys been at it awhile and have a ton of vids . My question !!!! Does my hot water heater use 120 volt when my inverter is on? I thought I leave the switch on, and turn on LP. But does it switch when I turn on the inverter. Should I turn off w/h switch at panel ? Or turn of that off and on switch at the hot water heater . Because I'm on hook up now . But will be leaving soon and I don't want it to suck my bat dry . Thanks for your time.e ray

[@LoveYourRV]

The switch inside is for LP gas operation. Turn off the switch in the outside access, that is the electric switch or another way is to flip off the AC breaker for the water heater on the power panel. Happy camping. :)

[@spudmaster8280]

@@LoveYourRV thanks a ton . Im going to be ordering my solar stuff we will see when that gets here . I'm in a place called youbou it's down island I. On the like it's nice for now . We have cell signal but want to get a rooter or hub we can stream from our phones to TV to watch movies. We have a chromecast. Then that's about it . And hot water thing . Got it all ways now . We will only have phone signal to do this . Thanks Master Ray guru.

[@LoveYourRV]

Yup, I know where YouBou is, I lived in Victoria for 35 years, back in the old days I used to tent and van camp out there at Nixon Creek, Heather and Nitnat Lake. It was way out in the boonies back then.

[@spudmaster8280]

@@LoveYourRV cool I know where those places are now. Did you get my message about mifi or wifi on rogers data phone plan ?

[@LoveYourRV]

Sorry, I don't know much about the Canadian cell plans as I'm usually only here for 6 months a year they aren't worth it to me, I just use campground Wi-Fi and now Starlink. For a phone I use Freedom Mobile $99 a year for unlimited talk and text, if I need data I can buy 1G for 15$ for 30 days. In the USA I have often used Verizon pay as you go or ATT, both have pretty decent rural coverage.

[@spudmaster8280]

Sorry to bother you again Ray. But I watched another vid of yours . My wife and I have like 40gb with rogers. But we would like to get like a mifi or similar. We will be leaving wifi soon and like to watch Netflix and all that while we travel the island . We have unlimited after 40gb. We like to chromecast from our phones to TV. Any suggestions? I will also by my Amazon stuff through you as well . 😊

[@LoveYourRV]

My suggestion is to try to watch at the lowest resolution you can to stay in the 40 GB range because most plans that claim to be unlimited will throttle the speed dramatically after you pass the specified mark. Often it will still be fast if the tower you are connecting to isn't busy but if it's busy they will use network management to bump you down to a lower speed. Also beware that Vancouver Island only has good cell service along the east coast and southern tip, other than that it can get pretty bad due to the sparser population and mountainous terrain. www.telus.com/en/bc/mobility/network/coverage-map As an example we like to camp in Strathcona Provincial Park and there no zero cell coverage. Cheers, Ray

[@agnaldolost]

Display tem iluminação led?

[@LoveYourRV]

No, but you can buy an addon Bluetooth dongle and use smartphone app kzbin.info/www/bejne/ene7Y6Okoaenis0

[@marcvere5747]

I have a question on this controller or maybe solar in general. We have a factory installed 300W panel with this controller and the BT-2 monitor. The app is displaying 40v input, 0.15A current and Charge Power of 5-6W. Now that is cloudy or sunny, no difference. Why and what is going on? Any ideas? Thx

[@LoveYourRV]

Can't answer without doing tests as it could be a bad solar panel, bad wiring, connections or the solar controller itself is faulty or not set up right. The first thing I would do is a short circuit test on the solar panel input. So I would know that it and the wiring are good up until that point. It's easy using a clamp-on amp meter. Google short circuit "solar panel test" to see how.

[@TracksideNW]

Have you found any problems with the controller giving incorrect voltage and amps? This is the only issues I am hearing about this controller is that the amps and volt readings are incorrectly calibrated. Thanks.

[@LoveYourRV]

Seems pretty close to me when compared with my amp and voltmeters. Sometimes people don't know enough to include other things connected in the 12V circuits that may add and subtract from totals. I generally don't count on my solar controllers to be my battery system monitor. I have a separate battery monitor system with a shunt on the negative battery bank feed and use that instead. Cheers, Ray

[@TracksideNW]

@@LoveYourRV Thanks Ray I appreciate the quick reply.

[@LoveYourRV]

I'll be reviewing a different model soon. The company that makes these SRNE offered to send me out a similar model for review. The ML2440. www.srnesolar.com/product/mppt-solar-charge-controller-ml2430-40 Its a little bigger but same basically the same specs. It has the display built in. I'm planning to run the two together with separate solar arrays feeding them. Will test them over the upcoming winter boondockng season down south. I'll try and pay attention to their voltage and current readings and see how they compare to my other testing equipment.

[@bradleyjohnson452]

Wiring for the solar panels to the controller is a little sketchy

[@kevinward7498]

I've been using two of these for a few years. They get worked hard when I run a 6000 BTU air conditioner in the summer. They've been great until today, one of them was flashing all red in all three LED positions in a rhythmic 1 2 3 1 2 3...any idea what that means? I can't find anything in my little manual on this. I disconnected it, reset it, shook it, lol, hooked it back up, and it just goes back to flashing the red lights and isn't charging.

[@LoveYourRV]

Sorry, no I don't know. I'd contact SRNE and see if they can tell you www.srnesolar.com/contact-us Cheers, Ray

[@kevinward7498]

@@LoveYourRV Thanks

[@LoveYourRV]

No problem, let me know what they say about.

[@DennisWintjes2]

Thanks for sharing Ray! Like #257

[@diysolaradventures7894]

I don't understand why the amps is reading higher then what the spec sheet say on the back of the panel

[@LoveYourRV]

You must be miss testing something, maybe confusing volts with amps. The 15 amp fuse rating is actually for reverse current as a safety measure in case the panel was to short circuit and you had other panels feeding it.

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV oh ok I went back over everything and re wired the inverter now the amps are reading properly 👍

[@robertdettmann647]

Ray Could you please post the display panel manual . Location thanks

[@LoveYourRV]

www.srnesolar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/RM-6.pdf

[@bosshog1062]

If you drive will that bring more amps In?

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes, but due to the tow cable charge wire being so long from truck batteries to RV batteries and a rather thin gauge, not many amps flow, maybe 5-7. However, I have added a 40 amp DC-DC charger to boost the charge from my truck, here is are some install and demo videos on that upgrade www.loveyourrv.com/renogy-40-amp-dc-dc-charger-installation-and-demo/ Cheers, Ray

[@timb4299]

Will you rewire your panels in series to raise the voltage for the MPPT controller

[@LoveYourRV]

No, my wiring is already setup for completely parallel operation with large gauge wiring, I have 4GA coming down from the roof so not much losses in the wire. That way I don't need to worry about any shading issues and there is some redundancy in the system if say one panel quits. And my current 940W roof top array easily maxes out this 40A charger. The reason I like to have a ton of extra solar wattage is for the winter months when the sun angle is low and days short. A higher voltage may give me a little bit more power earlier in the day and at lower light levels. But, I don't see that as enough of an advantage to rewire. I also have the option to put out some ground panels if needed. Cheers, Ray

[@diysolaradventures7894]

Hello Ray I ended up getting a 12v 3000w inverter remember I have that same solar charge controller my question is my panels are 335w each 4 panels for a total of 1340w but my inverter is only a 12v can I simply hook it up power it up just like it sits I was running a 24v inverter long story now I only have a 12v

[@LoveYourRV]

The inverter in powered by the batteries so you'll need to have them wired as 12V to power a 12V inverter. Cheers, Ray

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV right I'ma wired them for 12v the most I'ma get out my panels is only 550w out of 1340w at 12v or will the 3000w inverter still give me more then 500w if needed?

[@LoveYourRV]

Inverter wattage has nothing to do with the solar wattage. The solar power only is one way to replenish power in the batteries. The batteries are what power the inverter, not the solar. The solar is only there to add power to the batteries. How much power you can get out of the batteries depends on their size, quality and the size, length and quality of the wires connecting the inverter to the batteries. A 3000W inverter can draw a heck of a lot of amperage if using it at its max wattage of 3000. 3000/12= 250 amps. So you'd need enough batteries to provide that amount of amperage and large enough gauge wires to transfer the amperage to the inverter. If not the battery voltage will drop and the inverter will shutdown or the wires will overheat.

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV oh ok thank you for clearing that up for me I have a better understanding now I will probably never use that much power no more then a 1000w at most

[@diysolaradventures7894]

Hi Ray this me Joe again I have question if ur battery power starts to fall off percentage wise from a 100% full like soon as I turn on something such as a small 25 watt fan should my batteries start dropping in power like that ain't batteries supposed to hold for a while before u start losing capacity ???

[@LoveYourRV]

If you are looking at the percentage readout on this solar controller that would be normal behavior since when the batteries are powering a load its normal for then to dip a bit in voltage and this controller is guessing the battery capacity based on voltage. A poor way to do it. The dip in voltage is much more with lead acid versus lithium type batteries. To gauge battery capacity in a much better way a sophisticated battery system monitor with a current shunt is required. If you had one of those you would see the battery percentage drop slowly as you use the power out of it.

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV ohh ok I guess I'ma order me a battery shunt and eventually some better batteries than these 35 amp hour batteries thanks

[@brianbailey462]

i backed out one of the terminal screws too far and for the life of me cannot get it back in to make it clamp down on the wire end..... anyone have any suggestion?

[@LoveYourRV]

If I remember right they are a little opposite of what you would assume. Like maybe the screws tighten the opposite way or the lug pulls up and clamps the wire instead of pushing down. Something like that. Maybe the best bet is to remove the plastic cover for a closer look at the terminals

[@brianbailey462]

@@LoveYourRV i got it half way dismantled haha.. but yes you were right the lug pulls up when you tighten the screw.. the lug is shaped like a C and the screw is in the upper half .. I was completely baffled last night in the dim light to how this set screw even made sense... thanks for your help and input!

[@11jhustle]

Can this controller handle 300 watts of solar panels?

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes, easily. It can handle a little over 500 watts for a 12V battery system and over 1000 for a 24V system. Cheers, Ray

[@diysolaradventures7894]

Hello Ray I turned my charge controller on for the first time today it's pulling in only 55 to 60 watts because of overcast if my lights running 147 Watts at 1.25 amps my 24 volt battery system 35 amp hour shouldn't drop in voltage fast should it and if I was pulling in a couple hundred Watts from the panels would that run the lights without the batteries??

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes, a couple hundred should be plenty to run the lights plus keep your batteries charged. You can use this calculator to see how many watt hours your batteries can put out. convert-formula.com/ah-wh If your using lead acid you can utilize 50% of total capacity, if they are lithium you can usually use 90% of capacity.

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV oh ok I have 2 Vmax 35ah deep cycle sealed AGM batteries right now it's say they at 77% does that mean 77% full or 77% discharged ??

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV because it started at 100% now I'm at 77% that's kinda fast I would think.

[@LoveYourRV]

Can't answer, you are not giving me enough info to make a guess. You have 420 watt hours of useable capacity so it depends on how many hours you have had them draining power and how many watts are being powered by them and how many watts are being charged back into them.

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV hello Ray do solar panels give more watts as needed like does more wattage come in from the panels when you plug bigger things in and reduce wattage output when things are turned off

[@diysolaradventures7894]

Im about to buy that same controller may i ask what awg gauge wire ur using coming from ur panels my panels total is 960w

[@LoveYourRV]

On the roof I have 10 and 8 gauge wiring. My panels are wired in parallel, 6 100W and 2 170W, then from the roof they are combined and 4 gauge wire down to the controller and 4 gauge from controller to battery bank. I had to snip some of the wire strands off at the ends to get it to fit into the controller, it is designed to accept 7 gauge max. Cheers, Ray

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV thank you for ur response im so excited getting into this solar adventure i cant wait til mines is up and running

[@diysolaradventures7894]

Hey Ray one quick question what's the highest amount of watts you've been able to draw into that particular charge controller ?

[@LoveYourRV]

I've seen it show in the low 500 watt range, it automatically limits the watts. Its max battery charging output is 40 amps. If you run a 24V battery system you can double the wattage. But a 12V system is limited to about 520W. See specs here azimuthsolar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MC-SERIES-SRNE-MPPT-MANUAL-V1.01.pdf

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV oh okay my inverter is a 24 volt inverter so I was going to use the solar charge controller in 24 volts you can't run 12 volts to the solar charger but leave your batteries as a 24 volt battery Bank can you ?

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV I meant run 24v to your inverter and 12 volts to the charge controller but I think that's odd I guess if the battery is 24 volts then it's 24 volts but yes I get 1040 Watts I didn't know if you was running a 24 volt system or 12 volt system when you was looking at the white rating

[@LoveYourRV]

You can have either a 24V battery/inverter system or a 12V system, its up to you. I have a 12V system since its in my RV and my OEM RV DC circuits use 12V and my current inverter is 12V so it keeps it simple for me. Otherwise I'd need to convert from 24V battery voltage down to 12V to power things. Some people do that but I haven't felt the need at this point.

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV oh ok

[@diysolaradventures7894]

Is there a way to set the absorption float etc on these controllers ?

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes, they have user customizable settings if desired here a manual www.srnesolar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/MPPT-Solar-Charge-Controller-ML2420-Instructions.pdf

[@diysolaradventures7894]

Do u have to manually set both the stop charge volts and the charging volts or is that automatic I can't figure out how to set the perimeters for my 24 volt 2 battery system

[@LoveYourRV]

Here is the manual - azimuthsolar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MC-SERIES-SRNE-MPPT-MANUAL-V1.01.pdf See page 16. You can use the preset battery options depending on your battery type or use the User option and set your own custom settings. They will be double for a 24V system. Cheers, Ray

[@diysolaradventures7894]

@@LoveYourRV so when it detects that a 24v battery is being used will the controller automatically set the perimeters for 24 volt system ?

[@LoveYourRV]

I don't have a 24V system to test on but that's how I read it. It should auto detect 24V battery bank but I do remember seeing a setting for 12 or 24 as well.

[@rm6857]

This controller is SRNE

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes, I noted that in the video kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZK7fH2Jr8dmZsU

[@rm6857]

@@LoveYourRV Well researched, i was just confirming, i know many people buying this mppt srne maybe even 10years ago.

[@LoveYourRV]

I have 3 SRNE chargers installed now. 2 different 40 amp MPPT solar controllers and the 50 amp MPPT DC-DC charger. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqTagXuQYtiFjrs All have worked well for me. :)

[@rm6857]

@@LoveYourRV yes, they have mostly good reviews

[@YDTKDaniel]

after 3 months, can you tell us if its still worth the money and if its working good?

[@LoveYourRV]

So far it has worked well for me. It was abnormally hot here about 3 weeks ago so gave me a great chance really torture test it - kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3jHdHSVmpihjMk Since then I've been intermittently letting my battery bank run down a couple of hundred amp hours and then switching the solar on and it recharges them the same day if sunny.

[@YDTKDaniel]

@@LoveYourRV TY!

[@aristidesroman435]

Did you was able to go on user mode??

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes

[@aristidesroman435]

@@LoveYourRV and did you add the data for litium baterry?? I'm has hard time to go in

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes, can set using the LCD display buttons or via a Bluetooth dongle and app - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ene7Y6Okoaenis0

[@aristidesroman435]

@@LoveYourRV last cuestión 😬 did I need to set for litium or just set the basic 12 v and litium and is ready ??

[@LoveYourRV]

It will work OK on basic 12V lead acid mode but will charge faster and more complete when set to lithium mode.

[@НиколаДимитров-с6ь]

How much max solar vmp we can us 🙂

[@LoveYourRV]

Manual says it can handle 12V or 24v panels. Likely around 36V VMP is the max

[@НиколаДимитров-с6ь]

My controller is the other model ml2440 solar vmp is 17-75 and open circuit 100v I'm afraid it will break if the panels add more current than 75 in my 2 panels in the morning it picks up 55 volts if I put a third panel will it become a problem😟help plss sory vad english im scared

[@НиколаДимитров-с6ь]

These panel stickers are fake it says 22 v. gives much more

[@louiseahrens5575]

Cranial cramp!!! LOL!

[@mtbrain1]

dude this isn't cheap is costs more than a victron 100v 30A MPPT with built in Bluetooth. this is an expensive controller.

[@LoveYourRV]

Dude this video is 3 years old and this is a 100V 40 amp, not 100V 30 amp, These days you can get one for $98 with Bluetooth