Bought one of these, solar controller (1 Viewer)

[chaser]

bought one f these off eBay
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=201367945263&globalID=EBAY-GB
Don't know anything about them apart from the description, but fixed it in today and connected it to both battery's and it certainly charges them up , just hope it doesn't run them down as quick tonight
At the moment would recommend it but will let you know later if it keeps it up.
German so should be better than the Chinese ones, we,ll see.

 

[rosalan]

On the surface, it looks as if it does a similar job to Eddy VanBits Battery master, except it does not appear to prioritise the van battery. When touring the UK where sunlight is not so strong and I am not using a hook-up, it would be good to know that I can always start up the van after a few days parked.

 

[stcyr]

€11.98 on ebay.de

and they're excellent.

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[denisejoe]

What is the total wattage of panels can they take

 

[DBK]

Looking at the technical description, which describes "switch on" and "switch off" voltages I think it is what I would call a shunt controller.
It will do the job, it was what my van had fitted originally, but it won't get the maximum power you could get from your solar panel. For that you need an MPPT type controller which sadly tend to cost around £80+.

 

[chaser]

Yes I have found them cheaper since ordering it, but still cheaper than the Chinese controller, I just had the single controller on the jab battery before but always had loads more charge than I needed so the idea of this was to include the van battery to take up the spare and keep it all charged up, and don't know if this is right or not , but started the van a couple of times and put the inverter on in the van and it said they were both fully charged in about half an hour and the voltage dial in the van said over thirteen volts on both.
Please don't think I am pushing these, just letting you know what I have done, and hope it works ok.

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[chaser]

Just been and had a look, the controller says they are still fully charged and the dials are both showing just under 13 volts, and that's without sun, by the way, someone asked, I have 2 100 s solar panels, with a fifteen amp fuse, and five amp fuses in both battery lines.

 

[stcyr]

 

[chaser]

..?

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[chaser]

Looking at the technical description, which describes "switch on" and "switch off" voltages I think it is what I would call a shunt controller.
It will do the job, it was what my van had fitted originally, but it won't get the maximum power you could get from your solar panel. For that you need an MPPT type controller which sadly tend to cost around £80+.

Well first day experience, where the original one kept going on and off all the time even though the battery's showed full this one just stays off showing battery's full and just very occasionaly kicking in, but obviously the battery's are full as nothing is useing anything but I put the tv on for half an hour and it started up switched tv off and it went off within ten minutes , seems to work perfect but we will have to see on a prolonged break.

 

[musson]

I fitted at victron controller after a friend had fitted on to his MH they work very well in low light conditions cost 75 pounds but worth it

 

[stcyr]

..?

Didn't work

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[vectian]

I bought the package from Maplins 2 or 3 years ago and it included a similar controller. Never had any problems with it and only time I've managed to flatten the leisure battery was New Years eve when I left the exterior light on all night and half the morning after staggering back into the van.

 

[chaser]

I bought the package from Maplins 2 or 3 years ago and it included a similar controller. Never had any problems with it and only time I've managed to flatten the leisure battery was New Years eve when I left the exterior light on all night and half the morning after staggering back into the van.

Yes at the moment it seems to be working fine, battery's are charged just as they were with the old one, why I got it in the first place , I was looking for a b to b thing to use the surplus charging to keep the van battery topped up, now I know b to bs do more than this by chargeing the hab battery off the alternater but that wasn't my problem, when I saw this thing that does roughly the same but half the money.
We shall see at a later date

 

[chaser]

Update on this controller, brilliant unlike the one I had before it only comes on when the batterys need it, whereas the one before was always showing 13.8 or more which couldn't have been doing the batterys any good and then dropping as soon as you used anything where this one shows 12.5 nearly all the time whether useing the battery power or not, well happy with it ,hookups are a thing of the past. And hopefully it's keeping the van battery charged as well, which apparently is doing at the moment.

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