CBE 200 and solar kit

[Jim Jackson]

My van is fitted with a CBE 200 electrical kit which comprises of CBE 200 screen, DS 300 12v distribution box and a CBE 240v 16amp battery charger.
I have bought a 200W solar panel with a Epever MPPT controller.
The kit instructions say to wire direct to the leisure battery.
I noticed in the CBE DC 300 installation manual that there is an output and 20amp fuse for a solar regulator. Do I need to use this or wire straight to the leisure battery as in solar instructions.
I assume that if I need to use EHU 240v charger from time to time that this and the solar controller will look after themselves or do I only use them separately?
Thank you. Jim

 

[funflair]

Hi Jim

Straight to the batteries should be fine, if your CBE has any sort of display of amps going into the batteries from charging source then this will not display any solar you are getting so that could be an argument for going through the CBE, either way would be OK so which is closest to your solar?

Don't worry about about the 240v charger as when they are both working they will have a little punch up and decide which one is going to do all the work, they might even both contribute if you batteries are low enough but either way they sort it out.

Martin

 

[Jim Jackson]

Hi Martin
Thanks for your reply. As the leisure battery is a lot closer to the solar controller, straight to that it is.
Jim

 

[Pausim]

I have a suspicion, though I am not absolutely sure, that if the solar is connected to the CBE distribution unit it senses the voltage and activates the trickle charging of the engine battery when the leisure one is full. Perhaps not an issue for you. If anyone can confirm my suspicion I would be grateful.

 

[RioRob]

I noticed in the CBE DC 300 installation manual that there is an output and 20amp fuse for a solar regulator.

It's actually an Input from a solar regulator that is connected to the leisure battery +. So connecting directly to the battery is the same & probably better (with the correct fusing of course).

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[RioRob]

I have a suspicion, though I am not absolutely sure, that if the solar is connected to the CBE distribution unit it senses the voltage and activates the trickle charging of the engine battery when the leisure one is full. Perhaps not an issue for you. If anyone can confirm my suspicion I would be grateful.

I have the same system and the solar does not charge the engine battery when the leisure is full. It needs a B toB to do that. However, the engine battery is charged when on hookup by the CBE 516 charger.

 

[funflair]

Our CBE system has the solar direct to the batteries and the starter battery is charged via a CBE CSB2 which is a separate bit of kit to the standard control box I believe,

Martin

 

[Pausim]

I have the same system and the solar does not charge the engine battery when the leisure is full. It needs a B toB to do that. However, the engine battery is charged when on hookup by the CBE 516 charger.

I think there are other methods than a BtoB but I have yet to find a way to connect my BtoB safely into the CBE system. As it stands the CBE system back feeds the BtoB to itself and the engine battery when the CBE separating relay closes. I think I am supposed to snip a resistor out of the distribution box to render the relay inactive but I don’t like the idea of damaging a brand new unit.

 

[RioRob]

I think there are other methods than a BtoB but I have yet to find a way to connect my BtoB safely into the CBE system. As it stands the CBE system back feeds the BtoB to itself and the engine battery when the CBE separating relay closes. I think I am supposed to snip a resistor out of the distribution box to render the relay inactive but I don’t like the idea of damaging a brand new unit.

When I wrote B to B I meant something like a CBE CSB2 (or a Vanbitz battery master) unit which connects to the leisure battery and the starter battery. I wasn't referring to something like the Sterling B to B which I believe is used to charge a leisure battery from the alternator.