Cheap solar controller and schaudt ebl208? (1 Viewer)

[Granger]

I have a long wait (won't be delivered until mid September) for a Schaudt lr1218 to connect a Photonics Universe 120W panel to my EBL208S due to supplier problems.

I have a cheap controler and was thinking of attaching the solar panel to the hab battery for this for an upcoming wid camping trip. I think the controller should ensure there are no voltage spikes from the panel so the EBL should only see 13 or 14 volts so should be fine.

Am I missing something? What fuse should I put between the panel and the controller (I think a big one just to act as an isolator) and between the controller and the Hab battery?

Thanks all.

 

[Lenny HB]

Yes you can connect any solar controller into the EBL, the EBL is already fused, the 15 amp fuse above the solar connector.

I wouldn't bother with a LR1218 as it is only a single stage charger won't do your batteries a lot of good. The LRM1218 is a multistage charger but a cheaper & probably better controller is one from the Votronic MMP range.

 

[Granger]

Thanks Lenny HB. I was intending to connect the controller across the battery eg in parallel with the EBL. Is this the same as connecting via the EBL 3 pin plug, which I don't have?

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[Lenny HB]

Thanks Lenny HB. I was intending to connect the controller across the battery eg in parallel with the EBL. Is this the same as connecting via the EBL 3 pin plug, which I don't have?

The only difference it makes connecting via the EBL is it goes through the shunt in the EBL so if you have a display panel cabable of showing amps it will take into account the solar charge.

The connectors are Mate-N-Lock plenty on eBay the pins come in different current rating some are only 10 amp so check the rating.

 

[Granger]

Thanks again, I've ordered the connectors from ebay and the post got me a second hand LR1218 (without connecting wires) at a fraction of the new cost so I will fit this when I get back. Meantime I will connect via the old controller direct to the battery. What a fantastic forum!

 

[Lenny HB]

The LR1218 is OK with Gel batteries but I wouldn't use it with any other type.

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[Blue Knight]

I wouldn't bother with a LR1218 as it is only a single stage charger won't do your batteries a lot of good.

Yep, great advice. I would bin the LR1218 at the first opportunity.

Our last Pilote came with an LR1218 and it destroyed our 2 new 100Ah wets in just a few months.

 

[Granger]

Thanks again, both. It is a single 95Ah GEL battery and a 120W panel I have so I think the message is that the LR1218 is not perfect but will work OK with this setup? The battery is about 5-6 years old so doesn't owe us much and I'm planning to upgrade to 2x100Ah - probably GELs - in the near future. I'll maybe invest in a Voltronic MPPT controller then.

 

[Lenny HB]

The battery is about 5-6 years old

Halfway through it's life.

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[Granger]

Didnt know they lasted that long.Is there any value in getting another new similar battery at this stage?

 

[Lenny HB]

Didnt know they lasted that long.Is there any value in getting another new similar battery at this stage?

Quite a few people have fitted another one with the first one being a few years old without any problems. Best to run a discharge test on it first to see how well it's performing. A lead battery will lose 2.5% of its capacity per year.

First charge the battery fully and leave it to settle for an hour then:-

For example if it's a 100a/h battery load it with a 5 amp load and run for 5 hours, this will represent a 25% discharge. (adjust load/time to suit the size of the battery)
Disconnect the load and leave to stand for at least 30 min then measure the voltage.
Repeat the test and you will have discharged the battery to 50%.
You can repeat again then it will be 75% discharged.