From LR1218 to Votronic solar controller (1 Viewer)

[Whitebirdyman]

I wondered if anyone who had made the switch in the thread title could give me some advice.

I have the LR1218 feeding to an Elektroblok 220 which is working fine but I want to add further solar and move to a mppt controller. The schaudt display is enabled to that it shows solar amps going to each of the leisure and vehicle batteries.

I have the Votrolic controller and was hoping I could just connect it to the Elektrobloc using the same cable that goes from the LR1218 to the Elektroblok, however, this Schaudt cable has 3 outputs from the controller which plug into the Elektroblok for the charging current and two outputs for the monitoring of the charge. Looking at the specific cable that Votronic sell, it has two outputs for the charging current and only one for the monitoring.

Has anyone done this swap and used the just the relevant wires of the Schaudt cable or did you use the Votronic specific one? I could bypass the Elektrobloc completely, but it works well in the current configuration so I would prefer to keep it. If someone has done this, with the single monitoring wire from the Votronic, does the panel show both Leisure and Vehicle charging amps?

Any help welcome!

Jim

 

[Manic]

I did the swap but mines an older EBL9
I wired my Votronic 250 duo to the battery feeds on the back of EBL( Leisure and engine battery)
I believe Votronic do a special wire harness to connect to the EBL but mines analog display so didn’t need the harness.

 

[SandraL]

The votronic signal to the electroblok can only show the current going to the leisure battery. It has no provision to send signal to display current to starter battery.
We have made the same change and find the votronic mppt controller very good.
You might want to consider getting the temp sensor that goes on leisure battery. It raises charge voltage if cold and lowers charge voltage in hot weather, thus prolonging life of the battery.

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[Lenny HB]

Can't help with the monitoring loom as Hyem no longer fit EBL's solar monitoring.
For the charging loom you can use the existing one, just cut the push-on connectors off and connect to the Votronic.

 

[Whitebirdyman]

Can't help with the monitoring loom as Hyem no longer fit EBL's solar monitoring.
For the charging loom you can use the existing one, just cut the push-on connectors off and connect to the Votronic.

Do you happen to know which two of the three wires I need to retain of the ones currently on the Schaudt push-on controller?

 

[Whitebirdyman]

The votronic signal to the electroblok can only show the current going to the leisure battery. It has no provision to send signal to display current to starter battery.
We have made the same change and find the votronic mppt controller very good.
You might want to consider getting the temp sensor that goes on leisure battery. It raises charge voltage if cold and lowers charge voltage in hot weather, thus prolonging life of the battery.

If the Votronic only outputs the current for the leisure battery, I can presumably use the existing Schaudt lead, but only connect the strand relevant to the leisure battery and tape off the other?

Good advice re the temp sensor, thanks.

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[Boringfrog]

Make sure the EBL can take the increased voltage the controller puts out.

 

[Lenny HB]

Do you happen to know which two of the three wires I need to retain of the ones currently on the Schaudt push-on controller?

You need to use all 3 if you want to charge the starter battery as well as the leisure battery.
The EBL wiring diagram will tell you which is the leisure & starter battery connections.

Make sure the EBL can take the increased voltage the controller puts out.

The voltage will be the same as will the current both 18 amp max.

 

[Whitebirdyman]

You need to use all 3 if you want to charge the starter battery as well as the leisure battery.
The EBL wiring diagram will tell you which is the leisure & starter battery connections.

So if I wanted to charge both batteries through the EBL I would need to connect two of the wires of the existing Schaudt lead to the +ve terminal of the Votronic and one to the negative?

I had been assuming that once the Elektroblok had the charging current from the solar module, it would sort out for itself charging the two batteries, as it does when their is a mains connection.

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[TheCaller]

, does the panel show both Leisure and Vehicle charging amps?

From what I remember, and I'm not in a position to check just now, showing the Vehicle charging amps is more or less irrelevant, because the secondary output from the Votronic intended for the Vehicle battery is limited to something like 2 amps. It's only intended as a maintenance charge to stop the battery gradually going flat while the vehicle is standing about.

 

[Whitebirdyman]

From what I remember, and I'm not in a position to check just now, showing the Vehicle charging amps is more or less irrelevant, because the secondary output from the Votronic intended for the Vehicle battery is limited to something like 2 amps. It's only intended as a maintenance charge to stop the battery gradually going flat while the vehicle is standing about.

Looking at the specs, if you connect the leisure battery and the vehicle battery separately to the Votronic, it would seem that the leisure battery gets 25.5 amps and the vehicle battery 1 amp, so what you remember is about right.

However, if all of the main charge goes into the Elektroblock and this charges both batteries, then maybe the vehicle charging amps would be higher, as they currently are with the LR1218 (when required of course, normally this shows well below 1 amp)

 

[Lenny HB]

The Elektroblock has nothing to do with with charging the batteries from the solar output.
The starter battery connection on the EBL connects straight through to the starter battery. The leisure battery connection his via a fuse and the shunt (so it can sence the Currey flowing ) then direct the the lesiure battery.

Therefore you need all 3 connections, earth, main output from Votronic & starter battery output.

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[Whitebirdyman]

Thanks for all the help and comments above.

I fitted the Votronic controller this morning to replace the LR1218 and I used the existing Schaudt lead to the EBL rather than buy the Votronic one. Everything seems to be working fine, as noted above I can no longer see the amps going into the starter battery on the DT display, but it does show the starter battery voltage so that is good enough.

Jim

 

[Hagstrom]

Hi WhiteBirdyMan,

I am thinking of fitting a Votronic 250 MPPT controller to our Frankia, which has an EBL220, in place of the Schaudt LRM1218. I note that you used the existing Schaudt charging connector and existing Schaudt data cable.

Having a dual leisure battery bank (2 x Varta LFD 140s) and having had a cooked leisure battery in the past (same make, model & type but 2 years apart in age) I'm not keen to have a repeat. Hence I'm attracted by the 13.2v trickle charge mode of the Votronic.

DId you consdier or try the Votronic cable connector set?

Norman

PS Did you have the EBL220-4, like me?

 

[Theonlysue]

I think if you have an aes fridge, the votronic will run on battery if enough solar going in.

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[Lenny HB]

I think if you have an aes fridge, the votronic will run on battery if enough solar going in.

Yes it does, only problem is the dumb Dometic frigde. It's first choice of energy is 12v solar so on EHU when the batteries are fully charged the regulator gives an output to the fridge & the fridge switches to 12v.
I fitted a mains powered relay inline with the AES connection so when on EHU the AES feed from the regulator is disconnected automatically. You can just fit a switch in line I did that originally.

 

[Lenny HB]

DId you consdier

I made my own cables up and plugged into the EBL, I didn't bother with the 1 amp starter battery output I fitted a CBE CSB2 Solar split charge relay.

 

[Hettie's Crew]

I fitted a mains powered relay inline with the AES connection so when on EHU the AES feed from the regulator is disconnected automatically. You can just fit a switch in line I did that originally.

Can you give details of this Lenny HB ? I think I’d like to do this.

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[Lenny HB]

Can you give details of this Lenny HB ? I think I’d like to do this.

This shows what I did, I put a 1amp fuse inline with mains to the relay you can see it in the box.
For the mains connection I had a spare socket on a Waco block where I had disconnect a mains socket to fit a BVM in its place.
I thought I bought the relay on eBay but can't find it in my purchase history.

Lenny's Modding the new Gin Palace

Nice one, we are in York this weekend tomorrow evening until Monday, nice CL 7 quid a night. Hope it goes well. We are having a underslung tank fitted next month and will need silver screens for the Concorde so that will be this years money spent. Our rear air Goldschmitt will have to suffice:)

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Whitebirdyman]

Hi WhiteBirdyMan,

I am thinking of fitting a Votronic 250 MPPT controller to our Frankia, which has an EBL220, in place of the Schaudt LRM1218. I note that you used the existing Schaudt charging connector and existing Schaudt data cable.

Having a dual leisure battery bank (2 x Varta LFD 140s) and having had a cooked leisure battery in the past (same make, model & type but 2 years apart in age) I'm not keen to have a repeat. Hence I'm attracted by the 13.2v trickle charge mode of the Votronic.

DId you consdier or try the Votronic cable connector set?

Norman

PS Did you have the EBL220-4, like me?

Apologies for the late response and big quote, I am away walking and can only access the group on my phone.

I did not consider the Votronic lead as it would not charge the starter battery with running a separate lead. Also it was expensive, I could have sourced the plug and wired it myself, but already having the lead from the LR1218, and not intending to sell that on, it was easy to use that lead.

I have done a few trips now and it is working well with no issues. I only have 150w solar at the moment and will add another 100w before my next trip.

Jim

 

[Lenny HB]

I have done a few trips now and it is working well with no issues. I only have 150w solar at the moment and will add another 100w before my next trip.

If connecting through the EBL the "mate 'n lock" pins for the plugs on the EBL come in several different guises depending on the material & plating they have different current ratings.

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[Hagstrom]

Thanks WhiteBirdyMan. Hope you enjoyed the walk.

Did you have to modify the Schaudt cable from the Votronic to the EBL & and was yours the EBL220-4?

 

[Whitebirdyman]

I have the same EBL.

There was no need to modify the lead. I checked the wire colours in the LR1218 manual, connected the two main output wires from the votronic to the relevant colours then the 1smp starter output to the other. My panel now shows the amps going into the leisure battery but not those going to the starter one but it does show the voltage of both so I know it is topping up the starter.

 

[Hagstrom]

Thank you Whitebirdyman, I'll order a Votronic and use the Schaudt lead. Norman.

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