Solar regulator change advice please

[Phill D]

I would like to upgrade my current set up from a schaudt LR1218 to the voltronic MPPT 165. as i have just renewed my Gel habitation battery.

my current set up is a 140W solar panel, to the LR1218 regulator ( non Mppt ) coupled to an EBL226c and a Schaut LT320 solar output panel.

I am looking to replace the LR1218 with the Voltronic MPPT 165, but would like to maintain my current set up through the EBL226c where the connection to the cab battery is provided and include a read out to the LT320.

If my thinking is correct it is a relatively straight forward with minor / minimal wiring changes.

i have attached 2 sketches of current and proposed new setup.

i would like some knowledgeable views on if my thinking is correct please. particularly the connection to the cab battery.

thanks for any help

 

[SandraL]

The votronic only sends the current reading for the leisure battery. You will lose the facility to read solar current to starter battery. So not sure about your brown and white wires, surely only one of them as no facility to measure starter batt current, and wont it be connected to far right terminal on the votronic labeled ebl ?

UNLESS votronic have upgraded their mppt controllers since we got ours!

 

[Phill D]

Thanks for that,
i had not appreciated that it is only able to send current of the Leisure battery. I have taken the connection points to the Voltronic from their wiring pages.

but if i cant easily get the cab battery current readings then it may be a rethink

i wanted to avoid the LRM1218 which is a schaudt replacement MMP as its twice the price of the Voltronic.

 

[Phill D]

I have just looked at the Votronic 1250 LCD-Solar-Computer S it has more data than the Schaudt LT320 but still only covers the leisure battery.

also it appears cheaper to fit both the voltronic 165 and the 1250 solar computer than the Schaudt LRM1218 controller on its own.

 

[SandraL]

I find that the voltage of the starter battery is a good indication when parked up, so dont really miss the ability to see solar charge current to the starter batt.
We also changed from schaudt pwm to votronic mppt controller.

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[Phill D]

the more i am reading trying to .link the votronic to the schaudt LT320 just to have cab battery charge current the more it seems to be a unnecessary exercise with the votronic controller.

so it looks like a simple choice of splash the cas on a schaudt LRM1218 or a votronic 165 and Votronic solar display.

 

[Lenny HB]

You could spend a bit more and instead of the Votronic solar display fit a Victron Smart Shunt, that will give you full info on your batteries.

 

[funflair]

Why do you want to know the current going to the leisure battery? isn't the voltage enough?

 

[Richard n Ann]

Why do you want to know the current going to the leisure battery? isn't the voltage enough?

Because if a monitor can see what flows in and out it can estimate what capacity is left
Also how much time left at present usage etc.

 

[Phill D]

You could spend a bit more and instead of the Votronic solar display fit a Victron Smart Shunt, that will give you full info on your batteries.

I will have a look at the Victron smart shunt. thanks

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[Phill D]

You could spend a bit more and instead of the Votronic solar display fit a Victron Smart Shunt, that will give you full info on your batteries.

looks like it would give similar access to blue tooth as the Votronic 1430 SB-C.. which i have had a quick look at.

 

[Lenny HB]

looks like it would give similar access to blue tooth as the Votronic 1430 SB-C.. which i have had a quick look at.

I didn't know about that one. It looks like to get battery info you would need to buy their smart shunt as well.
The Victron one only gives battery info but that is better than just solar info as it gives you the overall picture and I think it can monitor the starter battery as well.
Worth spending a bit of time investigating both.

 

[Phill D]

Why do you want to know the current going to the leisure battery? isn't the voltage enough?

i already have the LT320 display mounted on my panel that currently shows solar current to either the starter or habitation batteries, I have got used top using that to monitor battery levels.

i was hoping to use it with the Votronic mppt rather than it be redundant. I may now have to consider replacing it with a Votronic compatible display or just ignore it for now and see how i get on.

 

[sallylillian]

looks like it would give similar access to blue tooth as the Votronic 1430 SB-C.. which i have had a quick look at.

The Victron BT data and app is way more detailed than the Votronic option.

 

[Phill D]

I didn't know about that one. It looks like to get battery info you would need to buy their smart shunt as well.
The Victron one only gives battery info but that is better than just solar info as it gives you the overall picture and I think it can monitor the starter battery as well.
Worth spending a bit of time investigating both.

At the moment i am earing on the side of change the controller for the Votronic mppt to get the benefits over the LR1218 PWM, and then work through the various options and add on what is best suited to me for read out purposes.

my initial thought was to keep the schaudt display panel LT320 rather than it be redundant or I have a hole where it used to be!!

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[Phill D]

The Victron BT data and app is way more detailed than the Votronic option.

i have had a quick look and its a shed load of info, i will be watching that not the TV..

 

[Richard n Ann]

I'd buy the NASA BM1 monitor again it shows lots of info, not just from solar, but anything that is charging or discharging.

Shows Battery %
Battery bar graph level
Charging/discharging current
Voltage
Time to charged
Time to discharged
AH resettable 'trip' counter
Starter battery voltage

It's addictive though, I can't stop looking at it one of my favourite gadgets

One snap from the Benidorm holiday

 

[Phill D]

I'd buy the NASA BM1 monitor again it shows lots of info, not just from solar, but anything that is charging or discharging.

Shows Battery %
Battery bar graph level
Charging/discharging current
Voltage
Time to charged
Time to discharged
AH resettable 'trip' counter
Starter battery voltage

It's addictive though, I can't stop looking at it one of my favourite gadgets

One snap from the Benidorm holiday

View attachment 483343

is that not a BM2 is it compatible with the Votronic mppt?

 

[Richard n Ann]

is that not a BM2 is it compatible with the Votronic mppt?

Yes BM2, exact same thing just that the BM2 can measure up to 200 amps and the BM1 100 amps.

Yes ours is the Votronic duo 250. They don't communicate or anything but work together separately

 

[sallylillian]

There is a valid argument to instead go for a smart Victron solar controller and the smart shunt that Lenny has suggested. You then have detailed solar data and system charging data. Requires a change of mindset and moving towards an integrated solution that play together.

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[paddymcc]

Does the EBL 226 not have connections fro the solar controller ? ( Couldn't find a manual on line - for some reason the Schaudt site didn't open) On the ebl101 the LR1218 feeds to the EBL via the brown and white wires ( recording hab and cab battery current I think) and this is then sent onto the control panel.
If not I think that you should be able to connect the wire from the ,' ebl,' socket on the Votronic and connect it to the brown wire that currently goes from the control panel to the LR1218 so that the control panel will then read it correctly

 

[Phill D]

Does the EBL 226 not have connections fro the solar controller ? ( Couldn't find a manual on line - for some reason the Schaudt site didn't open) On the ebl101 the LR1218 feeds to the EBL via the brown and white wires ( recording hab and cab battery current I think) and this is then sent onto the control panel.
If not I think that you should be able to connect the wire from the ,' ebl,' socket on the Votronic and connect it to the brown wire that currently goes from the control panel to the LR1218 so that the control panel will then read it correctly

i have the lr1218 connected direct to the ebl and to the LT320 but i get the readout at both the lt320 and the normal panel, the LT320 is much more accurate than the standard panel but only shows current.

i can as you say connect the ebl socket from the Votronic to the ebl or even to the LT320 but i will only ever get current readings from the Habitation battery as the votronic does not support cab battery readings. ( which are likely to be irrelevant as the charge is only a 1 amp trickle top up ).

my initial thinking was to replace the lr1218 for the votronic mppt and get both battery readings to the lt320, and it appears only possible to get the one reading.
i am thinking of doing just that while i decide what monitoring would really be of benefit to me as i only have 140 watts of solar and a single 120 ah gel leisure battery.