Can you feed a solar controller from a charger AND solar?

If I have 8 amps from the panel and say 20 from the controller, you would not get the combined out minus loss?

There really are no amps to boost unless you are feeding the controller with a 24 volt converter.

doughere wrote:

If you mean, can you take the output of your solar controller to your battery, and at the same time take the output of your converter to the battery, the answer is yes.

I have 2 60 watt panels fixed mount on the roof, and just leave the tied in all the time. Never had a problem. Using a PD9260 (with pendant) and an e-bay PWM solar controller.

Doug

That part I know. The question is can I take a single stage power supply or converter output and connect them to a solar controllers panel input lugs at the same time the solar panels are connected to the same lugs? Thus giving me a 3 or 4 stage boosted amperage charge?

Like Doug says, that's how mine it.
Why would you want to run your converter/charger thru another controller. It is already being controlled.

Padlin wrote:
Question came up, can you combine the output of your solar panel, say a 150W 12v'er, and the output of your converter/charger and input them to the solar controller to get a higher amperage 3 or 4 stage output to the batteries?

Issues?

If you mean, can you take the output of your solar controller to your battery, and at the same time take the output of your converter to the battery, the answer is yes.

I have 2 60 watt panels fixed mount on the roof, and just leave the tied in all the time. Never had a problem. Using a PD9260 (with pendant) and an e-bay PWM solar controller.

Doug

I wouldn't... An solar controller is designed to regulate or boost ultra clean DC, not the junk that comes off of all chargers. Even the good ones arent anywhere near as clean as a panel. Who knows what might be damaged.

You'd still be plugged into shore power, so the charger would likely see the solar panel And it's variable output as a battery and adjust recklessly... Cascade this into the solar charger to get a yo-yo effect and advantage is trumped..

Better to just get a good converter.

I do not think any controller will boost the 55 amp 13.6 volt WFCO to 14.8 volts.
Besides that would reduce amps to go up in voltage.

Padlin wrote:
Question came up, can you combine the output of your solar panel, say a 150W 12v'er, and the output of your converter/charger and input them to the solar controller to get a higher amperage 3 or 4 stage output to the batteries?

Issues?

Yep, I do it often. What happens though is somewhere in time, one of the chargers fools the other into thinking the battery is more charged than it actually is. The 'fooled' charger may change to float stage.

When that happens, you must decide which one you want to carry on.

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Oops, I read that wrong! :o

The correct answer is No.

HTH;
John