For a couple days been noticing higher than the 14.6 voltage,.....going to 15, and even 15.5,....I knew something was not right. The next day it was showing 16, then quickly went to 17+.......I quickly loosened one battery wire !As I posted before, @ 8 bucks each for the CMP-12 20 amp controller, I bought a spare, and now quite glad I did. I swapped them out, and all is well again.So no more bragging about my cheap controller,..... which really did work very well for a year or so. Sometimes I just havta learn the hard way (:Now I'm into the "not trusting" the swap out, so will be looking for something that is more reputable ??Failed

I've been through a couple of the chep controllers myself. On my first one the terminals were too close together and would short out. On my present one I don't think that it is working correctly as far as reverse charging when it gets dark. So it looks like I will have to spend some more money on a better controller as well.

I had thought the diodes in the panel's circuitry stopped the reverse flow, but I don't know that for sure.

Somebody once said "a poor man buys everything twice"

Eight bucks leaves a little elbow room to gather aluminum empties scrawl a new WILL WORK FOR FOOD sign for the off-ramp and cut down on the Ripple for a couple of weeks. Otter be enough then for a sixteen dollar controller.

It is a good idea to have a spare, as with many RV things when you are out of town. There is no proof that they are all likely to do that without warning, or that a "better" one would not fail at some point. If you are there to notice if it happens like that time, you can just deal with it. If you are concerned about it happening while you are away from the rig that's different but I don't know how you can improve the odds.

Cheap China Solar Controller Failure | Good Sam Community

180 Replies

jrnymn7
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015
Now I'm thinking I should keep a spare controller on hand.
2oldman
Explorer II
Jan 02, 2015
K Charles wrote:
Somebody once said "a poor man buys everything twice"
..and shops at 7-11 and buys lottery tickets.
jrnymn7
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015
Are there devices available that would shut things down in such cases?
Dakota98
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015
MEXICOWANDERER,---- sited early this morning,
NinerBikes
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015
RJsfishin wrote:
For a couple days been noticing higher than the 14.6 voltage,.....going to 15, and even 15.5,....I knew something was not right. The next day it was showing 16, then quickly went to 17+.......I quickly loosened one battery wire !

As I posted before, @ 8 bucks each for the CMP-12 20 amp controller, I bought a spare, and now quite glad I did. I swapped them out, and all is well again.
So no more bragging about my cheap controller,..... which really did work very well for a year or so. Sometimes I just havta learn the hard way (:
Now I'm into the "not trusting" the swap out, so will be looking for something that is more reputable ??

Failed

How many watts of panel do you have running through that RJspecial 20 amp controller? 200 watts? 300 watts?

Perhaps those controllers do have a built in equalization mode? :E

At 17V, did you roast the circuit board on your refrigerator too?
BFL13
Explorer II
Jan 02, 2015
It is a good idea to have a spare, as with many RV things when you are out of town. There is no proof that they are all likely to do that without warning, or that a "better" one would not fail at some point.

If you are there to notice if it happens like that time, you can just deal with it. If you are concerned about it happening while you are away from the rig that's different but I don't know how you can improve the odds.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015
Eight bucks leaves a little elbow room to gather aluminum empties scrawl a new WILL WORK FOR FOOD sign for the off-ramp and cut down on the Ripple for a couple of weeks. Otter be enough then for a sixteen dollar controller.
K_Charles
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015
Somebody once said "a poor man buys everything twice"
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015
I had thought the diodes in the panel's circuitry stopped the reverse flow, but I don't know that for sure.
mikebreeze
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015
I've been through a couple of the chep controllers myself. On my first one the terminals were too close together and would short out. On my present one I don't think that it is working correctly as far as reverse charging when it gets dark. So it looks like I will have to spend some more money on a better controller as well.

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Cheap China Solar Controller Failure

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