Searching_Ut wrote:
You can check the output of the solar without charging the batteries, but that takes some of the fun out of it.
This is bordering an addiction :)
First few weeks after I connected my panels I used to check the charging amps and in/out voltage every half an hour. A well known solar syndrome. Controller was sitting temporary on the milk crate outside, on-board display on controller. Then installed it in obscure though accessible nook so that I wouldn't be tempted to do this too often. There is no need.
Plotting rel-time output graph on laptop didn't cross my mind, for 2 reasons:
1) too greedy to spend few more amp-hours to run the laptop when I don't have to, and
2) I don't have to. The amount of data on my Rogue display is enough. In the evening it tells me total amp-hours harvested for the day, max charging current reached, max panel wattage reached, did it go into Absorb mode (and if so, whether the Abs stage was completed, or if not, then how many minutes it stayed in Abs), and how many hours it stayed in Float after completing the Abs. Transition from Abs to Float is current-based (user adjustable) with timer override (also adjustable), so when it says "Absorb - Yes" I know that batteries were at 93-95% before entering Float. Touch of a button brings the data for the previous 30 days if I'm really paranoid.
I've been dwelling that much on those battery charging details because the bottom line is whether you are getting enough amp-hours by the evening to bring batts to 97-99%. Max current is less important, especially current of panels before controller.
With a lower end controller you won't have that much data on display (or the data can't be trusted, ex. controller went into Float without staying in Abs long enough). It would make sense then to buy $30 amp-hour meter on Ebay, people here know which one.
Yes, there is no need to discharge the batteries to see max panel output. Just increase the load. Not much need to do this either - just check the panel specs where it says Isc /Imp.
