PWM or MPPT?
I just took delivery of a 120W portable solar panel from SolarBlvd, which I will use to charge a single AGM Group 31 with an AH capacity of 105. We have a popup and are minimal electricity users, so I...
Forum Discussion
BFL13 wrote:
You don't need a controller at all except when you are not there during the day.
Panel direct will gradually raise the battery voltage to 15v or so before dark, then it collapses back at dusk. With one battery you would get to 15 sooner in the day and then want to just disconnect for a while. But that is what the controller does for you, is hold the voltage at some limit like 14.4 till dark and it goes back down.
-You can keep that controller and use it
-You can go panel direct till batt voltage gets to 15v then apply the controller to do a Vabs at 14 (almost like an Iota converter! :) )
-You can get a new controller that goes to 14.6 and holds there.
I had a LandStar 2024 that went to 14.6 and stayed there for two hours then dropped to 13.8v and stayed there till dark. They are about $40 instead of the $15 ones. I now have a $15 one that goes to 14.4 and stays there till dark. Works for me. (130w panel)
What model did you end up going with for 14.4 V and $15???
