Recommended Solar control module for 50W solar panel?

[SuaveGato]

Hello,
I have a small 50 watt solar panel on my TC but it was never hooked up? The wires run into the TC but are just cut. And taped to another set of wires that run down to the batteries. (not connected to each other) I understand it needs a control module for me to hook it up? Any recommendations for a "good" one where good = value (quality / economy)

Thanks

[AnEv942]

Yes everything should play well together.
As to the sealed/flooded-if you have removable caps (or 2 that cover 3 cells each) you have flooded. If the caps are non removable, select sealed. If unsure look up the battery at store site to get correct type. Dont guess on this one-

The temp sensor on your controller is local to where its located-just ensure its not in direct path of AC or heat sun, probably in the designated cabinet will be fine. Some controllers have a remote sensor to measure ambient of actual battery location, yes it can make difference-optimally, but short of mounting in another outside location which I wouldn't -good to go. Was always going to get one as ours has allowance for remote temp sensor but never did-it works.

My opinion is if batteries are wired true parralel so should the controller be. + to one battery, - to the other. No reason not to, only cost some extra wire.
Have fun

[SuaveGato]

Hey Folks,
I received my SS-6 in the mail today and read through the installation manual. Had a few quick questions for y'all.
1) It says that I am supposed to mount the unit "in the same ambient temperature as the batteries"... My batteries are in an outside compartment and all of the wires come to an inside compartment. The compartment is even labeled, "solar controller located here" from the factory. Since the SS-6 has a temperature sensor on it, will I be ok mounting them in different locations? I.E. how critical is this?
2) The instruction diagram says to hook up the out puts of the SS-6 to positive & negative terminals of the battery. But I have two batteries that are hooked together in parallel, so...? Do I just need to hook to one battery and the other connected battery will charge through the other??
3) There is a jumper on two of the terminals of the SS-6 unit to select battery type, "Sealed" and "Flooded". I'm not sure which I have? I just have standard Costco RV / Marine batteries. Any idea which these are or how I can tell? I thought that sealed just meant no water caps to refill but wouldn't that be a flooded lead acid battery too? So I'm confused?

Thanks again everyone.

Oh P.S. just want to make sure that this solar controller / charger won't "fight with" or confuse the charger I have? It's an InteliPower 9100 with the charge wizard added. Will they play nice together and NOT cook my batteries or over charge etc. when I'm in the sun AND plugged into shore power?

[msiminoff]

This lively discussion on the (intended vs. actual) use of MorningStar's load output is very interesting!

I think that MorningStar makes great solar charge controllers! I use 2 SunSaver MPPT-15's in my TC as my solar panels are divided into 2 banks (as it happens, one is polycrystalline & the other is mono').

I don't currently use the load output operate any of the camper loads on my DC distribution panel… which is currently wired directly to the batteries. However I do use one one of them as a "diversion load controller" to power a 12Vdc water heating element.

I'm now intrigued by the possibility of using the other un-used load output for some of my DC loads. For example; lights, fans, TV, radio, and water pump, but NOT fridge, jacks, and inverter. This would indeed protect my batteries by turning off the loads if the battery voltages dropped below the pre-set threshhold. On the other hand, if/when I cause the battery voltage to sag… say, while cooking dinner in the microwave powered from the inverter… then my lights and fan would shut off 😮

In addition, I have uploaded firmware to my MPPT-15's that adds a feature called Lighting Control. This allows the user to select the operation of the load output based on sunrise and sunset. I suspect that there may be some additional clever uses for this functionality in addition to simply turning lights on and off…

One more thing; MorningStar does have a few suggested wiring diagrams for proper inverter wiring and controlling an inverter with the load output.

Hmmm :R lots of food for thought!

Cheers,
-Mark

[SuaveGato]

AnEv942 wrote:
I would add to the OP- DO NOT try to run Your camper thru the Sunsaver6 load terminals.

Mark

LoL, ZERO worries there! I may not be the brightest bulb in the ceiling, but I am smart enough to know what I don't know and this thread lost me after most recommended I get the SS 6, so I did. In all reality though, my solar usage will only consist of keeping my batteries float charged while my camper is stored in my driveway, so I don't need to keep it plugged into shore power and risk cooking or boiling off my electrolyte with the DC converter. (although that issue will also be resolved soon when I install the "charge wizard" to my Intelipower 9100, coming soon...) And the only other use will be when camping w/o shore power, to help the batteries keep up and recharge best my little 50watt panel will. I also have a built in LP generator too, so no big worries about off grid power loss etc. I RARELY camp off grid anyway. So this little 50watt panel with the SS 6 will be just fine I suspect! I will leave the rest of you back to your in depth, over my head, super solar system configurations! As always, THANKS FOR ALL OF THE HELP EVERYONE! I know SO MUCH more about my camper and it's systems from this forum!

[Ski_Pro_3]

No worries there Mark. I tend to type more terse than I mean to sound in person.

[AnEv942]

I would add to the OP- DO NOT try to run Your camper thru the Sunsaver6 load terminals.

Skipro-sorry-didnt mean to start fire fight here-I was only caught by the comment about the jacks, unaware you were running you camper thru the load terminals. Majority of folks dont, at least I thought so. My conclusion when I initially set up was to not use the load output. I can say mine has been working for just starting its 8th year. Yours is working. I dont think a right or wrong here. (as long as ratings are not exceeded).

However as to warranty, I can find no warranty info as to whether or not the RV running thru load output or not has any impact, either way. I know large inverters and such can be an issue running thru the load output. Hence running thru a relay, & still a maintain control with the LVD, or running direct to battery(s).

http://support.morningstarcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ALL.DIG_.Correct_Inverter_Wiring.01.EN...

Running parallel controllers of different load capacity (or higher than rated), recommendation is to run direct to battery- when load exceeds rating. I dont think that would be recommended if it would void warranty. Yes you do give up the LVD going direct (without controller activated relay), but wasnt a feature I was looking at, again I only went with 30amp for possible Input upgrades. diagram.

http://support.morningstarcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/PS.APP_.Parallel_ProStars.01.EN1_.pdf

Bottom line, none
Mark

[Ski_Pro_3]

2oldnslow wrote:

It does not matter what current your jacks draw, that current does not go through the controller. Or should not.

Where did you get that idea? Morningstar manual says the exact opposite.

2oldnslow wrote:

The LOAD output is typically not used in an RV application.

Again; where are you getting this stuff from? Everything I've discussed with Morningstar engineers is opposite from what you are saying.

2oldnslow wrote:

It is used for sign lighting and other untended remote applications.

Load is load. Load is not JUST remote application, untended or not.

Please show me anywhere on the internet or other sources that substantiate anything you've said.


The current does go through the controller. The Morningstar controller is designed to have the load go through the controller. Various models with load ratings, like mine rated at 30amps, are designed with that in mind and is predominantly displayed on the face of the product. Why else would there be a load output??? Other cheap controllers might only have a solar in and battery/load combination out, but not this product.

If you have a Morningstar SunSaver controller and are not connecting it up like this diagram, chances are you are voiding it's warranty and bypassing the features you paid extra for.

[2oldnslow]

skipro3 wrote:
One other thing I wanted to point out about that Sun Saver MPPT. It has a MAX output load rating of 15amps. My camper has motor driven jacks. They draw almost 30amps when lifting the camper. Because of that, this controller would not work in most campers with motorized jacks.

The solar controller controls the charge current from the solar panel into the battery. It does not matter what current your jacks draw, that current does not go through the controller. Or should not.

The LOAD output is typically not used in an RV application. It is used for sign lighting and other untended remote applications.

[Geewizard]

skipro3 wrote:

Geewizard wrote:


Skipro3, what kind of solar powered equipment do you deal with? My experience is with remote telemetered seismic monitoring stations.

I deal with remote telemetered Hydrography field monitoring stations. These include stream gauging stations, reservoir elevations, rain cans, snow pillows, air temps, solar radiation, wind speeds, etc. Data is used for the Hydrographers computer modeling programs that determine the predicted watershed for hydro-electric dams as well as early warning for dam failures.

Cool!

[AnEv942]

Huh, we have the same controller, love it, mostly for reason you described. Nice to know its more capable than I thought as far as the load. Though originally I went with the 30amp thinking we were going to add a panel.
Interesting though, other than yours will utilize the LVD by running camper thru the load, sounds as though you 'read' yours much the same way I do. Not its purpose but it does give some pretty accurate readings.

[Ski_Pro_3]

By running the load through the Morningstar, this one;


I'm able to determine current draw for each and every item I've got in the camper. I can determine battery charge capacity by monitoring the charge input and track it to the load output so I can have a good idea of the percent of charge left in my battery.

I know, for example, that my heater's fan draws 3amps on low speed and 5 on high, the current draw of my LED lights, etc. This came in handy when I saw a draw of .5amps but nothing was on. I discovered I had a rechargeable flashlight plugged in that it's battery was going bad and would not charge up fully. I also knew when one of my jack motors was needing service as it was drawing a few amps more than normal.

If you look closely at this controller, you'll see a button that can shed either the solar panels, or the load. Push the button once and all the load is off. Just like the emergency cut-off switch built into the camper but handier.

I'm sure most folks don't care to know that much about what's going on in the camper, but it's sort of a hobby with me.

[pezvela]

All my 12v stuff is wired "directly" to the battery. My controller has no load connections.

When I am using the jacks, I simply keep the camper pigtail connected to the plug in the truck bed and start my engine. I have enough slack that I can go up or down high enough to drive the truck out from under the camper. This way the truck engine provides some amps to drive the jacks. The wiring going back to the truck bed is a combination of 10 and 8 gauge wire, so I am probably getting at least 5 amps back there.

[AnEv942]

Thanks skipro3: I was unaware anyone used the load output to control whole camper. You are the first Ive I heard say they did.
Our controller is rated at 30 amp, but I only use our 'load' output to power one added circuit thats not critical that could potentially drain batteries, IE charging ports for my RC stuff.

Im pretty happy with our morningstar but I don't know thats its robust enough to power entire camper thru it(gen starter, jack- fan motors, etc) not to mention the wiring to it. At least not risking.

While the LVD nice it seemed to me, in what little research I did, to utilize and to ensure its main function of charging batteries wasn't jeopardized (me overloading) was to use relay. Unwilling to go there. I also see occasion that I might be willing to risk dumping battery to watch the last 5 minuets of a movie, raising jacks to escape the zombies irregardless of the controllers smarter decision.

As to the OP- possibly when you upgrade depending on size of panel, you may be able to utilize what you have, running a second controller in parallel. Though adding another controller to handle all, maybe just as cost effective. But down the road. Good luck

[pezvela]

edit; saw the other answers