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FishHog
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:21pm
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I'm typically a firm believer in "you get what you pay for", but must admit, the cheap price on these has me wondering.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-30A-MPPT-Solar-Panel-Regulator-Charge-Controller-12V-24V- 380W-760W-With-USB-/121118905347?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c333fd403
anyone using these. Or should I spent 5 times that or more on a name brand one.
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creeky
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:54pm
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i haven't seen any tests of this exact controller. but youtube has a huge# of tests of low cost "mppt" chargers that prove they ain't.
your solar controller is going to last 25 years. so you spend 10 times the amount. and amortize over 25 years. now which controller do you want. the one that won't kill your batteries. won't fail and ruin a fridge full of food. won't cra' out when the inlaws are visiting.
your choice.
tracer has a new "bn" series for, okay, 3 times the price. but it is sweet. and morningstar etc have controllers that have been in service for many many years.
so. buyer beware. considering that the controller is a very small percentage of overall cost. but a very high percentage of "if it fails you will be *(&^ed" (sad). I bought morningstar controllers myself.
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 05:27pm - Edited by: groingo
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There have been a lot of tests done on that particular charge controller and unfortunately tear downs and testing have shown conclusively that it is NOT an MPPT controller.
You were wise not to get it,,proves the saying "if it looks to good to be true it usually is".
Video confirmation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbmaG4f8f_w
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 06:26pm
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Quoting: FishHog "you get what you pay for"
Sometimes with these cheap Chinese things you don't even get that.
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slgerber
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 08:09pm - Edited by: slgerber
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I recently ordered this low cost PWM charge controller and a single 100 watt pv panel. The reviews on Amazon for this controller seemed pretty good. I liked the fact that it has an LCD display and USB ports for charging smart phones. I'm putting together a very minimal off-grid power system to charge one deep cycle battery that will run a few small DC loads (LED lights, low power computing, small tv, cell phones, and maybe a very small water pump.) This is my first foray into solar power so I like the idea of having a display that will show me the varying voltage and amperage produced and used so that I can learn more about how all the parts of an off-grid system interact.
- Steve
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 08:41pm
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You're doing it right....baby steps.
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 08:49pm - Edited by: creeky
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there are many reputable solar providers. unfortunately, "stuff" on amazon. oh dear. i like amazon. bought lots of ridiculously cheap stuff and done well by it. coils for the truck. 1/10th the regular cost most recently.
but I don't find the solar stuff they sell to have a good quality / price relationship.
your solar money can last 25 years if well spent.
anyway: big edit: taking out my post. got a bit grumpy. there is a place for cheap junk. won't go into it.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 10:10pm
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Amazon... I like Amazon a lot. Our order history goes back to 1999. But like many stores, online or brick and mortar they sell some things of questionable value. Why? Because someone will buy it and they are after sales.
I distrust most reviews when the number of reviews is low and also distrust many of the 5 star and the 1 star reviews. Many 5 star reviewers have not had the product long enough to offer a valid quality assessment, IMO. And to be fair, many of the 1 star reviews have been low-balled for totally stupid reasons. Often the incompetence of the reviewer is what deserves the 1 star. I like it much better when there are hundreds of reviews spread over many months or longer. Then you can read and make judgments. 16 reviews, all mostly very good, count for naught as far as I am concerned. The one 3 star (lowest) review is probably the one most indicative of the quality of the CC. "stopped working when it rained", although we don't know if the unit is waterproof or where the reviewer installed the item. [off that soapbox]
Remember the old saying, "There's no free lunch"? Most of the time that is very true.
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 10:32pm
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Forums like this is where you will get straight answer's from people that use the stuff, many like myself it is part of survival.
Review's can easily be corrupted by paid schills, these are called "stackers" where they basically stack the deck pro or con.
Best place besides here is youtube, all in all it's still a crap shoot and Amazon has a very good return policy that helps lessen the sting should things go sideways.
And now back to Smallville.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2015 07:43am
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thanks for the feedback guys. Pretty much what I expected, and I tend to believe myself that cheap $hit is just that. But appreciate the info.
Back to my usual thought of buying quality the first time is cheaper in the long run.
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slgerber
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:48am
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I do understand that in theory it makes sense to buy all high quality components the first time, but the problem is that I don't have a good sense as to what size system will satisfy my needs. I think I will probably eventually want a somewhat larger system when I get around to building a bigger cabin, but it's hard to determine how big of a system I will ultimately need. I may decide to live in the cabin full-time in which case I would want a bigger system than if it's just for weekend use. My building site is also in the woods so it's hard to tell what my solar production will be per day. I cut down trees strategically so that I maximized direct solar gain in winter but the path of the sun changes and leaves come out in summer to block sun so it's hard to tell exactly what power production will be like over the course of a year at my site.
The problem is that solar electric systems do not easily scale up. For a bigger system you need a bigger charge controller, a bigger inverter, a bigger battery bank (with matched batteries), possibly heavier wiring (or maybe lighter wiring if running higher voltage), and maybe even different solar panels so that they are matched.
So I'm basically just aiming for a simple 100 Watt system that will cost less than $300 for everything. I view it as a functional learning system that will hopefully last several years after which time I should understand both solar power and my site better and I would be better prepared to invest in a bigger system costing thousands of dollars with 25 year components.
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