Need some guidance for small project series-parallel 18V 1.25A charger

[sgking2]

Some DC powered electronics, particularly if it includes any kind of CPU, will require a clean reset of the electronics at power up.

Yeah, I am sure this is the issue. The work-arounds are not worth it, I will just leave it powered by the battery bank and manually reset it as needed.

Quick question though: Is it better to use the LOAD side of the CC for the actual load or just go from the battery directly (and fuse ofc). I was just thinking this because if my meter is between the CC and the battery than it is going to measure ALL the power going IN and OUT of the battery together. For example, if I did not use the CC LOAD output terminals, and I put another meter from the battery to the actual load I should be able to see what is going IN to the battery on one meter and all the consumption on the other. Perhaps then I could also add a better load disconnect ... this CC (Genasun 5V) doesn't disconnect until the battery is critical, like 10.4V or something ludicrous. I would prefer to have it cut out at like 50%, maybe 11.9V or so. Maybe something like this already exists on the market or can be easily built?
Thanks for your response.

[FloridaSun]

Maybe I miscommunicated, when the panels are driving more than 6V, the power is stable enough and the meter works as intended. It just seems to like an on or off state and not a gradual climb to that 4.8v threshold. When it climbs gradually from 0 to 18 it locks up and stays locked up even when the power it sufficient (all three do), but a quick cycle of the power and they are all fine. Its that slow transition that seems to do it.



That was the main reason for this experiment. These are 2 homemade custom panels, one facing SE and the other SW and I was just curious what each was contributing over the course of the day. Ultimately once I am clear what they harness, I will just move the meter between the CC and the battery as you suggested. At that point I will just add the momentary reset switch and leave it powered 24/7.

That's odd... the lock up problem. I've never had that problem but am using much larger panels that put out lotsa volts before amps. There may be a possibility of powering the turnigy on the 'output' side and using 'input' to read data? SunEagle may be more familiar with that.... or that info could be on the schematic sheet that came with it that had several ways of connections/tests. Since you have three you might use one for the output of your battery, keep track of watts out and still use one for any future panel you may build once you get through this initial stage of testing.
Are you running your load off the charge controller or battery terminals? If your load is coming off CC that may be confusing it because to measure load out you need to reverse wiring on meter. DC, it needs to run it's course the proper way.

[sgking2]

Are you running your load off the charge controller or battery terminals?

I am in the process of reconfiguring it now, so that one meter sits between the CC and the Battery to capture all charging data, and the other meter directly between the battery and the load (inverter) to capture all consumption data. The meters are only spliced in on the negative side to measure the current, the positive leads in and out bypass the meter completely. However, I do have one red wire from a battery POS terminal going through a small fuse (0.5A) and switch (SPST) and to BOTH meters red wire to power the modules. The switch allows me to remove their power and reset them without disturbing the current flow in and out of the batteries.
Thanks.

[FloridaSun]

I am in the process of reconfiguring it now, so that one meter sits between the CC and the Battery to capture all charging data, and the other meter directly between the battery and the load (inverter) to capture all consumption data. The meters are only spliced in on the negative side to measure the current, the positive leads in and out bypass the meter completely. However, I do have one red wire from a battery POS terminal going through a small fuse (0.5A) and switch (SPST) and to BOTH meters red wire to power the modules. The switch allows me to remove their power and reset them without disturbing the current flow in and out of the batteries.
Thanks.

I have mine wired directly as the second image shows in the instruction sheet, the 'battery charger' being the charge controller.
curious... what is the AH rating of your AGM and what kind of production you are getting out of your panels in full sun?