Help With a Charge Controller

[ThisBigRoadTrip]

Thanks for your help.

I don't use voltage as an indicator. I just mentioned it as a point of interest in this situation. As a side note .... I have a Go Power Solar Charger and a Magnum Battery Monitor Kit panel. 4 x AGM 300a 6v set up as 2 x 300a 12v. So, 600a 12v system. The alarm is sounding on the Go Power Solar Charger.

In order to test the night time situation, I tried to simulate night by turning the breaker off on the solar panels (The breaker site just next to the PV wires as they enter the camper from the roof). When I did this I got the nighttime icon, and zero amps of charge registering as you would expect. The problem (beeping and POL code) went away.

So the issue is happening only when the breaker for the panels is on and it is actually dark, with no charge registering. Turn off the solar panel breaker (night or day) and the issue ceases.

The issue also doies not occur with lower power appliances. Charging my laptop for example, although we don't have anything in between a higher wattage kettle and low wattage charge to test that middle gound.

I realise that the open circuit is not the same conditions but a worthwhile exercise in dialing things down maybe.

Still think the alarm might be a lower battery state issue? We have not plugged into shore power for a while so likely have not hit a proper full charge.

[Mike90250]

Your electric hot water kettle is presenting a huge load to your batteries, and their voltage sags. Then the inverter sees a low voltage condition and starts to alert you to the low battery condition.

Freshly charged batteries , proper sizing of the battery bank to Loads and good cables will eliminate this.

[ThisBigRoadTrip]

Your electric hot water kettle is presenting a huge load to your batteries, and their voltage sags. Then the inverter sees a low voltage condition and starts to alert you to the low battery condition.

Freshly charged batteries, proper sizing of the battery bank to Loads and good cables will eliminate this.

Thanks for the reply.

There is no alarm when the solar panels are disconnected though. Or if the solar controller is showing any charge whatsoever that switches it from night time to daylight icon (dawn for example). As soon as there is 0.1a of solar coming through there is no alarm when we use the kettle. If I disconnect the solar panels there is no alarm. I would have thought that if the solar controller would have an issue with battery voltage it would be due to it's link to the battery's themselves and that a connection to the solar panels would be inconsequential.

When we disconnected the solar panels via the breaker to mimic 'night' I thought we had fixed it. Apparently not.

The kettle is an 800w kettle / 120v. The inverter is 1,000w Magnum Sine that never had an issue with the kettle prior to us changing the 10awg to 8awg. The battery bank is Lifeline AGM, 6 months old. 4 x 6v 300ah batteries [12v 600ah].

I can try a full fresh shore charge but have a feeling it is more than that. Especially given that the symptom arose the day we changed the solar cables to 8awg. It may be a coincidence but .... we have been 'not moving' very far for the last week so no alternator boost. But we have been in full sun, 100+F every day.

The Go Power support desk is also open tomorrow, so will check in with them too.

[Mike90250]

If all this changed when you "upgraded" to 8ga cables, you have a bad cable. Either a bad crimp, or broken wires internally, poor terminal connection at controller or inverter or a poor battery connection
where did you buy the cable sets from ?

If you made the cables yourself, and you don't have a hydraulic crimper, don't expect it to work well. You need a couple tons to crimp #8 cable, hammer crimper or simple squeeze handles (unless it's the 36" $400 crimper) won't do it.

[SunEagle]

If this doesn't work, I give up and am deleting my profile....
Let me try this again on my computer instead of my phone >>

Sadly, I must follow in the footsteps of TheBigRoadTrip as I am unable to find a way to create a new thread.
So, I am sorry for the interruption, I

Hi Okkyle and welcome to Solar Panel Talk

Two things.

First the Admin must approve your profile before you will be able to create a new thread

Second, for some reason the forum anti spam software sometimes does not allow certain characters to be posted or cut and pasted so it truncates the post

Sorry for the frustration. Hang in there and enjoy.

[Okkyle]

One last try since I just read that this forum is sensitive and doesn't like to post things that have been pasted in.

Two questions now,
1. Is there a way for me to delete all of the worthless partial posts that I created while trying to figure out how this website works?

2. I'm having trouble finding out what settings I should use on my charge controller, and I'm wondering if anyone can help me?
I have (2) VMAXSLR125 batteries in parallel to create a 250AH 12V AGM. Charging them is a 40 amp MPPT charge controller and 350 watts on the roof; (2) 175W 12V panels.

Can you tell me what voltages these settings should be set to:
1. Over Volt. Disc.
2. Charge Limit
3. Over Volt. Rec.
4 Equal. Charge
5. Boost Charge
6. Float Charge
7. Boost Rec.
8. Low Volt. Rect.
9. Under Volt. Rect.
10. Under Volt. Warn
11. Low Volt. Disc.
12. Discharge Limit
13. Equalization Time
14. Boost Time

I am so sorry for the mess, and I am sorry for interrupting this thread. This is my first time ever posting on a forum, and it has not been a smooth experience so far.

Thank you in advance for your help!
Kyle

[monogram]

One last try since I just read that this forum is sensitive and doesn't like to post things that have been pasted in.

Two questions now,
1. Is there a way for me to delete all of the worthless partial posts that I created while trying to figure out how this website works?

2. I'm having trouble finding out what settings I should use on my charge controller, and I'm wondering if anyone can help me?
I have (2) VMAXSLR125 batteries in parallel to create a 250AH 12V AGM. Charging them is a 40 amp MPPT charge controller and 350 watts on the roof; (2) 175W 12V panels.

Can you tell me what voltages these settings should be set to:
1. Over Volt. Disc.
2. Charge Limit
3. Over Volt. Rec.
4 Equal. Charge
5. Boost Charge
6. Float Charge
7. Boost Rec.
8. Low Volt. Rect.
9. Under Volt. Rect.
10. Under Volt. Warn
11. Low Volt. Disc.
12. Discharge Limit
13. Equalization Time
14. Boost Time

I am so sorry for the mess, and I am sorry for interrupting this thread. This is my first time ever posting on a forum, and it has not been a smooth experience so far.

Thank you in advance for your help!
Kyle

It sound like you have EPEVER charge controller, right?
If it's then keep all the setting as default (starting point), you may need to change #11 for Low Volt. Disc little higher like 12.1V (their default setting is little low)

[Okkyle]

It sound like you have EPEVER charge controller, right?
If it's then keep all the setting as default (starting point), you may need to change #11 for Low Volt. Disc little higher like 12.1V (their default setting is little low)

I do have the EPEVER, and I currently have it set on the GEL preset since it doesn't have an AGM option. Some of the preset settings seem to be a little high or a little low, but I'm fairly new to the world of solar battery systems and I'm not positive based on the batteries I have as to what would be optimal for long life.

The current settings are:
1. 16.0V
2. 15.0V
3. 15.0V
4. ----
5. 14.2V
6. 13.8V
7. 13.2V
8. 12.6V
9. 12.2V
10. 12.0V
11. 11.1V
12. 10.6V
13. ----
14. 120min.

[Okkyle]

Found what I was looking for:

https://www.solarpaneltalk.com/forum/solar-panels-for-home/solar-panel-system-equipment/20353-help-with-set-up-of-battery-and-controller-please