Hey from Tennessee, controller problems

[Watts up]

Sorry for the confusion... 25 V might be the normal operating point for a PWM controller. To check whether it is ok to put the panels in parallel, check the Voc of each of them individually (not hooked up together). If the Voc's are close, you can safely combine them, but if not, it is a bad idea.

see what your saying now. The backup came with the system it was 2 -12volt batteries and the 10w solar panel How could that be ?? I will check in the morning. Gonna be cold but sunny I will see what voltage it puts out by itself. Heck I will double check all voltage with sun. You have me questioning how I installed the panels. When I do voltage it should tell me correct ?

[Watts up]

see what your saying now. The backup came with the system it was 2 -12volt batteries and the 10w solar panel How could that be ?? I will check in the morning. Gonna be cold but sunny I will see what voltage it puts out by itself. Heck I will double check all voltage with sun. You have me questioning how I installed the panels. When I do voltage it should tell me correct ?

I just read all the posts. My batteries seem too be fine the gate will work if I hook from the batteries to the control box. With the charge controller hooked up I'm not getting any volts from the load side. So the control box is not getting any volts at all from the controller.

[Watts up]

Sun Savor SS 10 L-24v or SS 20 L-24v

Ok, looked up my Gates. They are 80w each actuator current is 3A. If I don't use the load will I still hook the Solar to the controller then run from the controller battery to the batteries then run from the batteries to my Control box and not use the load side. Now will the batteries get over charged this way ? If that will work til I can get a good controller ( like the one above) I will do it that way. I just don't want to screw anything up. Thank you so much for your help It is much appreciated.

My gates swing to open

Looking at the Sun Savor Do I need the 20 amp or can I go with the 10 amp Seeing my gates use 3amp .

[sensij]

My gates swing to open

Looking at the Sun Savor Do I need the 20 amp or can I go with the 10 amp Seeing my gates use 3amp .

What is the part number of your batteries?

[Watts up]

What is the part number of your batteries?

2BAT12AH-WG 12AH Batteries LM125 for Gate Opener 2 (Two) pcs

There from wholesalegateopener

[Watts up]

Its's looking like snow, so when I went out to check voltage I just come back in. Soon as I get a chance I will get some readings. Thank you

[Watts up]

Readings for solar panels

Its's looking like snow, so when I went out to check voltage I just come back in. Soon as I get a chance I will get some readings. Thank you

First off it is like 25 degrees out. My sun never fully came out but this is what I got in the clouds. First I tried to get both so they would have same cloud reading ( they are in different positions, but both are facing the sun)

10w panel 43.4, 5,6,7,8 in the cloud. Highest 43.8

30w panel 44.7, 8,9 Highest 44.9

10 watt sun trying to peek out 45.7

30 watt sun trying to peek out 46.0

batteries 25.1 this is after opening and shutting 4-5 times

Batteries hooked to the solar panels 29-30 volts

I hooked the batteries to the panels to charge them up some. How can I hook the controller up so it will charge some and let me use the gates without using the load side ??

[sensij]

First off it is like 25 degrees out. My sun never fully came out but this is what I got in the clouds. First I tried to get both so they would have same cloud reading ( they are in different positions, but both are facing the sun)

10w panel 43.4, 5,6,7,8 in the cloud. Highest 43.8

30w panel 44.7, 8,9 Highest 44.9

10 watt sun trying to peek out 45.7

30 watt sun trying to peek out 46.0

batteries 25.1 this is after opening and shutting 4-5 times

Batteries hooked to the solar panels 29-30 volts

I hooked the batteries to the panels to charge them up some. How can I hook the controller up so it will charge some and let me use the gates without using the load side ??

The panels sound safe to combine in parallel.
This is the sequence I would do:

1) Hook the load up to the batteries.
2) Hook the controller up to the batteries (keep the load hooked up as well).
3) Hook the solar up to the controller.

This will allow your batteries to recharge properly and will let the gate opener run. The only thing you won't have is protection against over discharging the battery.

[Legacy]

My gates swing to open

Looking at the Sun Savor Do I need the 20 amp or can I go with the 10 amp Seeing my gates use 3amp .

You would probably have no problem with the 10 amp unit its just where I live and work I have tendency
to over design because the winter climate here. I feel that for the extra 20 bucks it never hurts to have
the extra head room for any eventuality that could happen.

Not that it would happen but something could stall the drives so they may draw more then 3 amp each, you could
also fuse the load terminals with a 10 amp fuse to cover any problems that may occur


hope this helps

[Watts up]

The panels sound safe to combine in parallel.
This is the sequence I would do:

1) Hook the load up to the batteries.
2) Hook the controller up to the batteries (keep the load hooked up as well).
3) Hook the solar up to the controller.

This will allow your batteries to recharge properly and will let the gate opener run. The only thing you won't have is protection against over discharging the battery.

Load from control box to the battery

Hook the controller bat terminal to the battery

solar panel hooks to the solar terminal on the controller

So the load from the controller stays open correct ?

Thank you again

[sensij]

Load from control box to the battery

Hook the controller bat terminal to the battery

solar panel hooks to the solar terminal on the controller

So the load from the controller stays open correct ?

Thank you again

No. the load leads on the controller are not connected to anything, leave them open and make sure they can't short together.

Let me try again, more clearly.

1) Hook the gate drive up to the batteries.
2) Hook the controller up to the batteries (keep the gate drive hooked up as well).
3) Hook the solar up to the controller.

[SunEagle]

No. the load leads on the controller are not connected to anything, leave them open and make sure they can't short together.

Let me try again, more clearly.

1) Hook the gate drive up to the batteries.
2) Hook the controller up to the batteries (keep the gate drive hooked up as well).
3) Hook the solar up to the controller.

Based on the wiring diagram for that ALEKO LM118 gate controller you would wire the "gate opener" device to the "load leads" on the controller.

http://www.alekogreenenergy.com/ALEKO-LM118-24V-Solar-Charge-Controller-p/lm118-ae.htm

That pair of wires energizes the gate opener.

I am thinking that since the OP's equipment worked for a few months and then started to give him a problem followed by multiple replacement of that control unit as well as getting a good "bench" test followed by a failed "field" test and then a "failed" bench test, he is blowing the output of those controllers.

IMO I think there is something wrong with the "gate opener" where it once could be controlled by the LM118 but now is drawing too many amps which causes the LM118 to fail.

[sensij]

The OP is looking for a way to work around the fact that the controller is shutting down the load leads. The wiring I posted accomplishes that, and is consistent in general with the idea that the load terminals on these cheap controllers are unreliable (there are a few threads in this forum discussing this).

I agree that there is probably more going on than just bad controllers, but this at least gets his system functioning again. It sounds like the panels are good, but it isn't clear if they have been providing enough power to fully recharge the battery. Especially with less sun and cold batteries this time of year, if the battery capacity has degraded, it seems like it could cause the over-discharge symptom being reported.

Without more knowledge of how much energy is used on each gate cycle, and how many cycles per day (or night) occur, it is hard to know if the batteries and charging capability are really appropriate for this application, even before you get into whether or not the gate load is what it is supposed to be. Maybe the cold temps have made the gate harder to move and increased the load past the point that can be handled by the controller. In that case, hooking the gate opener up to the batteries would solve the problem (or at least push it onto the batteries) until a controller with more capacity or reliability for those terminals is found.

[SunEagle]

The OP is looking for a way to work around the fact that the controller is shutting down the load leads. The wiring I posted accomplishes that, and is consistent in general with the idea that the load terminals on these cheap controllers are unreliable (there are a few threads in this forum discussing this).

I agree that there is probably more going on than just bad controllers, but this at least gets his system functioning again. It sounds like the panels are good, but it isn't clear if they have been providing enough power to fully recharge the battery. Especially with less sun and cold batteries this time of year, if the battery capacity has degraded, it seems like it could cause the over-discharge symptom being reported.

Without more knowledge of how much energy is used on each gate cycle, and how many cycles per day (or night) occur, it is hard to know if the batteries and charging capability are really appropriate for this application, even before you get into whether or not the gate load is what it is supposed to be. Maybe the cold temps have made the gate harder to move and increased the load past the point that can be handled by the controller. In that case, hooking the gate opener up to the batteries would solve the problem (or at least push it onto the batteries) until a controller with more capacity or reliability for those terminals is found.

I did some more research and found that most of the Aleko "solar" gate opener kits had a battery charge controller similar to the LM118 but only had 4 wires. 2 for the solar panel, 2 for the battery and none for the "load". I am wondering if there is a mix up with the type of CC he needs to use.

I also did not find a wiring diagram how the "gate opener" was wired but I agree with you that it should get power directly from the battery although I am not sure what would "trigger" the power on and off.

[Watts up]

Sun Savor 20 SS 20 L 24

You would probably have no problem with the 10 amp unit its just where I live and work I have tendency
to over design because the winter climate here. I feel that for the extra 20 bucks it never hurts to have
the extra head room for any eventuality that could happen.

Not that it would happen but something could stall the drives so they may draw more then 3 amp each, you could
also fuse the load terminals with a 10 amp fuse to cover any problems that may occur


hope this helps

This is very true, I do the same The little extra means a Lot, and like you said it's 20 bucs.