NEWBIE: Smart controller that monitors battery Amps/health over time

[wheresjeannine]

Can folks please recommend a smart controller that I can get data from both my panels and from my battery? I would like to have a table of data I can access and both monitor for health and performance but so I can see larger trends over months as well. Thanks PS: I am new to this forum but I assure you your responses will be taken seriously and I will do the hard work to read and study and do my follow up if you just give me a few informed nudges ie: links

[SunEagle]

Hello wheresjeannine and welcome to Solar Panel Talk

There are a number of charge controllers that can provide charging data but unless you have a way of measuring the specific gravity of the battery fluid you really can't get an honest condition of your batteries. Just measuring the voltage is misleading concerning the health and State of Charge (SOC) of a battery.

[wheresjeannine]

Understood and thanks. Can you specifically point me at some good, smart controllers please?

[Mike90250]

Nearly any modern MPPT controller can tell you what it is doing and the status of the panels and voltage of the batteries.
Your job is to interpret the data and decide what the state of your batteries are. You will need to develop a long term relationship with your batteries, data and hydrometer.
here's what reporting numbers look like

TristarDatalog_FullReboot.gif

Above is a 3kw array, in typical conditions, "today" was low sun
Below, is a chart from my inverter, showing my running a generator for a couple hours in the morning, no sun that day

XW_Chart_Jan16_noSun-2019.jpg