Newbie trying to figure out my charge controller

**RussN9ZP** · 08-12-2012, 12:27 AM

I would want to start off by getting a decent multi-meter to find out exactly what your voltages are.

**PNjunction** · 08-12-2012, 06:11 AM

Originally posted by roykirk

The problem is that I have no idea if the battery is charging because the BAT indicator is constantly red. The manual and controller panel tell me it should flash green if the battery is full. The battery is brand new and was charged with an AC charger before I connected it. I haven't even connected the inverter yet as I want to make sure I'm charging appropriately first.

Sure wish I could find the manual for that online. One thing I can say is that most charge controllers need the battery hooked up FIRST, then attach the panel. Disconnect in the reverse order. Otherwise they can sometimes get confused. Of course, check the manual, but I'll bet that this is the recommended way.

The red-bat led may just mean that yes, the battery is charging, but it is in the bulk-charge stage and only switches to green when it reaches absorption or perhaps when it switches to float. A voltmeter across the battery terminals will tell you. Hint: don't rely on shirt-pocket multimeters - get something decent. The other red led seems to be for indicating the on/off state of the load, switchable from the CC. I run my stuff from the battery directly.

I took a look at one um, review elsewhere, and see that one operator said that the battery led went green when only at 12.2 volts. This might be an indicator that it goes green at the start of absorption and not when it actually finishes up with the float - or a faulty review. Your own voltmeter will be your best guide to find out when it fully charges and ends up at the float voltage.

You didn't say if your battery is an FLA flooded lead acid, or perhaps a sealed AGM. If it is a sealed AGM, be SURE to disable the "equalization" charge mode, unless your battery manufacturer says that you should use it. I read that you use an "auto" battery - I'm hoping that you at least got a hybrid / marine type - the normal auto SLI (starter light ignition) batteries will die quickly with deep discharge cycles. The hybrid is a *little* better, but hey, this is a sacrificial learning battery.

Looks like a nice system - your 40w panel is near the 5% (C/20) minimum recommended for charge, the pwm controller is also temperature compensated. Although it might take 2 or 3 days of average solar-insolation days to recover from a 50% DOD without any loads. Nice start.

**roykirk** · 08-12-2012, 09:04 AM

Thank you for the advice! I'll try hooking up the system in the order you suggested and see if that helps. I'm using a fairly cheap auto battery but I'm hopeful it will last a little while as I'm only hooking up my kid's backyard train to the system for the time being, which only pulls 24W at maximum. That shouldn't cause too many deep discharges. But in any case, I recognize I'll need to get something bigger in the future.

I've scanned and attached the manual. It's harder then heck for me to make sense of.

Attached Files

**roykirk** · 08-12-2012, 12:33 PM

PNjunction - Followed your instructions and the controller works perfectly now. Thanks very much for the help!

**PNjunction** · 08-12-2012, 06:07 PM

My pleasure - the one thing that really concerns me is how do you turn the "equalization" charge mode off if you don't want it? If you can't turn it off, then do not use this controller with typical small-scale AGM sealed batteries. For your FLA battery, consult their docs to see if / when this is allowed. Maybe consult the HQRP manufacturer of that CC and ask for more detailed info on eq.

With only a 24 watt load you should be fine. You'll be running that 400watt inverter in an inefficient way, but it will work. Note that there is no way that battery will support 400 watts. A 75 watt inverter would be my practical max if I were buying for this specific system with an FLA battery.

My first upgrade would be to double the panel capacity you have now to approach a C/10 current rating. C/20 is cutting it awfully close, AND we are in summer conditions when solar-insolation hours (different from mere visible daylight) are good. Come wintertime, that extra panel capacity will really help out.

**inetdog** · 08-12-2012, 09:59 PM

Originally posted by PNjunction

My pleasure - the one thing that really concerns me is how do you turn the "equalization" charge mode off if you don't want it? If you can't turn it off, then do not use this controller with typical small-scale AGM sealed batteries. For your FLA battery, consult their docs to see if / when this is allowed. Maybe consult the HQRP manufacturer of that CC and ask for more detailed info on eq.

The manual is really unclear on this. The terms they use do not seem to correspond exactly to the conventional battery-side stages.

What they call PWM seems to correspond to bulk, in that PWM is limiting the current to rated amps. At the "boost" voltage, the transition to constant voltage Accept seems to be happening, but that is fixed at 14.4 volts. There is no indication of what the Float voltage is, but a Float stage is described.
But their description almost implies that the order of the stages is equalization, followed by PWM, then boost, then float. That would not be the case for what we consider equalization to be, and there is no indication of what the equalization voltage is or when it is applied and for how long.
If you use this controller, I would watch it like a hawk to see what it is actually doing!

**PNjunction** · 08-13-2012, 01:52 AM

Originally posted by inetdog

..If you use this controller, I would watch it like a hawk to see what it is actually doing!

You can say that again! From what I can gather elsewhere, what they term as equalization is merely 14.8 volts! I'm used to thinking in terms of just above 15v for EQ.

Update: Ah, after more searching it appears that some small manufacturers mistakenly call the absorption stage, an EQ stage. So looks pretty standard IF it operates this way - bulk / boost to 14.4v, absorb (what they call eq) at 14.8, then drops to float.

If that is truly the case, then along with temperature compensation, it is light years ahead of most ebay cheapies. Just be sure the battery manufacturer allows for 14.8 volts.

**RanTalbott** · 02-14-2014, 06:08 PM

Originally posted by PNjunction

Sure wish I could find the manual for that online.

I'm pretty sure it isn't online, except here: I have a different model of HQRP (SCQ, a 20A dual-voltage), and managed to track down the manufacturer's page for it. No manual there, no link to a "Downloads" or "Technical Info" page. There's a "Customer Service" link, but it's all about checking your order, not figuring out how to use the bleeping thing after you lose the manual.

I consider the absence of online docs a warning sign in this day and age, and I've regretted not heeding it a lot more than I have avoiding a supplier because of it.

So, thanks, Obi Wan roykirk: you're my only hope of getting the sucker working

**Beanyboy57** · 02-14-2014, 11:21 PM

I think it is probably fair to say that most of us begin with some cheap equipment in our initial foray into solar power, which we eventually discard along with the batteries we have ruined.
After some time and help from people who have the technical know-how (this site is very useful) we then spend some more dollars on decent equipment and good quality batteries along with a lot more solar panels that we originally thought we needed!!
It's a learning process, but I have to admit I have enjoyed every second of the experience and now I have a great system that works efficiently and needs absolutely minimal maintenance from myself.

**RanTalbott** · 02-16-2014, 03:31 AM

Originally posted by Beanyboy57

I think it is probably fair to say that most of us begin with some cheap equipment in our initial foray into solar power, which we eventually discard along with the batteries we have ruined.

The thing is, it should be possible to build a system that's not "optimal", but at least "adequate", using cheap equipment. It's not like we're building spacecraft, where we have to extract every possible milliwatt while paring every possible milligram.

Basic battery charging is simple enough that people ought to be able to assume that, if they buy a $30 charge controller instead of a $300 one, it may not get that last 5-10% of available solar energy into their batteries, and it may not survive being underwater in a flood, but it at least won't turn into a George Foreman Lean Mean Battery-grillin' Machine.

Speaking of which: has anyone definitively determined whether the HQRPs do equalizing? We have AGM batteries in one of our prototypes, so I need to replace it with a non-equalizing controller ASAP if it does.

Originally posted by Beanyboy57

It's a learning process, but I have to admit I have enjoyed every second of the experience and now I have a great system that works efficiently and needs absolutely minimal maintenance from myself.

Wish I could say the same (sigh): we're struggling to get a prototype system running for an immoveably-scheduled demo, so what I originally thought would be only slightly less trivial than picking out the truck box for the weatherproof enclosure has turned into a nightmare

**Beanyboy57** · 02-16-2014, 08:55 PM

Originally posted by RanTalbott

The thing is, it should be possible to build a system that's not "optimal", but at least "adequate", using cheap equipment. It's not like we're building spacecraft, where we have to extract every possible milliwatt while paring every possible milligram.

Basic battery charging is simple enough that people ought to be able to assume that, if they buy a $30 charge controller instead of a $300 one, it may not get that last 5-10% of available solar energy into their batteries, and it may not survive being underwater in a flood, but it at least won't turn into a George Foreman Lean Mean Battery-grillin' Machine.

Speaking of which: has anyone definitively determined whether the HQRPs do equalizing? We have AGM batteries in one of our prototypes, so I need to replace it with a non-equalizing controller ASAP if it does.

Wish I could say the same (sigh): we're struggling to get a prototype system running for an immoveably-scheduled demo, so what I originally thought would be only slightly less trivial than picking out the truck box for the weatherproof enclosure has turned into a nightmare

I could be wrong and cheap equipment might be there that does an 'adequate' job but my experiences over the last 4 years lead me to disagree with you on most points.
Cheap equipment often fails during times of stress, as a result your batteries can be fried, believe me it happened to my batteries after my cheap Chinese CC failed, luckily I caught it in time and my FLA batteries were not totally ruined. Since then I have spent the money on high quality equipment and reaped the benefits. (Having said that, Off-grid systems are expensive and will rarely if ever pay for themselves).

If you were to read back over the past few years of posts on this site, you would see many people who have posted comments, just as you have and had similar opinions to yourself, have started with cheap equipment (myself included) which has not performed as expected, then when they realise the inevitable, go out and pay the dollars to get a durable, robust product that does everything it says it will in the detailed manual that is supplied with it. Then they post on this site their gratitude to the moderators who took the time to 'educate' them (I learnt the hard way too).

If you want to impress people during your demo, spend a few dollars and get quality equipment that looks after your batteries and supplies the power you need.
The old saying is true in 90% or more of cases "You get what you pay for".

**Sunking** · 02-16-2014, 08:59 PM

Originally posted by RanTalbott

The thing is, it should be possible to build a system that's not "optimal", but at least "adequate", using cheap equipment.

No Sir that is not right. You get what you pay for.

Riddle me this. Go out and price a inexpensive 300 watt PWM system. Just the panels and charge controller. Show your work and tell me how much it cost. You are going to learn a good lesson. Better yet spend your money on it so you really learn.

**arkyoffgrid** · 07-04-2014, 01:40 PM

Originally posted by roykirk

Thank you for the advice! I'll try hooking up the system in the order you suggested and see if that helps. I'm using a fairly cheap auto battery but I'm hopeful it will last a little while as I'm only hooking up my kid's backyard train to the system for the time being, which only pulls 24W at maximum. That shouldn't cause too many deep discharges. But in any case, I recognize I'll need to get something bigger in the future.

I've scanned and attached the manual. It's harder then heck for me to make sense of.

I am only posting so this forum will allow me to view this manual!! I can't find this thing anywhere online besides here so far LOL

Nice forum!! I'm sure I'll find more to post on when I have time later

**inetdog** · 07-04-2014, 01:43 PM

Originally posted by arkyoffgrid

I am only posting so this forum will allow me to view this manual!! I can't find this thing anywhere online besides here so far LOL

Nice forum!! I'm sure I'll find more to post on when I have time later

Hello arkyoffgrid, and welcome to Solar Panel Talk!

Newbie trying to figure out my charge controller

Newbie trying to figure out my charge controller

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