MPPT Charge Controller Recommendations (1 Viewer)

[poindexter]

Hey forum, I have x4 50w and x2 175 solar panels setup on my MH. I have finally gotten around to hooking them up to the leisure batteries (x2 lithium).

With this setup I am going to need x2 solar charge controllers. One for 50w bank and the other for the 175w bank. MPPT is the best option apparently in terms of technology?

Can anyone recommend what are good brans / features to look out for here?

The Solar panels are Renogy. Theres no need to brand match here is there?

Appreciate your input!

 

[Cal54]

Hi poindexter. I know nothing of these things but have been recommended the Victron range for the solar panel I am going to get fitted. There is a large range to choose from!

 

[Richard n Ann]

The Votronic ones have a lithium setting. I bought mine because they also have a 1 amp output to maintain the van starter battery

 

[bigtree]

I’d recommend Victron and if you buy from Offgrid Power Solutions you will get a discount via here. RogerIvy.

 

[oldiesontour]

Do you already have B2B charger ? If not a good priced reliable solution for 1 would be Renogy B2B with MPPT .(also keeps starter battery topped up when van not in use.are panels same voltage ?

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[Two on Tour]

All my gear is Victron and as well as its adaptability to suit all battery types and installations, the individual Victron devices can be networked together to talk to each other to get the best performance out of them.

As said, if you buy from Offgrid Power Solutions you will get a 10% Funster discount off their already competitive prices.

 

[TrudeandDall]

The Votronic ones have a lithium setting. I bought mine because they also have a 1 amp output to maintain the van starter battery

Votronic MPPT have four different LifePO4 settings, not just the single setting of 14.2v that Victron has... Great if you want something different to 14.2v....
I find the output to the starter battery keeps my starter battery and hab batteries full, even in the winter months. Win win for me

 

[Two on Tour]

Votronic MPPT have four different LifePO4 settings, not just the single setting of 14.2v that Victron has... Great if you want something different to 14.2v....
I find the output to the starter battery keeps my starter battery and hab batteries full, even in the winter months. Win win for me

The Victron may only have one preset for LifePo4, but your either forgetting or unaware that you can set your own profile with the many variables that Victron offer you to suit your own particular setup, can you do that with your Voltronic MPPT, na.

 

[Lenny HB]

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[Lenny HB]

What are the load voltages of your panels?
If they are fairly close you could use a single controller for all the panel. Even if they are not that close a bit of loss may be acceptable to you.

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[funflair]

Silly boy you have confused Victron with Votronic, Victron MPPT's are single output.

Are you sure it’s not you that’s confused Lenny

 

[Lenny HB]

Are you sure it’s not you that’s confused Lenny

Not woken up yet, they both begin with V.
Deleted the post.

 

[peterc10]

I have one Votronic MPPT regulator and one Victron MPPT regulator serving my 450W of panels. I chose the Votronic one because it trickle charges the engine battery. In addition it monitors the state of the batteries every half hour and if they are full it automatically switches my Dometic fridge freezer from gas to 12v power (we rarely use EHU). Saves a lot of gas in good weather.

I also use a 30A Votronic B2B because it has a cooling fan and when I was buying Victron did not. I have a Victron battery monitor and mains charger as well as the MPPT solar regulator.

For all you clever people I can see the advantage of playing with the Victron settings to your hearts content. But my lack of knowledge would make any such adjustments very dangerous.

As for build quality I think both are on par. For those who care about where their stuff is made, my Victron stuff was made in the far east, whereas the Votronic stuff was made in Germany. Of course that may be different now.

 

[funflair]

I had Votronic on lead acid batteries and they worked well, I had Votronic 430amp MPPT on lithium and they were a pain in the bum and eventually I got a refund and went Victron and to be fair I think I harvest more watts with the Victron than I did with Votronic, our Victron is made in India but yes a good percentage of it is China.

 

[Two on Tour]

For all you clever people I can see the advantage of playing with the Victron settings to your hearts content. But my lack of knowledge would make any such adjustments very dangerous.

As you know Peter, there are always plenty of those knowledgable folks ready and willing to help and give guidance on the forum in such matters.

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[TrudeandDall]

The Victron may only have one preset for LifePo4, but your either forgetting or unaware that you can set your own profile with the many variables that Victron offer you to suit your own particular setup, can you do that with your Voltronic MPPT, na.

Unaware - but I am now...

 

[peterc10]

As you know Peter, there are always plenty of those knowledgable folks ready and willing to help and give guidance on the forum in such matters.

Yep Paul, and I often ask. And people are willing to give guidance, but sometimes the guidance given differs . At the moment my set up is giving me all I need, and that is all I ask for! So I will not play with it!

To give you guidance as to my level of competence after 10 years of motorhoming, in France last week I drove off with the EHU still plugged in. So another job to mend the 240v.

 

[Two on Tour]

To give you guidance as to my level of competence after 10 years of motorhoming, in France last week I drove off with the EHU still plugged in. So another job to mend the 240v.

And you think that I have not done that before ............. only the once to date.

 

[WESTY66]

As you know Peter, there are always plenty of those knowledgable folks ready and willing to help and give guidance on the forum in such matters.

You might wish you’d never put that in print
Watch this space, with me even Lenny HB has learnt his lesson

 

[poindexter]

The Votronic ones have a lithium setting. I bought mine because they also have a 1 amp output to maintain the van starter battery

Ahh nice thats cool. I'll take a look at that.

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[poindexter]

I’d recommend Victron and if you buy from Offgrid Power Solutions you will get a discount via here. RogerIvy.

Is there a way that I can get the victron to mainain van engine starter battery as well?

 

[WESTY66]

Is there a way that I can get the victron to mainain van engine starter battery as well?

Yes with a vanbitz battery master

 

[poindexter]

What are the load voltages of your panels?
If they are fairly close you could use a single controller for all the panel. Even if they are not that close a bit of loss may be acceptable to you.

I am not all that fussed about spending a bit extra. Also if one unit fails theres a backup.

Not sure what the load voltages are I can check though.

 

[funflair]

Yes with a vanbitz battery master

Good suggestion for sure but after I fitted Victron and a VB battery master I realised that our Buttner B2B will do the same/similar job but as I want the starter maintained even when the habitation lithium is isolated the battery master is still the best option for me.

 

[WESTY66]

Good suggestion for sure but after I fitted Victron and a VB battery master I realised that our Buttner B2B will do the same/similar job but as I want the starter maintained even when the habitation lithium is isolated the battery master is still the best option for me.

Looked at mine the other day and mine is actually a Votronic battery maintainer, but I put Vanbitz one as it’s probably the most accessible one to buy. I used to run votronic mppt on my previous vans, but the next mppt will be Victron, with a few other bits

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[poindexter]

Really appreciate all your helpful responses. Thank you so much.

 

[Speve]

All of our new kit is now Victron with a VB battery master but also have a Multiplus which can trickle charge battery as well however I did keep the buttner solar regulator to run the two buttner panels as they work really efficiently and gives me a fail safe if either fails.

 

[poindexter]

It seems like the Victron MPPT charge controllers have bluetooth access to view battery data with your phone. I don't really want to do it this way though. Is there an add on screen that I can add to the setup which I can mount somewhere in the van to monitor battery levels etc? I had a google around but couldn't find one.

 

[WESTY66]

Check what a Victron BMV 712 does, if that’s not it somebody will be along to point you in the right direction
I know nothing about electrikery

 

[tinkertaylor]

The votronic one has 4 settings via dip switches that cover the 4 battery types, lead, gel, lithium and the other one, these are present and couldn't be modified.

I swapped mine for a victron so I had more control over the charge voltages required for lifePo4, I didn't want to charge the battery to 14.6 volts on each charge cycle, in order to prolong the battery life and that was the only option with votronic.

It caused issues with my battery BMS cutting out as the cell max were set to 3.65 and they are never all the same, one cell hit 3.65 volts first, the bms cut in and stopped the total battery getting to the 14.6v as the other cells were 3.55- 3.63 v

My advice, stick to victron .

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