Cheapest AliExpress 30A Solar Charge Controller. Does it work?
Vložit
- čas přidán 22. 03. 2022
- I bought the cheapest 30 amp PWM solar charge controller I could find from a reliable source and did it blow up? dcguy.co.uk for more solar / DC content. These are not intended to use with Lifepo4 batteries and i mistakenly say AC output, meant DC - apologies. Follow up video - • What Do These Solar Ch... shows how to navigate setting.
Please subscribe, it's FREE! & will help me bring more content, you can also buy me a much needed coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/DCGUY
AliExpress Link s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDf... or via Ebay - ebay.us/HN9rbR
The reason you need to connect the battery 1st is because the solar controller needs to know what pre set voltage to use 12v, 24v etc.
DCHOUSE Lifepo4 Battery Links -
These batteries are available via Amazon amzn.to/4eoGB6h and eBay - ebay.us/cBWn3I
They also have a 12V 200Ah version on eBay - ebay.us/x0xoH6 and a 24V 100Ah ebay.us/4P4QmB (clicking these links will take you to eBay)
Li-Time Mini Battery link is uk.litime.com/?ref=t2nvwo1x
or Amazon - amzn.to/4ewMjTM
Clamp Meter -amzn.to/4cyIxqX or eBay ebay.us/wwtUna
AliExpress Affiliate Links -:
5A Active balancer s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EyP...
DL24MP 600W Battery Capacity Tester from - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dn5...
DL24 150W Capacity Tester - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDQ...
DL24 450W Capacity Tester - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDQ...
Fogstar Drift 105Ah LifePO4 Heat/BT www.fogstar-drift.co.uk/?ref=...
---Solar Charge Controllers -
Renogy Rover 20A SCC - amzn.to/3TIWU5u
Renogy Rover 30A SCC - amzn.to/3xc2LYb
Renogy Rover 40A SCC - amzn.to/4cvln4Z
Renogy Rover 60A SCC - amzn.to/4c8i43V
Victron 100/15 (12-24V) - amzn.to/3RBPv6C
Victron 75/15 (12/24) - amzn.to/3KU28Gt
Victron 100/20 - amzn.to/3VVNyEU
Victron 100/30 - amzn.to/3VSo4If
Victron 100/50 - amzn.to/4bdQD7p
Epever 40A SCC - amzn.to/48XWzAx
Budget 30A SCC -- amzn.to/4erPJat
Battery Capacity Testers
600W DL24M ATORCH AliExpress - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DC4...
160W Version Aliexpress - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCd...
Battery Shunts/Monitors
Victron 500A Smart Shunt - amzn.to/4crzlES
Victron 1000A Smart Shunt - amzn.to/3KUPrLB
Victron 2000A Smart Shunt - amzn.to/4c62Tbo
Budget 100A Shunt - amzn.to/3XBrvV0
Renogy 500A Monitor - amzn.to/3xsdL4l
Class T Fuses etc
320A Blue Sea System - amzn.to/4cwoqtD
110A Class T Fuse & Holder - amzn.to/3VUrSYz
Terminal Blocks - Positive - amzn.to/3z9ziPL
Terminal Blocks - Negative - amzn.to/3zcMaol
Clamp Meter I Use - amzn.to/3xj6kwr
Heavy Duty Crimping Tool - amzn.to/3XymHQo
Ferrule Crimper & Ferrules - amzn.to/4eztQ8V
Mega Fuse Holder twin Pack - amzn.to/3VQuhoe
MRBF Fuse Holder - amzn.to/4bbCuYp
300A Fuse for MRBF - amzn.to/3VykiT8
250A Fuse for MRBF- amzn.to/3Vyqw5m
200A Fuse for MRBF - amzn.to/4cOInMD
175A Fuse for MRBF - amzn.to/3xsYIY3
Victron Smart Battery Sense - amzn.to/3XzLfIH
Copper BusBars - amzn.to/4caoK1v
10 Amp Power Supply Unit - amzn.to/3zdIfrg
MC4 Connector Pack - amzn.to/4eBfHIk
10 Gauge Tinned Copper Solar Cable - amzn.to/4c8jRGb
XT60 Connectors - amzn.to/4eMcczd
Bison Battery Box - amzn.to/3z6tTZG
Midi Fuse Variety Pack - amzn.to/3VQ1XCn
Heavy Duty Ring Terminals 50mmX16 - amzn.to/4biQ78a
ANL fuse holders- amzn.to/3VRn9rt
100 Pce Copper Terminals - amzn.to/4cwJi48
Inverters------
Edecoa 3500W - amzn.to/4cxwM46
Renogy 3000W - amzn.to/3KR9NVY
12V 1000W PSW Inverter - amzn.to/3KSJYow
24V 3000W Inverter - amzn.to/3VA56VF
Eco-Worthy( NEW RELEASE) - 2000W Inverter - uk.eco-worthy.com/products/20...
or from Amazon here - amzn.to/3xwkRVx
Diy Battery Heater-----
W1209 Relay - amzn.to/3xqLATq
12V Heated Grips - amzn.to/45CeGeZ
12V 20W Silicone Heat Pads - amzn.to/4buniGd
12V 30W Silicone Heap Pad - amzn.to/3zn8lIj
Battery Chargers
Victron IP22 30A Smart Charger - amzn.to/4ce8U66
As an amazon Affiliate I will earn commissions from sales made using my links at no extra cost to you and all links are affiliated with vendors. - Věda a technologie
The third set of terminals isn't for AC, at least it's not on mine. Its a DC load. It just allows you to connect to the battery via a simple button to switch the list on or off.
That's correct, it's a dc output
I recommend connecting this to a solenoid that would control a direct battery connection to your loads.
Could it be connected to inverter to get AC output?
@@muhammadmobin3758 yes/no the output is too low to run anything significant
@DCGUY what has your experience of this charge controller been like 2 years later.
I bought two of these in case one dies. I am using the 30 amp which is over-rated for my needs, but it has been quite reliable. I recommend going with over-rating as it is going to be a tiny bit sturdier. The one draw back is the connection points are pretty feeble and I am using this as a non-stationary controller for conditioning and charging my car battery, so those connections really get wiggled around and I have had wires fatigue and break off and you really don't want that happening. The solution is screw the device to a small piece of wood and glue gun and further secure down the wiring so it doesn't fatigue at the connection points and you also get more electrical insulation. Just glue gunning the wiring to the box should really help stabalize the wiring. I recently got a deal on a glass 50 watt panel, which replaced a plastic panel that I bought as 20 watts, but I think was only 10 watts and only worked well enough for a year. Don't get plastic solar panels: waste of money! Glass rules. So now I am overpowered, but I can also charge 5 volt usb lights and such, right on the usb ports on the controller and if my car battery gets drained for some reason, I can charge it back up pretty quickly with the 50 watts and controller. This controller is a great cheap solution for small setups. Just connect the controller to the battery before you connect the solar panels or you will fry the controller.
Appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment, thanks 😊
You should also show the small manual coming with it. At least the section talking about supported batteries; it looks like there are several versions and ones only support lead acid, but not Lithium and others support Lithium
Absolutely correct, that one is not designed for lifepo4
@@MaritimeUnprepared Thanks literally what I was trying to find out :D
The manual that came with my 30a version was a poor version of Chinglish, so didn't make a lot of sense, especially the different battery types.
@@MaritimeUnpreparedthe manual says its for both type batteries.
I have the same one. It has been in use for more than 8 years. $25
i abuse it since i bought it last summer... reverse connected some times forgot to unplug it while big solar panel on it and battery unpluged . i even tested 36v panel to charge 14v 4s lithium lfp pack pushing 18v for a short time .. this beast still rocls .. and i have another small 10 amp for car charging with 40w panel!!! best 4 bucks ever spent!!!!!!
I use one of these (20A) plus a 20w panel and a large car battery in the summerhouse to run an LED light strip, cheap nasty but does all i need it too, and its now on its 3rd year, it keeps the battery topped up most of the year and thats down to the panel not the controller,
The kids use it and so far it has allowed them to recharge a laptop via a small inverter, use the onboard usbs to charge phones while running the light strip,
For £2 a year... no complaints
Thanks for watching and taking time to comment 🙏 it's appreciated. That's fantastic to know, thanks.
Wow excellent review that is seriously impressive for 5 quid. I'm using a tiny 12A MPPT LFP controller wired with MC4 on the input and 30A powerpoles on the outputs so literally plug and play with my batteries. I was getting close to 90W sustained input into an Ultramax 12Ah LFP battery this morning using a foldable 100W panel so I'm happy with my ultra portable solar set-up now. My controller puts out 14.7V open circuit but it doesn't terminate at 14.6V like cheap chargers so its good for top balancing.
Thanks for watching, it is appreciated and your set up sound good. 👍
That sounds interesting chap 😎 you should put up a vid of your set up so us geeky types can have a look 😁👍
I have 2 of these that I use with a 40w solar panel to charge 2 back up ammo can battery boxes. They work great!
Thanks for watching and taking time to comment 🙏 it's appreciated. That's cool to know. I'm going to be doing a comparison between the 5 pound pwm and a 200 pound victron mppt. Just waiting on the other renogy panel.
is the voltage reading accurate? mine is off by 0.2 volts
are pure garbage. they burn the batteries charging at 16-17v and showing a fake 14,4. this products are criminals
Cool a fellow Scotsman, so much easier to understand : )
just like my Nana with out the smack in the back of the head! Cheers from CANADA!
...it doesn't matter which video i watch that explains the SUCCESS people are having with these cheaper models, half of the people
commenting are saying they're bad !! hmm i wonder why ? these things are $10 dollars at the most so why the negative remarks ?
here's why : because they work that's why ; even if it cant run big things! it works,nobody told them to spend thousands on top tier
equipment! so now they're mocking cheaper products that actually work (a sad fact) buyers remorse maybe, oOOf
Clever marketing and influencer reviews push the more expensive units because they make more commission on sales. For the price you really cannot go wrong, if it fails cheap to replace.
I just got mine, exact same model, delivered. Worth noting it says in package "Do not connect to lithium battery".
It is supposedly only aimed for use with lead, AGM or gel based batteries.
Yes, they don't have specific lifepo4 charge algorithms but the battery BMS will look after the battery, most just use B3 settings
Some videos about this charge controller that I saw people suggested that its not exactly a full charge controller, but more of regulator and not a full one. I don't know if that's true. But it made want to check if the batteries do get full, does this fully and safely disconnect to not overcharge and mess up your batteries? Thanks.
Also congratulations. Your video was short but thorough. I watched 4 videos on youtube counting yours on this charge controller. you were the only one that actually explained the buttons.
Thanks for watching and taking time to comment 🙏 it's appreciated. Yes it will fully stop charge when set voltage is reached
@@DCGUY Thank you for the reply.
Thanks for the review! I just got one of those controllers for using solar to run a car stereo as a backyard music player. Everything works fine and I can use the DC Load output to power lights etc. EXCEPT... when I turn on the car stereo (no power amp, just a head unit) connected to the DC Load output, the Load indicator on the controller flashes slowly and the stereo doesn't turn on. Is this because the "inrush current" when switching on the stereo is above the rated 10A Load output of the controller? The stereo runs fine straight off the battery (lead acid 22AH). Do I need to upgrade perhaps to a 30A Load output controller to make sure it starts up ok? The car stereo is rated at 10A draw, but that probably is not representative of the the higher "inrush" current.
The Amp rating 10 is the maximum battery charge rate using solar input so a higher amp rated unit would not solve this issue. The DC output is not suitable to draw anything other than maybe some low voltage lights or to charge a phone etc it uses solar input as well as some battery but you'd be better running the head unit direct from the battery and let the scc do its designed function of charging the battery.
i got that batt, but the 60anp one, thats all i had money for :)
This looks just like mine but mine says not for lithium batts. I use it with a small inverter for led lights and a fountain in the yard. mine was $13. Yep, it works
Yes, there are several versions of it. Mine as yours only support lead acid but no lithium. It is written in the manual 😞
The one on the video seems to support lithium. This is unfortunately a small detail that he forgot to show.
I got one too seems to work alright. Did anybody find a setting to view the amp output of the solar panel?
If you max out the charge controller and the panels going into it... could you in theory get around that by having other new panels going into a separate second charge controller, and having those go into the same battery bank but at a diffent connection site? And would this still be safe?
Yes, of course you can. The controllers will work together to charge the batteries you just need to stay within the bms charge rating eg 60A
I have the same controller in my shed but mine is definitely PWM not MPPT 🤔
The ACC or load terminals are great for low amp loads as they are low voltage protected (settable in the unit) 👍 i use my ACC terminals for the shed lighting in case i ever leave them on 😏
It works, that's all i can say really cant compare it to my other charge controllers cos they all cost more than a tenna 🤣🤣
Thanks for watching and commenting. No they aren't mppt they are PWM, my brain gets behind me sometimes. Lol 😂
@@DCGUY some of them did claim to be MPPT 🙄 lol
The USBs are handy, i run a fan off one and charge my phone with tother, saves buying and fitting a 12V USB socket 😁
I think mine cost £9 ish from Amazon, a fiver is pretty crazy 😮 PWM is fine with low voltage panels or small systems, i only have a 20W panel i found in a bin and a freebie 34Ah disability scooter battery also from a bin so i didn't want to spend much 🤣 but it works, no idea if it works well though 👍
Keep it up chap 😎
One man's trash is another man's treasure, wish I had bins like that around here. I'd be a true dumpster diver.. 😆
I got one of these for about £9 on Amazon. It definitely wasn’t MPPT, it was a PWM. It worked okay for a while but failed after 2 months.
Yes that was an error, they are PWM units and even today I see them marketed as mppt. If they have usb ports they are all pwm.
Thank you! I set the floating voltage to 13.7V, but the controller ignores this setting and literally constantly boils the battery at 14.8-15V. To my surprise, I couldn't find any information anywhere about anyone who had experienced this. Is there anyone with the same problem?
Can these lead acid-type solar controllers be used to charge Vtoman or Jackery power stations with internal lithium phosphate (LiFePO4) cells?
I believe the majority of units like the Jackery already have built in SCC (MPPT) in most so you wouldnt need an additional SCC. However, if you have a unit that has no built in SCC then consult the user manual on recommended methods, but i see no reason you cannot-charge a battery using solar and a suitable rated SCC
Hello! We have this same unit (ours is a 40A), but I can't get something to work and was wondering if you could provide insight. Everything is seemingly connected correctly. However on the main screen I don't see the solar panels that should show up on the right hand side and the battery is not being charged. Is there something I did wrong? Is it not functioning properly? Thanks
It's important to connect batteries first and then the solar so the unit knows what voltage the battery is. Also make sure the solar panel voltage is within limits, too high will damage the unit or too low will not register
Surely the "AC" you refer to is the DC load?
Slip of tongue.
got 4, blow one up, have spare, they work, but please, just get the 10a one, there is no difference between the 10 and 30a ones, there is a vid or 2 on this, I run small LED lights, a tv, and a alpocool 9It fridge, on a 110 ah batt, its connected to 60w of solar panels, ps, got mine for £3.50 each, an English man dream, :), they work, on small equipment,
*did notice when connecting a load (4amp dc pump) it would fluctuate with the pwm pulses..probly not great for the pump windings 😂) set it to run after dark instead.
Is the last terminal set an input or output? What exactly is it for?
czcams.com/video/5zAngoJiqLk/video.html will show you the controller in more detail
I got an arc between the positive and negative leads from this controller while connecting my solar panel this morning. How'd that happen?
Odd. Did you connect the battery side first?
@@DCGUY Yes, the battery is already connected. I found this same controller in my discard pile (it's getting big) from years ago which I'd completely forgotten about, hooked that up, and got the same shock. I probably paid $18 for the first one, and if the price drops to $5, I'd be a fool to buy it again.
Bargain ..hay, funnily my first controller, £10 or less maybe, fab little thing
HI I BOUGHT A 150 WATT SOLAR PANEL AND THIS 30A CHARGER CAME WITH IT, I HAVE 2 BATTERIES 65 A IN PARRALELL, BUT I DID STUPID THING I CHANGED THEM TO SERIES AND U THINK I BLEW IT, WHY DID THIS HAPPEN ? CAN YOU HELP ?
So sorry that's happened. Going from parallel to series increased the voltage assuming they are 12v that would make it 24v but that alone wouldn't cause the charge controller to pop. Did you disconnect the solar panel input before connecting the batteries? Also what voc on the panel. Generally speaking a 12v solar panel won't charge a 24v battery as it won't have a high enough output. If its a 24v panel that's not the issue.
How and when do the USB ports work? My battery maxes out at about 10v (I know!). The USB ports aren't doing anything - am wondering if it's just because the voltage is so low. I don't have another battery to test my theory.
Hi, your battery voltage is too low. It won't do anything until it sees at least 10.7v from the battery. For a 12v battery using solar the maximum solar input voc is 24v.
@@DCGUY it does charge up a powerpack when connected directly to it using a 12v car charger adapter. It's just not an elegant approach. Is it possible to use the USB ports or is the voltage too low for the controller to permit this to happen? :D
I just double checked my own. Yes the voltage is too low for your USB. Its only a 5v a@2A output and still needs 10.7V to be active.
@@DCGUY ah thanks for checking. Good to know. I have been trying to figure out what to do with an old car battery, that's all. :)
max Solar panel input 46 volts for 24 v battery charging and 23 volts for 12 v battery they work well but not sure long term use
The load is for DC, not A/C.
Totally correct and a brain freeze moment.
Can I wire the solar input at 24 V the directions I have say 15 to 23 so that means I can’t use a 12 V panel and I can’t use a 24 V panel?😳😳😳😳😳
If you have an 18v solar panel then connect a 12v battery, if you have 36v panel then connect a 24v battery pack
How do you use a charge controller that's made only for lead acid batteries with a lithium battery?
Hi, while PWM SCC are not the perfect choice for lithium at the end of the day the battery BMS takes care of the battery itself. A charge controller simply converts / boosts the solar energy into something the battery can absorb.
@@DCGUY which setting would be right for a 12V or 24V series of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries that are made to be 'drop in' replacements for lead acid?
I believe B02 is the best choice for lithium batteries with a bms.
Bonjour ! J’ai la même batterie que vous et je viens d’acheter 3 panneaux solaires vendus avec ce MPPT. Pouvez-vous me dire quels réglages vous avez fait ? B3 pour le type de batterie ?
Merci pour votre réponse
oui le préréglage b3 fonctionnera. vérifiez que la tension solaire totale COV ne dépasse pas la limite du contrôleur
@@DCGUY merci beaucoup pour votre réponse !
@@MarieMazerolle Leaves an interesting question. In the video it quite clearly shows the controller as having automatically (so it claims with the controller literature) B3, which is a flooded cell. But we can also see that the battery to which it is connected is Lithium. Any ideas? Other than the fact that the auto-selection doesn't work?
Hm, looks like you got a real one that they somehow "came across." Maybe someone "found" a pallet of them.🤣
What happens to the charge controller when the LiFePo4 battery internal controller disconnects due to charge or temperature? Does it fry the solar controller?
Hi, no the charge controller will simply stop the charge current. The way ppl fry their controller is by not connecting the battery 1st as the controller needs to know what voltage the battery is eg 12v or 24v.
@@DCGUY Thanks! Enjoy your videos!
Hi, just got mine and instructions say do not charge lithium batteries 👀😎 take it that’s a load of waffle 🙂 I’m am pretty much ignorant with stuff, only simple for me
They are not ideal for use with lifepo4 but if you set it to B3 the battery BMS will look after the battery. You just won't get a full charge
I have one just like it. Mine says it's a 100 amp MPPT, lol. It's not. I gave $7.69 for mine, two years ago. It's probably 10 amps.
Thanks for watching and taking time to comment.
So, it's worth every penny, I guess. ;-)
All five pounds lol
I see you have a lithium battery connected to it. As I understand it, these devices are not suitable for charging lithium batteries. Just lead acid variants. Otherwise cheap as chips and does the job.
While not ideal for lifepo4 chemistry they do a half decent job given their cost.
What if I put a 100amp solar charger on my 10 watt solar panel, and hook it up to my 44 ah lead acid cell battery would that be possible?
What is exactly the difference between the 20/30/50/100 what chargers?
czcams.com/video/cayTC-Gl26I/video.html
Its in the bin! Hahah......it was not keeping my settings and returning back to defaults putting my battery at risk.
We get what we pay for!
I use the slightly larger 12awg wires.
where is the link to alli?
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DE3p0Bp
Hello,there!The link in description is for a different controller not the one you showed in the video....
I've got a 30 Watt 12 Volt solar panel connected to the car battery ,the arrow between panel and battery flashing but the voltage cannot be increased more als 12,6 Volt( battery is B2 I think)
By the way controller is exactly like yours..
Can't comment at all. Let see if this goes true.
so how much again 😁
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
i paid $1.99 lol
These are no good ,I bought 2 of them , they are not working now
That's unfortunate. Any idea what caused them to fail? How many watts of solar was going in etc?
It's not MPPT, it's just PWM. All these cheap, thin, light controllers are PWM. If you open it up all you'll find is a very tiny inductor by the USB port for the buck regulator on the USB. MPPT controllers also include a much larger inductor, usually a couple larger capacitors, and at last two more sizable schottky diodes.. The large inductor is easy to spot, and makes the board noticeably heavier.
The controller has a "battery type" menu that defaults to "b01" and goes up through to "b07" but I don't know what that's for and am having difficulty finding information on it.
czcams.com/video/pWGNCrlBUCo/video.html ( traduzir para o português pra inglês ? obs neste vídeo o rapaz modificou seu controlador solar pwm azuzinho de 10 ah pra 100 ah adicionado mais MOSFET ao circuito eletrônico ? )
"It's very important that you connect your battery to your solar charge controller before connecting your solar panels. Otherwise you'll fry your board." Well that would be a catastrophically moronic design flaw if it were true, but I have a hard time believing it could be that shit, even for something that says "Build-in timer" on the front of it.
Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. It's appreciated. Yes its clearly a design flaw, I can only speak from experience but these particular charge controllers will fry themselves if you put the solar charge in before applying the battery. Moronic no doubt but I don't make them. I've heard it's happened with more expensive controllers too.
@@DCGUY 5 years never fried mine routinely swap between lipo battery packs without disconnecting from solar, over heating is sometimes poor cable connection
It might work but I won't be using or recommending it!
I've hooked it to a solar panel but only 200w with 100ah battery to test it, but yes you get what you pay for.
pure garbage