Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 06-05-2018, 10:34 AM   #1
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 4
MPPT controler recommendations

Hey guys! I'm looking at 60amp Mppt controllers and can't seem to find one I like // would trust. I'm leaning towards this one but was wondering if anyone had a system in place that they would recommend! Thanks in advance, you gusy are the best.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...PKBD1J75&psc=1

lilythebus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2018, 05:53 AM   #2
Bus Nut
 
Ninjakitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Brevard County, FL
Posts: 911
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Ford
Engine: 6.6 New Holland Diesel
Rated Cap: 60 kids, 10 window
Just me, but I bought my solar equipment from Northern Arizona Wind and Solar. The tech support team was super knowledgeable and guided me to all the proper equipment and how to set it it all up, including wre size and breaker sizes. They've answered every email within 24 hours or less.
__________________
Nick
Ninjakitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2018, 07:46 AM   #3
Bus Crazy
 
JDOnTheGo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: The West
Posts: 1,210
Year: 1998
Coachwork: MCI
Chassis: 102 EL3
Engine: DD 60
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilythebus View Post
Hey guys! I'm looking at 60amp Mppt controllers and can't seem to find one I like // would trust. I'm leaning towards this one but was wondering if anyone had a system in place that they would recommend!
I have had stellar success with the Morningstar TS-MPPT-45/60 products (several rigs, many years).

That said, I'd suggest you think carefully about the battery bank to which this charge controller will be connected. Be sure that whatever controller you purchase is able to properly charge YOUR battery bank. That means it either has default settings to match the batteries needs or it is configurable enough to allow you to program it appropriately.

I believe that you generally get what you pay for with these types of products. Inexpensive does not always save you money.
__________________
JD - Full timer out west
Missy - 1998 MCI 102-EL3 - 1.7kW Solar - 10kWh Lithium
My Adventures & Build
JDOnTheGo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2018, 09:59 AM   #4
Skoolie
 
Mgulley82's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 171
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 40' Saf-T-Liner MVP ER
Engine: CAT 3126 7.2L
MPPT controler recommendations

I am using this 40 amp MPPT controller

Https://amzn.to/2LrsoaB

With this display

[url]Https//amzn.to/2Hp5MVz[url]
Mgulley82 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2018, 11:21 AM   #5
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 1,358
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Crown, integral. (With 2kW of tiltable solar)
Chassis: Crown Supercoach II (rear engine)
Engine: Detroit 6V92TAC, DDEC 2, Jake brake, Allison HT740
Rated Cap: 37,400 lbs GVWR
That is a suspiciously low price for something that claims to be MPPT. A lot of Chinese CCs that claim to be MPPT are in fact just simple PWM - are there any independent tests to verify the manufacturer's claims? What about after-sales service and repairs? Are parts available for it? Who else is using one? How long has the manufacturer been making CCs? Do any reputable US sellers such as NAWS also sell it?

I use two Morningstar TS-MPPT-60s, and they seem to be excellent. So far so good. Along with their remote meters they weren't cheap, but quality never is. Buy wisely and buy once.

John
Iceni John is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2018, 06:48 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Joee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 21
Year: 1995
Chassis: Blue bird
Engine: International 7.3L t444e
Rated Cap: 71
I’m in a similar place looking for a charge controller. From what I’ve read the only brands to trust are Morningstar or victron. I don’t have any experience with these products just passing along information.
Joee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2018, 08:37 PM   #7
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
I use tracers in several formats. 2 in Elfbus and 3 in Dory. They are mppt. There is hardly anything expensive inside a mppt beside the inductor that allows higher voltage / low current to be transformed to lower voltage higher current.
The tracers have that. I use one on every one or two panels to reduce the effect of partial shading and as redundancy in case one fails. sofar that did not happen. Some I bought used


LaterJ
joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-14-2018, 06:15 AM   #8
Bus Crazy
 
JDOnTheGo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: The West
Posts: 1,210
Year: 1998
Coachwork: MCI
Chassis: 102 EL3
Engine: DD 60
I'm been using Morningstar for years and have friends using Outback, Midnight Solar, Victron, & Bogart Engineering. All seem to be good products. I'm not sure about service and support. The one time I've used Morningstar support they were very quick and helpful - helped me diagnose a problem that was not even theirs. Each seem to offer variations that might be more or less useful in certain scenarios.
__________________
JD - Full timer out west
Missy - 1998 MCI 102-EL3 - 1.7kW Solar - 10kWh Lithium
My Adventures & Build
JDOnTheGo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2018, 01:27 PM   #9
Almost There
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Posts: 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceni John View Post
That is a suspiciously low price for something that claims to be MPPT. A lot of Chinese CCs that claim to be MPPT are in fact just simple PWM

I second that.


My go-to is the Outback Flexmax 60 or 80 (60A or 80A models).
https://www.solar-electric.com/outba...SABEgLkcPD_BwE


They're quite a bit more expensive, but they come with an extensive manual that I've found very helpful. I've also had good experience with their customer service. I like that the Flexmax controllers are really intuitive to use if you just want a plug-and-play installation, but have TONS of in-depth features and options if you really want to get into tracking data and optimizing your power intake.
__________________
Professionally converting vehicles and making custom furniture with a combined 14 years of mechanical/electrical engineering experience.

https://www.thunderstruck-studios.com/
ThunderstruckStudios is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2018, 09:22 AM   #10
Bus Crazy
 
kazetsukai's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Athens, TN
Posts: 1,574
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: International RE
Engine: International T444e
Rated Cap: 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThunderstruckStudios View Post
I second that.
"Thirded", although if the application isn't critical / you have other sources of power and you're willing to experiment... there's always cheap gems to be found out there.

Sounds like you're looking to make your money matter however, and not knowing your budget my recommendation comes down to two choices:

#1 : Victron Energy's MPPT Controllers (I have their 150V/100A, but smaller versions exist)

These guys do alot of embedded systems work with their controllers and so there's quite of bit of easy-to-use, pluggable functionality for their product line. Alot of them have bluetooth and data logging out of the box. I can see my daily yields in a bar chart on my phone, its nice.

I'm using mine on Lithium (Tesla) batteries but they support anything really. Fully configurable Bulk/Absorption/Float voltages with sane presets.

#2: Renogy 40A, 60A MPPT charge controllers
I have a 40A Tracer Renogy controller which was my first serious solar controller. Still have it and the AGM batteries for it, not sure what I'm going to do with them now, but this has been rock-solid for me in both 12V and 24V configurations.

Mine ran outdoors for two years with zero issues. Still works, its a tank. Whether or not I reintegrate it will depend on the practicality of making the two heterogeneous systems (AGM, Lithium) work together.

No links because both sets of options are fairly easy to find.
kazetsukai is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:51 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.