Solar panel controller/regulator

GMJ

GMJ

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On our last trip our 12v electrics started to trip out. They did it randomly as in there was no set time of day that they went off and when reset sometimes they stayed on and other times they tripped again and again...

I contacted Sargent who suggested to unplug the solar regulator from the back of the EC500 Panel. I did this and it worked: no more tripping.

Now I need to replace my solar regulator.

It has a part number C12/24-10 on it but no make. I have tried Googling and it 'may' have been made by a company called Carspa but Google provides no sales outlets for it. So my questions are..

- Does anyone know the make and where I can get one from?

Or

- Could I swap this out for another make provided its 12/24v 10A? (I'd prefer not to do this option as there is a bracket that the duff one fits on so any new pattern wouldn't fit)

Ta muchly

Photo below is generic but it looks like mine...

1658490464550.png
 
Solar controllers are generic. They normally have a pair of connections for the solar panel on the left, a pair of connections for the battery in the middle and a pair of connections for the load on the right (which is hardly ever used).
Obviously you need one capable of managing the voltage and current from your solar panels (plus any you might add).
In my view it is well worth paying the extra to have a real MPPT controller (cheap ones are not MPPT despite saying they are on the box) but apart from that, more or less any decent make will do every bit as well.
If yours fits to a specific bracket, you may want to find one with similar mounting holes, or maybe use an adapter bracket made of perforated steel strip.
 
Update

With help from Wildebus on WC I bought a generic controller off Amazon for a tenner and fitted it a few days ago. I didn't want to spend big money as we will probably be selling the MH next year and we don't rely on solar anyway as we mostly use campsites with EHU.
 
GMJ said:
Update

With help from Wildebus on WC I bought a generic controller off Amazon for a tenner and fitted it a few days ago. I didn't want to spend big money as we will probably be selling the MH next year and we don't rely on solar anyway as we mostly use campsites with EHU.
Click to expand...
There's nothing wrong with a cheap controller, but an mppt controller will give between 10% and 30% more power from the same panels.

Yes, it seems a waste of money if you compare £10 against £55 for the controller - paying over five times as much for 25% more output is daft.

If you factor in what you paid for the solar panels and batteries as well, it's a different comparison. More like getting 25% more by paying £500 instead of £465.
 
I only paid £400 for 2 100w panels votronic controller and 2 90ah standard heaver duty batts, and still have two old pwn units in the workshop from my first try at this malarky.
 
I paid nowt for mine as it was on the MH already when I bought it :)
 
Down to ROI. (Return on Investment) and requirements.

If you don't really need solar as you tend to use EHU anyway, fitting solar at all could be a waste of money. If it is there already but controller failed, spending a tenner to replace it is a "may as well", but over 5 times that much is a harder choice and could just be a waste.

I would go for the MPPT myself as I would not use the EHU on a site unless it was built into the site fee, so the extra performance would be useful.
 
I have a controller your looking for took it out of my van and changed it to a Victron mppt controller,they are not good ,it you are keeping the van change to a good mppt ,epever are good for the price
 
Tbf it was perfectly good enough... until it wasn't!

I answered with my solution in post #6 above.
 
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