Controller help please!

[PeteG]

Hi all, I hope you're well today!

So, I'm going on a three stage camping trip next week. It starts with a canoe trip (2 nights), 5 days in a powered campground, followed by 11 nights in a non powered one.

My needs are:

1 - I need to power my CPAP while the two night canoe trip - I'll use the battery and inverter (my CPAP won't run on DC)
2 - I can recharge the battery from shore power during the second phase of the trip - no issues there
3 - I need to power the same CPAP, as well as my popup trailer (three way refrigerator (found a post that says it pulls 1A in propane mode), and a few 12v lights for 12 days - I'll hook the battery up to the trailer directly (manual says it will only run the 'fridge and lights on 12V), and also use the inverter separately.

Power requirements are...

CPAP - will use about 150 WH per night
3 way 'fridge pulls about 1A (I think that means 12 WH, right?)
the 2 12v lights are the unknown in the mix, but they'll only see about an hour of use daily

I already have

- 150W Coleman solar panel - VMP 17.1; IMP 8.7A; VOC 21.5V; ISC 9.2A
- Coleman 30A digital charge controller - specs attached
- 300W Xantrex inverter - for the CPAP only
- Renogy LiFePo4 100AH battery
- AWG10 solid copper wire - about 15 feet from panel to controller, 1 foot from controller to battery

I've had the panel and controller for a few years now, and felt a battery upgrade was in order - I used to use a lead acid one - it was dead and I just couldn't face taking it's 80lbs in the canoe!

I thought all I needed was to replace the battery, but now that I do more (and more) reading, I think I also need an upgrade to my controller. From what I've managed to gather, I think I'd do best with the Victron MPPT 75/15 - among other things, I like the small size!

I'll likely also need to upgrade my wiring - all I could find when I did my initial setup was to use AWG10 solid, now I read that stranded wire is preferable. I wouldn't turn down advice on this one as well.

Can anyone help with this decision?

Thanks in advance!

 

[brandnewb]

Please try cutting up your problems.
it will help us help you.

better to ask a few zeroed in questions than one book to read

 

[Mattb4]

Your Coleman controller does not have Lithium battery charging settings. So you would need that changed.
Have you used the Xantrex inverter to power your CPAP in the past? I note it is only 240w rated from your image. It also might have a problem with continuous operation.
Your battery will have around 1200wh to work with.
Have you used the Coleman solar panel in the past and know about how much it delivers in the way of wattage?

 

[ErrolATC]

Your Coleman controller does not have Lithium battery charging settings. So you would need that changed.
Have you used the Xantrex inverter to power your CPAP in the past? I note it is only 240w rated from your image. It also might have a problem with continuous operation.
Your battery will have around 1200wh to work with.
Have you used the Coleman solar panel in the past and know about how much it delivers in the way of wattage?

I have the Coleman Panels (purchased from Costco - 99.00 and can easily return) realized about the lithium setting. However, if I am using the Rich Solar 20A charge controller...does that alleviates the issue? Put another way... are the panels ok for Lithium?... its just the supplied charge controller that lacks lithium capability? Thanks for any expertise that can shed light on that.

 

[Mattb4]

Panels just provide the power it is the SCC that charges the batteries. So long as they provide enough voltage and watts they are battery agnostic. I do not know if Rich Solar controller can be setup for LiFePO4 or not. Your manual should provide the options.

 

[Tim Tim]

I have the Coleman Panels (purchased from Costco - 99.00 and can easily return) realized about the lithium setting. However, if I am using the Rich Solar 20A charge controller...does that alleviates the issue? Put another way... are the panels ok for Lithium?... its just the supplied charge controller that lacks lithium capability? Thanks for any expertise that can shed light on that.

In relation to your solar panels the type of battery does not matter. Your controller matters in relation to the type of batteries and the voltage.

If your Rich solar controller is the one in the link below then yes you can use that instead of the Colman controller. Connect the controller to the batteries first and change what ever settings are applicable to LiFePO4 before connecting the solar panels.

https://richsolar.com/products/20-amp-mppt-solar-charge-controller

Tim

 

[ErrolATC]

In relation to your solar panels the type of battery does not matter. Your controller matters in relation to the type of batteries and the voltage.

If your Rich solar controller is the one in the link below then yes you can use that instead of the Colman controller. Connect the controller to the batteries first and change what ever settings are applicable to LiFePO4 before connecting the solar panels.

https://richsolar.com/products/20-amp-mppt-solar-charge-controller

Tim

Thanks Tim. Yes, I built the Crate 2.1 from Wills video (posted in beginner forum Seen Here) and used that SCC. But made a ordering snafu on Battery. Purchased the 100AH battery rather than 50. If able, would you be able to check and see if you think I should modify set up in anyway? Add a fuse/breaker? I have a marine DC disconnect that I plan to install. But clearly all Wills things were based on the 50AH battery.

 

[Geokilroy]

My opinion about LiFePo4 batteries is that the power diff between 50ah and 100ah batteries is worth the weight diff (less than 10 lbs). On a trip as you are planning, the extra 50ah will come in handy for you.

 

[Tim Tim]

Thanks Tim. Yes, I built the Crate 2.1 from Wills video (posted in beginner forum Seen Here) and used that SCC. But made a ordering snafu on Battery. Purchased the 100AH battery rather than 50. If able, would you be able to check and see if you think I should modify set up in anyway? Add a fuse/breaker? I have a marine DC disconnect that I plan to install. But clearly all Wills things were based on the 50AH battery.

No matter whether you have a 50Ah or 100Ah battery there is no difference in the system. The crucial things are that if you are connecting more than two solar panels in parallel then you should fuse the panels. The others are providing a fuse between your battery and inverter, and battery and solar controller.