Home brew solar charge controllers

[Prosolar]

Folks...

I've always enjoyed build things electronic.

Here are some of my charge controllers I've designed and built.

I'm mike

This is the Micro P charge controller. It does 20A. It is also RF silent. That means it doesn't make any RFI that could get into radios. That's important if you're a ham radio operator.


This PWM controller is good for 30A
N

The pcb below is a proof build of another PWM controller. In theory it will support 120A at 48V.


This guy. oh, he was a lot of fun to design. IT's a relay based controller I called the "old school PVC" The logic switched a mercury displacement relay. Easily do 100+A at 48V. The digital display counts how many times the relay was operated during the day. I put it in there as a trouble shooting device, but liked it so much it stayed in the final design.

 

[kernel]

Rugged and servicable looking. I have controls built by Guy Marsden that are pv direct drive differential thermostats for solar thermal control. They have the same approach amd neat layout.

Strong, stupid and tolerant of painful abuse is many times just the trick. Like the lugs on the bigun.

What type of efficiency are you seeing?

 

[Prosolar]

I figured around 98%
lose very little through the controller.
the larger pcb will handle 6 power MOSFETs with a Rds on of less than 9 miliohms each

 

[efficientPV]

Now we should get you building hot water excess diversion directly from the array. Nice to see there is someone else who can build things in this open box world. My entire camp runs on a micro sending energy to priority loads. Large array, tiny battery.

 

[JoeHam]

Can I ask how you determined these controllers are RF quiet?

 

[Prosolar]

Can I ask how you determined these controllers are RF quiet?

Signet spectrum analyzer.1 mhz to 2.3ghz. This is NOT the readout generated by the charge controller.

 

[JoeHam]

Nice!

As you know, RF quiet SCC’s are rare with Genasun being the only one I am aware of that gets somewhat favorable reviews.

I would be interested if you are going to produce something like this either in a kit form or finished product.

I could swear I bought something called the Micro P controller almost a decade ago. Was that you?

 

[Prosolar]

Nice!

As you know, RF quiet SCC’s are rare with Genasun being the only one I am aware of that gets somewhat favorable reviews.

I would be interested if you are going to produce something like this either in a kit form or finished product.

I could swear I bought something called the Micro P controller almost a decade ago. Was that you?

Whoa! Yup, that was me. I sold hundreds of the Micro P charge controllers, mostly to hams, because they didn't generate RFI. I also had a smaller version (3A) called the "Micro M+"

The very top photo on my first post shows the Micro P Plus. If you look closely at the photo you can see the name on the pcb.

So many of the Chinese charge controllers are basically small transmitters. I guess when you pay $8 for a 20A unit, you get what you pay for.

Mike

 

[kernel]

Bird Watt meter in background.... plus the controllers board work looks like cb radios! Cool story.

 

[JoeHam]

Whoa! Yup, that was me. I sold hundreds of the Micro P charge controllers, mostly to hams, because they didn't generate RFI. I also had a smaller version (3A) called the "Micro M+"

The very top photo on my first post shows the Micro P Plus. If you look closely at the photo you can see the name on the pcb.

So many of the Chinese charge controllers are basically small transmitters. I guess when you pay $8 for a 20A unit, you get what you pay for.

Mike

Holy crap! I had one of the micro M+ controllers maybe 10 years ago (and it may still be hidden away in my basement). Small world!!!

I may have met you when Hamvention was at the old Hara Arena which was recently destroyed by a tornado.

Now, when/where can I get a 48v 120 amp version? Although I would prefer MPPT ?

 

[Prosolar]

Bird Watt meter in background.... plus the controllers board work looks like cb radios! Cool story.

Actually, it's ham radio... and solar, and other stuff. BUT!! No CB radios

 

[Prosolar]

Holy crap! I had one of the micro M+ controllers maybe 10 years ago (and it may still be hidden away in my basement). Small world!!!

I may have met you when Hamvention was at the old Hara Arena which was recently destroyed by a tornado.

Now, when/where can I get a 48v 120 amp version? Although I would prefer MPPT ?

You may have. I've been going to hamvention since 1975. Haven't missed a year yet. Hara was about ready to fall down twenty years back. I like the new venue,

Mike.

BTW... won't be doing any MPPT controllers.

 

[JoeHam]

That is a crap ton of vintage gear which looks to be in very good shape.

I will guess you don’t need a heat source in the radio room all winter!

Hope to see you in Xenia.

73,

W8JH