Hi,
I'm learning the hard way here. I want a portable system that I can run a car refrigerator on and also power my network equipment (router, modem & VOIP phone) during California blackouts. I don't want to be providing power for both the frig and the network equipment at the same time.
I purchased an Renogy 100w suitcase solar panel that has a 20W controller on it.
I want to charge an ExpertPower Alpha 400wh Solar Generator which has a lithium ion battery.
The controller on the panel does not recognize the battery when I connect it. Whether I had the battery on so it could discharge or off, the panel did not recognize the battery, there was zero indication that the battery was connected. The panel was in the sun and the controller went through the initialize process.
The manual (pg. 4) for the panel states that a lithium-ion battery is compatible but on Amazon they say to play with the settings to find one that works, one user said they could not make it work.
I called ExpertPower and he told me that the controller that came with the panel is not needed because there is a built-in MPPT in the Alpha 400.
He recommended removing the controller from the configuration, the problem with removing the controller is the cable from the controller to the battery has the MC4 connectors.
So I opened the junction box on the back of the panel and found that the connections in the box are all soldered but there were also screws holding the connections inside the box, so I was able to screw in the cable from the panel to the battery using those screws.
The battery started charging.
SOLUTION: - What worked for me was to remove the controller from the panel when connecting to a battery with a built-in MPPT.
I'm learning the hard way here. I want a portable system that I can run a car refrigerator on and also power my network equipment (router, modem & VOIP phone) during California blackouts. I don't want to be providing power for both the frig and the network equipment at the same time.
I purchased an Renogy 100w suitcase solar panel that has a 20W controller on it.
I want to charge an ExpertPower Alpha 400wh Solar Generator which has a lithium ion battery.
The controller on the panel does not recognize the battery when I connect it. Whether I had the battery on so it could discharge or off, the panel did not recognize the battery, there was zero indication that the battery was connected. The panel was in the sun and the controller went through the initialize process.
The manual (pg. 4) for the panel states that a lithium-ion battery is compatible but on Amazon they say to play with the settings to find one that works, one user said they could not make it work.
I called ExpertPower and he told me that the controller that came with the panel is not needed because there is a built-in MPPT in the Alpha 400.
He recommended removing the controller from the configuration, the problem with removing the controller is the cable from the controller to the battery has the MC4 connectors.
So I opened the junction box on the back of the panel and found that the connections in the box are all soldered but there were also screws holding the connections inside the box, so I was able to screw in the cable from the panel to the battery using those screws.
The battery started charging.
SOLUTION: - What worked for me was to remove the controller from the panel when connecting to a battery with a built-in MPPT.
