Need help with solar...not sure which controller.

[DeanS]

Hi all.

I purchased a 2nd boat which came with 4 solar panels (unconnected) , with the following specs (see image). Do you know what controller I should buy to connect them to 12V batteries ?

Many Thanks.

 

[rusty69]

Quite a big one, or lots of smaller ones. May help if you specify your budget too.

 

Maybe something like this

 

http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/mppt/itracer60a-mppt

 

or

 

http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/mppt/outbackfm60

 

or even possibly two of these

 

http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/mppt/BUDGETTracer3210CN

Edited May 19, 2017 by rusty69

[Robbo]

49 minutes ago, DeanS said:

Hi all.

I purchased a 2nd boat which came with 4 solar panels (unconnected) , with the following specs (see image). Do you know what controller I should buy to connect them to 12V batteries 

Many Thanks.

What controller do you have in your main boat?   As you have a small solar farm already it may be worth looking to get the same incase one goes kaput.

[Dave Payne]

1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

or even possibly two of these

http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/mppt/BUDGETTracer3210CN

This would get my vote, based on cost!

2 panels per controller.

 

 

[rusty69]

2 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

This would get my vote, based on cost!

2 panels per controller.

 

 

Based on cost alone, I would agree,and have something similar myself. Given an unlimited budget, I would prefer to go Outback,Midnite or Morningstar.

[smileypete]

Pity Bimble don't do the Tracer/EPEver A series, eg 3210A

[Richard10002]

Your panels have a max voltage of 30V each and 8A each, so 4 of them would have a max of 120V or 32A dependent on how you connect them together.

 

The Tracer 4215BN has 40A max and 150V max, so all bases would be covered.

[reg]

As always I give my vote to the Tracer BN series. I have 2x10a tracer BNs and a 20a BN. More than happy with them. 

However I would be seriuosly interested in the new CN series if I was purchasing an Mppt controler now. Only downside, for me, is that the require a PC connection to get full control of parameters, as I only run Linux I am not sure if they   could be  configured by me. The selling point for me is, apart from a decent specification, that I know Tracer make good mppt controllers and also Bimble are happy to sell them, both companies I trust. 

Edit To Add

If anyone has purchased the new Tracer CN Controler I would be interested in you thoughts 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2017 by reg