How to by pass the regulator on solar panels.

OMD · Senior Member

How to by pass the regulator on solar panels.

Ondabeach · Senior Member

Hi OMD,

How you connect the solar panel to the redarc 1225 depends on whether you're connecting your start battery to the redarc unit as well as your aux/house battery. The different wiring configurations are explained and illustrated in the manual, which you can download here:

http://www.redarc.com.au/images/uploads/images/BCDC1225-LV_Instruction_Manual.pdf

You're probably going to want to connect your start battery so that the vehicle's alternator will charge the house batt when the engine is running. If that's the case then you need to use a relay to select between solar and alternator charging.

Jaahn · Guru

OMD wrote:
Hi all, have fitted the redarc 1225 bcdc charger to my ute and as to plug the solar panels in I have been advised to by pass the regulator as the said unit has a mppt one built into it. My question is how to by pass. one side is easy but the other side not ( to me any way ).
cheers OMD

Hi OMD,

A picture or more information would help to give any opinion. biggrin

On the forum we know everything, except what you are asking about

Jaahn

OMD · Senior Member

Hi guys, i have everything up and running as per instructions. What i need to know is i have to by pass the regulator that is on my 120 w solar panels.
I am not sure how to go about this.

PeterD · Guru

OMD, there is no one way that all portable panels have their on board controller mounted. That is why you were asked for a picture of it, mainly some pictures around the controller. Alternately a link to where you purchased it from may assist.

Perhaps we may be able to assist if we can get some suitable answers from here - Can you see the input wires from the panel to the controller? How is the controller mounted on the panel? Are there any screws that hold things together? What do you see when you take things apart? The crux of the matter is you need to get to the leads that come from the panel, disconnect or cut them unscrew them from the controller and connect them to leads that go to the Redarc controller.

Alternately you can flog the panel to someone else and get a panel on its own without a regulator. This will have a junction box on the back with a diode in it so you can parallel this panel with a similar panel in future.

Jenko1 · Veteran Member

My 120w folding panel has the mppt on one panel and wires connecting across to a box on the other, I ran 2 wires out of that box to a anderson plug. I have the 1220lv redarc mounted in the front boot of the van next to the batteries with a lead to a anderson plug on the drawbar, I can plug either the panel in or the ute. The good thing with the LV redarc is that when connected to the ute I don't worry too much about voltage drop as long as it gets from 9v to 38v it will work.
I left the original mppt for trickle charging, but have never used it, but if something happens to the redarc I can still charge. just remember the new anderson plug will be unregulated untill it goes thru your redarc.

-- Edited by Jenko1 on Wednesday 6th of May 2015 12:11:49 AM

03_Troopy · Guru

As has been said by PeterD, there are quite a few different ways the panels and controllers are mounted and connected. But if you have something similar to this on the back of each panel

You can cut the wires where they goe into the regulator, keeping them as long as possible, and splice the 2 red wires to a single red wire and the 2 blacks to a single black wire similar to this.

Before you solder the wires together, slip a length of Dual Wall (Glue Lined) heat shrink over the single wire, so that you can slide it over the joint once it has been soldered. When soldering, only use enough solder to wick into the joint and cover it, but leaving the wire profile still visible through the solder. Another piece of heatshrink fitted over both sealed joints will help to support and protect the joints. If the wires aren't long enough after cutting them from the controller, you will have to make up new ones and attach them to the panel junction boxes similar to how they were originally connected.

Edit: there seems to be a problem with embedding pics in the post, but you can click on the thumbnails at the bottom to see the pics if they don't show up again this time.

-- Edited by 03_Troopy on Wednesday 6th of May 2015 09:16:10 AM

Dav4Cris · Senior Member

Yes as Troopy has shown and said is the way to do it on your portable solar panels.

RobnRuth · Member

I have the 40 amp version of the Redarc that you have. The wiring diagram shows options of how to connect up. I am using a house battery in a M/H so my method is different ( I allow the solar ( solar regulator in place ) and the Redarc to charge and let them fight out who is who )
In your case you select whether you use the tug battery, the solar etc by the way you connect the wiring from the Redarc. Take your time and read the specific wiring for each use. Once the penny drops it all becomes obvious. By passing the solar regulator simply means wire the panels direct to the redarc, then the redarc will use either solar of tug battery to charge the batteries. Don't forget to set the type of battery that you have in the van via the redarc.
Hope this helps
Rob

OMD wrote:

Hi all, have fitted the redarc 1225 bcdc charger to my ute and as to plug the solar panels in I have been advised to by pass the regulator as the said unit has a mppt one built into it. My question is how to by pass. one side is easy but the other side not ( to me any way ).

cheers OMD