Hi. Any help appreciated. I purchased a mppt tracer and I'm having issues getting it working for my 24v system.
This mppt https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F142384632374
My solar panels connected together are putting out 41v. The mppt says max battery voltage 36v. The mppt keeps going into error status. Is this just happening because the mppt cannot handle the 41v that the solar it putting out or can it be adjusted through the mppt controller? Do I need a different mppt tracer or do I need to reduce the solar panels volts down below 36v. If so how do I do that. At this point in time I don't have anything Hooke up to the tracers 3rd input (load) what you plug in a light ect to disperse energy. I hope that's enough info. Please help. This is the last bit of my build. Thanks Mick
Did you connect the Tracer to the 24V batteries first before any other connections. This is essential and the batteries must be in a normal state of charge, so the Tracer can determine the nominal voltage it is going to work at, ie 12V or 24V. I suggest you disconnect it completely and start again connecting the batteries first then the solar. Read the instructions too.
That unit can handle panels up to 100V max. Perhaps you might have them reversed if it has an error. Check that too if the first suggestion does not work. It is protected against reversed panel voltage if the battery has been connected first.
Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Tuesday 5th of November 2019 06:06:47 PM
Hmm. Im not sure if I did connect the batteries first....and I do think the battery bank (linked as 24v) was giving out about 21v.
So do you recommend charging up the batteries fully and the re connecting with hooking up the batteries first.
Disconnect both the solar and the battery from the controller. Now connect the battery and go through the screens to determine if it has selected 24v. Once the controller has had time to run all its auto-set parameters, then connect the solar, positive first, negative second. The order is just to avoid accidentally shorting the solar output onto a wrong terminal, there is no output until both wires are connected.
Also, make sure you have both the positive and negative as full cable runs from the solar to the controller, don't try to use the vehicle body as a negative path because indirectly, the battery negative of the controller goes to the vehicle body via the battery negative to body cable.
T1 Terry
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Hmm. Im not sure if I did connect the batteries first....and I do think the battery bank (linked as 24v) was giving out about 21v. So do you recommend charging up the batteries fully and the re connecting with hooking up the batteries first.
hi
The Tracer would recognise 21V as a 24V system I think, but perhaps you could give them a charge first to get above say 25-26V. Then just connect the batteries and let it sort out the voltage and get ready to go, before doing any other connections. This is standard practice for all regulator/controllers even if they are single voltage. It enables the internal 'transistors' to be in their correct powered state to protect the workings as it is designed to do, from incorrect polarities and other possible mistakes or shorts.
The opposite applies when disconnecting anything. Leave the battery connected till the last step.
The Regulator does not need a load to be connected to work OK. You can use those terminals on not, as it suit your use. Just the batteries and the solar panels are required to work.
Good luck. Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Wednesday 6th of November 2019 08:20:49 PM
