Replacement Solar Panel Display

[audisnapr]

I have a 2005'ish solar panel setup with a Heliotrope display panel which isn't looking so great and is no longer able to display information properly.

Anyone have some insight on replacing this panel either with like-for-like or perhaps a better, plug-n-play option?

[audisnapr]

Bump. Anyone replace theirs yet?

[geoffff]

This isn't going to be very helpful, but my 2004 Sportsmobile came with a "Specialty Concepts" "Mark PV Controller" which also went bad within a few years. The LCD readout shows garbage, but the LED good/ok/low traffic light display still works so I haven't bothered replacing it.

In any case, I would dis-recommend the Specialty Concepts solar controller monitor as a replacement



-- Geoff

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by audisnapr

I have a 2005'ish solar panel setup with a Heliotrope display panel which isn't looking so great and is no longer able to display information properly.

Anyone have some insight on replacing this panel either with like-for-like or perhaps a better, plug-n-play option?

You can use any solar controller you want....assuming that you have a typical RV type solar panel/array on the roof. These panels are designed for 12V RV use and have an open circuit voltage around 17V give or take and they usually are 100-120W or so.


If you have a large residential house type panel (these are usually 250-300W each) then you need to run an MPPT type controller; you can't run a typical PWM cheap RV controller since these are around 37V open circuit.


I've been running this Samlex controller for years...works great.


https://www.amazon.com/Samlex-Solar-...6914949&sr=8-2

[Scalf77]

AM solar sells Heliotrope Adapter Plate that will allow for the installation of a Blue Sky SC30 or 3000i charge controller in the the slot where an older Heliotrope model charge controller used to be. This would probabbly be the easiest way to up grade to the Blue Sky Solar Boost 3000i(MPPT) or Blue Sky Sun Charger 30 (PWM)

-greg

[86Scotty]

I would take Scalf's advice and get an adapter plate and a Blue Sky 3000i MPPT. It's a solid product. Not cheap but likely the last you'll buy.

[audisnapr]

Thanks all - just now looking at this again. I really haven't done my research on Solar so maybe I'm not understanding quite right but I'm just looking to replace the solar monitor panel. It's a small 4.5x4" metal plate with an LCD screen and two switches. The controller is working just fine. It has an A and a B port on the back of the panel and that's it. I can't seem to find a similar-sized replacement that will fit in the same location.

Do I need to replace the controller and monitor panel because the LCD screen on the monitor panel failed?

[posplayr]

Originally Posted by boywonder

If you have a large residential house type panel (these are usually 250-300W each) then you need to run an MPPT type controller; you can't run a typical PWM cheap RV controller since these are around 37V open circuit.

I have been fooled by some of these cheap Chinese PWM controllers. The claim was they accepted more than the typical 12V range but now I see they are clarifying that that is only for 24V battery systems.

For example:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A: To charge a 12V battery, the working voltage of the solar panel can be between 17V and 23V, and for a 24V battery, the working voltage of the solar panel can be between 36V and 46V.

Even if the PWM controller will accept the higher voltage (I think it is a power limitation more than a voltage limitation) then you will significantly limit your power output of the residential panel.

PWM does not boost the current. So if your 350W panel puts out 9 amps, that is all the charging amps you can get out of the PWM charger or 9A*12V=108W nominal. In other words about 1/3 of the max.

This is what I measured in full sun light anyway.

[Scalf77]

Originally Posted by audisnapr

Thanks all - just now looking at this again. I really haven't done my research on Solar so maybe I'm not understanding quite right but I'm just looking to replace the solar monitor panel. It's a small 4.5x4" metal plate with an LCD screen and two switches. The controller is working just fine. It has an A and a B port on the back of the panel and that's it. I can't seem to find a similar-sized replacement that will fit in the same location.

Do I need to replace the controller and monitor panel because the LCD screen on the monitor panel failed?

Sorry, I thought you were talking about the whole controller. In any advent the controller is no longer made so I expect the monitor for that controller is no longer made. So you will most likely need to get a new controller, you could just replace that monitor with a full battery monitor if you need similar type data, it would be based on the battery not just the solar.

-greg