Recent content by Bogart Engineering

The maximum current the SC-2030 can tolerate is still 45 Amps. However, we have noticed that many customers do not install the controller the way we specify. For example, some customers install it in cramped spaces, without air space below, above & the sides to promote natural air circulation...

We recommended a panel Voc of 21V since the SC-2030 is a PWM type controller; going up in voltage does not result in higher charging currents. Max input voltage of the SC-2030 is 55V. There are other aspects to battery charging than the common PWM or MPPT question. For example, our controller...

@mkaye, with the engine at slightly above idle (900-1000 rpm), measure the voltage across the engine battery, input to the SC-2030 and the its output. This will tell us whether the current is being limited by insufficient voltage or something else.

Connecting two SC-2030's to one TM-2030 is useful only when the two SC-2030's are connected to similar solar banks. When the two controllers are connected to two different power sources, the duty cycle computed by the TM-2030 for the 1st SC-2030 may not be accurate for the 2nd SC-2030. In the...

Vmp ~15V, Voc ~17.5V. For PWM controllers, Isc & Voc are the relevant parametrs. As others have mentioned, PWM is as good as MPPT when the panels are at 40C or above. This is likely to be the case for most RV'ers (unless you're a ski bum boondocking in Aspen CO in January). We recommend the...

Precisely for this reason, we have partnered with Newpowa to design 30 cell "12V" 105 W panels for use on RV rooftops. These panels have an Isc of 7.5 Amps (vs 5.8 to 6.2 of other 100 W panels). When parallel connected, these panels and a PWM controller will deliver more current than the best...

There's an advantage to our approach of using the monitor to measure battery voltage, instead of having the charger measuring it. The monitor measures the voltage directly at the battery terminals. A charger sits upstream of the battery on a high current path and measures the voltage at a...

Please contact us by email - bogart at bogartengineering dot com

While calculating peak input voltage, don't use the Voc on the panel's label, since this is at 25 C cell temperature. Instead, estimate the Voc at the lowest temperature the panels are likely to see. Use the panels temperature coefficient for voltage for this calculation.

Yes, we do recommend the use of our controller on sailboats & vehicles. A Santa Cruz, CA based sailboat with our controller & monitor has sailed to New Zealand several times over the past 6-7 years. The controller was one of the first production items.

paper by Victron CTO (former?) - https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/White-paper-Which-solar-charge-controller-PWM-or-MPPT.pdf does not appear to consider DC-DC conversion efficiency

Partial (or full) shade & PV don't mix! Wire the panels in parallel to make sure a shaded panel does not affect the whole system. If series wired, bypass diodes may help, but not always. The MPPT algorithm can be easily fooled by multiple (local) max power points that may occur in such...

Our customers have known this for several years! When the panel voltage is properly matched (& panels wired in parallel) to the storage voltage, a PWM (essentially what the Electrodacus + DSSR is) controller is better for small systems. Our SC-2030 solar controller consumes less than 5 Watts...

The TM-2030 is capable of managing two SC-2030 solar controllers, effectively doubling the solar current to 62 Amps. The TM-2030 can't manage other make/models of charge controllers and its serial port must not be connected to any controller other than the SC-2030. Doing so can (& very likely)...

Any # of solar controllers or shore chargers (or any other DC charging sources) may be connected to the shunt and the Trimetric monitor will track the current from those sources. If a DC source is connected directly to the battery bank's negative side (bypassing the shunt), the Trimetric...