isnt there a risk of overcharge without a charge controller if so what are the options for a 12v charge control for solar to DC?
1712591
It has it's own internal charge controller. It will shut itself off once the maximum charge has been reached. I have had this running on a 1997 Chevy Astrovan that only gets run a couple months a year. So far, each time I turn the key, the truck starts without issue.
1712592
Pretty sure yer safe without it. If I remember right , it says on the actual package that no controller necessary. I bought one at the same time and have never used it. Used the pannel all last summer on my trolling motor battery and absolutely loved it!!!
148162
yes you must buy a type of charge controller that prevents your batteries from being over charged or over discharged. a pwm (pulse width modulation) is a good affordable choice for charge controllers. i think the one i bought was 60$
285872
If the panel is small enough in relation to the battery, it is actually better without a charge controller. The controller cuts down the energy flow to a level that won't overload the batteries, but a small panel is too weak to actually be a threat, and it is more likely that the energy is being wasted by cutting it down at all. With more panels, overloading the battery becomes an issue. Then, you need to shorten and fatten all the wire paths, and buy a good charge controller. On a top end charge controller, you can even manually up the voltage output to make up somewhat for what you lose through the wires.
467334
My understanding is that with that low of an output you would not need to worry about overcharging unless you have a VERY small battery bank. The charge controller (non MPPT) is pretty much used to prevent damaging a battery (bank) through overcharging.
880317
Many years ago i was told in powering my boat, any solar panel 50 watts or less would be ok without a controller. Over that and it may fry the battteries. Yes you can godirect, but you have to moniter and be tne controller.
2233949
You can use any kind really. I started with with a PWM charge controller, but now have an MPPT charge controller. The Morningstar SunSaver MPPT charge controller is nice, but in general MPPT charge controllers cost more money.
641032
You're probably thinking of a charge controller, not an inverter. And yes, you always need a charge controller so you don't overcharge the battery with the solar panel
163579
No. This item does not normally required charge controllers unless the panel is 30W or larger.
99420
No. You do not need a charge controller until you exceed 15watts of power. The discharge protection is a simple diode that prevents the battery from draining back out to the pane at night. But because of that diode, DO NOT START THE CAR WITH THE PANEL STILL CONNECTED TO THE BATTERY! You will destroy the diode and weaken the panel's charging ability.
1708386
Probably not. I installed one on my car. The controller never reads fully charged even during a full day of direct sun. I'm using a 60 watt monocrystalline solar panel. You may want to use a controller for your own piece of mind in order to delineate between your perceived state of charge and reality. It's a good safety device under protecting against batteries overcharge.
925844
The short answer is, "Yes." You could connect the output of the solar panel to a 12 volt battery bank. The battery bank will recharge. HOWEVER, if you don't either monitor or regulate this, you will damage the battery bank from overcharging it. Specifically, if you could manually check on the voltage very couple hours, you could disconnect the solar panel when the voltage reaches full charge. or you could get a charge controller that is wired in between the solar panel and the battery bank. This inexpensive device will both optimize the charging current to the battery and will stop the charging when the battery is full.
2242774
You need a charge controller pretty much for any solar panel over 10 watts. I like the ones that have a digital voltage meter and built in float mode. Lots of choices for controllers in the $20 range Panel has held up well so far on my sailboat.
933679
you will need a 10 amp charge controller for one of these or a 20 amp charge controller for two.The charge controller will have adjustable settings "you set"I suggest a renogy 30 amp pwm controller for three reasons it will give you room to add more panels its cheap under $35 and its all you would need to accomplish battery charging in 12 or 24 volt mode,I hope this helps
2043651
No need for a controller. We have a solar panel for when we don't have access to ac, however we keep the goal zero plugged into ac so it's ready to use anytime. We have the Goal Zero 33001 Extreme Universal Inverter attached to it as well so we can plug in our computer & printer & label machine etc when we're traveling off the grid and need to get some work done.
925843
It needs a voltage regulator to keep from overcharging the powerpack. I have the cheap 10 amp ($15) controller. Output from this panel can exceed 20 volts in strong sunlight.
270175
You must use a solar charge controller and absolutely 'not' connecting the solar panel to the battery bank directly. I'm using Xantrex inverter, but there're a few brands work well also. Make sure it's a "true sine" wave inverter, well worth the money. You also want to look into if you want just an inverter or an inverter with charger? The combined unit may save you some time in troubleshooting problems later on. Talk to a few RV installers before making purchase, and avoid the shops who say they'll do whatever you want.
34726
Yes, it can. You may use any array voltage up to 150 volts, but be aware that solar panel voltages rise dramatically as temperatures fall. Check the temp. correction factor of the panels that you want to use. Basically don't go over a 90 volt series stack of panels to provide a buffer for when the panels are unloaded and to account for that surprise freezing morning. Over voltage is the surest killer of charge controllers, also be aware that the unit is rated 30 amps output to the battery, not 30 amps in from the panels. David Wardle