Remote meter for Tracer Controller (MT-5)

[Jim Batty]

Finally got all my solar panels (2 x 100w), controller (Tracer MPPT 30A), cables, connectors and such together in one place and installed. Looks to be working fine!

 

I've had fun gazing at and flicking through the remote meter for the Tracer controller, but find the user booklet doesn't really explain everything well. Lost in translation ... or is it me?

 

 

I know a few of you use these, so a couple of questions:

 

1) What does the 'battery capacity percentage' function actually show? Mine started out at about 70% when I first started the system up, but it quickly seemed to settle at 52% last night ... despite the batteries apparently being fully charged.

 

2) Timer 1 Mode: What are people setting this at? 'n' (disabled); '0' (Dusk to Dawn, Load will be on all night); 16 (Test mode -- not sure what this is); 17 (ON/OFF mode); or leaving it on overnight by selecting a number of hours after dusk?

 

3) Load Terminals -- on the Controller itself: I understand this to be a sort of 12v 'feed'. Is this just a handy way of tapping into the batteries? For example, is this a good place to run a 12v cigarette lighter socket from (with a fused positive lead)?

 

Thanks for any insights.

[matty40s]

The battery percentage is a quite inaccurate version of Gibbo's Smartgauge. By altering the size of your battery bank capacity (aH), this gives you a reasonable idea of when your battery bank is fully bulk charged, but cannot be used as an accurate representation of anything "fully" charged.

 

2 Timer mode, is used in conjunction with the 3 Load terminals in street lighting systems in Asia. I would ignore these two sides, unless you were using the load for a timed security/night light .

I suppose you could also use it for a timed charge for a piece of equipment (mobile phone/laptop etc) rather than leave it on charge all night using normal sockets or leaving inverter on.

[Jim Batty]

Thanks Matty40s.

 

Ho ho, I thought the street lighting thing was to draw a bit of power from street lamps at night if you happen to tie up in an urban environment with lots of overhead lighting about!

 

... actually, if my pocket calculator can do this, is there any reason the rooftop panels couldn't do it as well?

[smileypete]

I know a few of you use these, so a couple of questions:

 

1) What does the 'battery capacity percentage' function actually show? Mine started out at about 70% when I first started the system up, but it quickly seemed to settle at 52% last night ... despite the batteries apparently being fully charged.

 

Best to forget about it entirely, it's almost always totally inaccurate in a boat application.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[MyLady]

Finally got all my solar panels (2 x 100w), controller (Tracer MPPT 30A), cables, connectors and such together in one place and installed. Looks to be working fine!

 

I've had fun gazing at and flicking through the remote meter for the Tracer controller, but find the user booklet doesn't really explain everything well. Lost in translation ... or is it me?

 

 

I know a few of you use these, so a couple of questions:

 

1) What does the 'battery capacity percentage' function actually show? Mine started out at about 70% when I first started the system up, but it quickly seemed to settle at 52% last night ... despite the batteries apparently being fully charged.

 

2) Timer 1 Mode: What are people setting this at? 'n' (disabled); '0' (Dusk to Dawn, Load will be on all night); 16 (Test mode -- not sure what this is); 17 (ON/OFF mode); or leaving it on overnight by selecting a number of hours after dusk?

 

3) Load Terminals -- on the Controller itself: I understand this to be a sort of 12v 'feed'. Is this just a handy way of tapping into the batteries? For example, is this a good place to run a 12v cigarette lighter socket from (with a fused positive lead)?

 

Thanks for any insights.

As far as I know (not far)...

 

1) 'battery capacity percentage' means little or nothing (the software isn't clever enough), instead look at the voltage/current readings: if the panel voltage is close to the panel specs (i.e. there is enough light for the panels to do something useful) AND the battery voltage/current shows 13.2V (the theoretical voltage from 6x2.2V lead acid cells in series, i.e. a '12V' battery - or several in parallel with zero amps, then your batteries are probably close to fully charged. If there is current flowing, then the voltage needs to be 14 or more, indicating the batteries need more charge and require that voltage to inject it (equalisation - desulphation - needs even more volts to achieve), the Tracer mppt controller should 'convert' the excess panel voltage to give all of those figures, as appropriate. (If I understand the problem aright - a debatable issue!)

 

2 & 3) The 'load' connections - and timers - are provided for street lighting, where one might need solar panel powered lights after dusk/before dawn to avoid road traffic accidents. As I understand it, both those are largely irrelevant to boaters, unless you can think of an application that requires that sort of facility. Your ordinary load should be connected to the domestic battery bank, not to the 'load' connector of the controller.

 

I believe the Tracer controller is intended for a range of applications other than solar charging on canal boats. I think you can safely ignore the facilities aimed it other applications.

 

Someone more expert is needed to confirm, or contradict my relatively ignorant opinions...

 

Hoping to help,

 

Roger

Edited May 16, 2014 by MyLady