Tracer solar controler

[matty40s]

At least one of your batteries is completely fooked, your solar input and remaining battery are giving you false hope that all is not lost.

replace it(or all) before it explodes and gives you another weekends work clearing up the mess and corrosion.

[smileypete]

So from subsequent info the OP is running a mains fridge plus inverter losses plus laptop from 300W of solar, via knackered batts.

 

Reading between the lines it sounds like demand from the nackerd batts was precariously close to supply from solar and engine running, and is now out of whack due to lower solar output, plus longer fridge running, all due to high summer temps.

 

Probably the controller is not to blame here. New batts would likely help the most, and possibly a bigger solar setup would help during summer at least, if a power audit and monitoring indicates so.

8 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Clearly you are not a liveaboard whose batteries are in continuous use 24/7/365. The continuous and varying load on the batteries makes waiting and watching tail current for hours on end pretty much impossible.

Nope but there are liveaboards who seem to get by OK doing just that. It can't easily be done on a shoestring outlay along with a shoestring of knowledge unfortunately, that I can predict...

[Bricksh]

12 hours ago, reg said:

Tried that never got it to work, may of been improved but I would say its risky. 

Mt50 does the job, don't understand why you would want to use a victron control panel on a tracer when the mt50 is build for the job

Check out the manual here

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.renogy.com/template/files/Manuals/TrcrMtr-MT-50.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwixjtKbyf7bAhVMTcAKHZcnCKgQFjAAegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2g2RAvJmEhOuicx1vOPOcR

I have used a laptop to set up my 2 tracers. You need to get the right comms protocol and baud rate selected correctly for it to work. There is an excellent you tube video here that helped me. The software can also be used as a real time monitor.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3LrWeYYtnQ

[reg]

3 hours ago, Bricksh said:

I have used a laptop to set up my 2 tracers. You need to get the right comms protocol and baud rate selected correctly for it to work. There is an excellent you tube video here that helped me. The software can also be used as a real time monitor.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3LrWeYYtnQ

Might have to give it another try then if I can find my cable. Last tried it a couple of years ago. Is yours working on Linux or Windows? 

I would still recommend the mt50 to the op though as works without any fuss, perhaps adding the cable at a later date? 

[Johny London]

Good point about o/s - personally I use Linux so I think I'll be out of luck with either the tracer or the Victron options - though both offer wifi and/or bluetooth ...

Just to slightly digress, I had another look at a couple of Jonos videos to see what he had - his system is getting SO complicated now! He's got several other "boxes" doing things between batteries and various charges.

I'm thinking I might just get another Tracer for now because I don't want to spend a week figuring it all out.

[reg]

1 hour ago, Johny London said:

I'm thinking I might just get another Tracer for now because I don't want to spend a week figuring it all out

 Before you replace your Tracer consider this

Every 30 days, on I believe the 28th, the Tracer will change its way of working and will include an equalisation phase in its cycle. 

If as you say you have just noticed this change in behaviour then this may be the explanation. It certainly seems to tie in with your dare of posting. 

 

I think the default is for 2 hours equalisation but, in my experience, this is sometimes broken down into multiple segments due to any number of interruptions so in fact, particularly in winter, it can run in this different mode over a number of days. 

 

You will need to check the manual for the defaults for this mode as I have done them from memory . The parameters for this equalisation can be changed via the mt50. 

 

Edited July 2, 2018 by reg

[Johny London]

Thanks for that. It started two or three days ago - I noticed less charge than I expected after a sunny day and the voltage it puts out seems to hover between 12.6 and 13.1v ish. Day three of the problem now and there it sits at 12.6v after 6 hours of sun putting 3% into the batteries!

I opened it up last night and found slight dry joints on the output - not sure if bad enough to actually have any effect but in any case it must monitor its voltage from a physical point somewhere before that. Plus - would you believe my soldering iron has gone u/s too so I couldn't try a repair.

I've convinced myself to just get another controller - if it doesn't do the trick then I have a spare - but I think it will. Just a question of whether to step up to the Victron camp - readying myself for all sorts of other Victron stuff, or just to get another tracer for now. 

In the meantime, I've turned the fridge up during the day to "store" some energy by way of cooling, as the controller still puts out plenty current.

[Johny London]

It's working again - 14.4v. 77%. I'm sure it's that dry joint. Ordered a new bigger controller (30a) as getting more panels anyway and this one can be a spare controller. Also ordered a new element for my soldering iron!

[WotEver]

3 hours ago, Johny London said:

It's working again - 14.4v. 77%. I'm sure it's that dry joint.

Yay!

 

[Bricksh]

20 hours ago, reg said:

Might have to give it another try then if I can find my cable. Last tried it a couple of years ago. Is yours working on Linux or Windows? 

I would still recommend the mt50 to the op though as works without any fuss, perhaps adding the cable at a later date? 

I use windows 7.

[smileypete]

Glad it seems to be sorted, could also be worth finding out the idle current of the inverter at some point, they're usually pretty good these days.

[Johny London]

Just to report back.

The new controller arrived so hooked that up. It didn't make any difference, so I must conclude that the batteries are (more) knackered, as they still charge ok from the alternator (obviously that can provide lots of current even though the batteries are prolly trying to drag it down). 

So my strategy now is to alternator charge up to 80% each morning and from there the solar can usually just about put the last 20% in over the day (whilst also running fridge etc). Obviously, a new set of batts is the solution. I cannot access my current l/a set at all easily, certainly not easily enough to try taking them out and testing for perhaps one that is extra dud.

btw the new controller display is very poor - it's quite faint and when I press a button a blue backlight comes on (my other one didn't have this feature) but then it's even harder to read - might send it back  Does anyone elses Tracer seem like this? My old one was much clearer.

[MtB]

59 minutes ago, Johny London said:

btw the new controller display is very poor - it's quite faint and when I press a button a blue backlight comes on (my other one didn't have this feature) but then it's even harder to read - might send it back  Does anyone elses Tracer seem like this? My old one was much clearer.

 

Which new Tracer controller did you get? My Tracer doesn't have a display on it at all. Just two green lights and a red one. 

 

The display for mine is a separate unit which plugs into the controller, with a lead with a RJ45 plug on the end.

 

LCD displays go feint or disappear when they get damp, so maybe yours has been kept in damp conditions so should be sent back.  

[Jess--]

3 hours ago, Johny London said:

btw the new controller display is very poor - it's quite faint and when I press a button a blue backlight comes on (my other one didn't have this feature) but then it's even harder to read - might send it back  Does anyone elses Tracer seem like this? My old one was much clearer.

check in the menus for a contrast setting

[Peter-Bullfinch]

My remote meter (MT-5)  only has two brightness levels. After any button is pressed the display lights up with a backlight. It turns off after 30 seconds. It is mounted in a shaded corner of the engine room and it's fine there. There is no menu adjustment on mine. 

Edited July 24, 2018 by Peter-Bullfinch