Wind & Solar Charge Controller - Does anyone use this one (VWG2008)

[hellosailor]

"those same controllers on amazon under a different name"
Which controllers? And are you really sure they aren't the plethora of look-alike copycat junk that is so often sold on Amazon and other sites these days?

[barnakiel]

At all costs (pun not intended) avoid cheapo no name controllers. Stick to known quality ones from good brands.

I say this as there is enough juice running thru any sizeable solar kit to fry your boat while you are exploring ashore.

Our friends' boat (nearly) caught fire like this just they got lucky having the controller set on an alloy sink.

Mind these installations will go unattended while you are away. Buy quality electrical components, from well reliable brands.

Cheers,
b.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"those same controllers on amazon under a different name"
Which controllers? And are you really sure they aren't the plethora of look-alike copycat junk that is so often sold on Amazon and other sites these days?

The ones sold by silent wind are the rebranded ones. I bought a replacement from amazon and they are identical in every way. Even the instruction manual and the packaging.

Also, the same company makes (or maybe contracts out) maybe a dozen variations, solar controllers, and so forth so it's obvious they are the OEM provider.

Check out MISOL electric on amazon.

[hellosailor]

"The ones sold by silent wind are the rebranded ones." Confusingly, "Silent Wind" as a brand doesn't seem to appear on Amazon. Although a company mainly called "Silentwindgenerator" (they seem confused about their own name) is on the web, and claims to be the actual prime manufacturer, not just copying equipment.

Misol also seems confused, sometimes calling themselves Misol Electric, sometimes just Misol. And their hybrid controllers look very similar--but not the quite the same as the other company (which only appears to sell complete solar+wind kits).

Some of Misol's controllers have zero reviews, others are panned. Can't see that I'd feel real comfortable with either company, what with neither one sure of what to call themselves, or of any real solids reviews and sales showing. You could do them a favor and post a review over there.

BlueSky, Outback...expensive, yes, but at least they have been around for a while and sometimes answer phone calls.

[SV THIRD DAY]

I went through 4 of those turkeys before I gave up.

[Mike OReilly]

Yup, not great controllers. I tried to run my solar through it -- terrible results. Seems ok for the bulk charging my wind gen provides though.

[GILow]

I ended up making my own controller for my Aerogen 6, just could not find what I wanted in a trustworthy commercial package.

[SpaceRnglr]

So people advise against Chinese no name charging equipment, but I have had a hard time finding any sort of established name brand for wind turbine charge controllers. Actually, I haven't found any...

I am just going to get a like for like replacement for my current controller, which is confirmed to be broken. I am also going to get a Tracer 30A MPPT charge controller for the solar panels. I was tempted by the Victron BlueSolar, but they are more expensive and I am not a big fan of Bluetooth for something like a charge controller. The Tracer's seem to have good reviews on Amazon so hopefully it works out OK...

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for a hybrid system? The controllers will be side by side so I think I can take a small jumper from the battery charger of the solar controller and wire it to the same terminals of the wind controller. That would make my life a lot easier as all the wring is already in place for the wind turbine. If I am way off base on my plan other recommendations would be hugely appreciated.

[hellosailor]

Since I don't play the lottery, I can't win it. So I'm not going to spend my winnings on a wind generator, plus a wind alternator, plus a hybrid controller for each, in order to see whether the mythical beasts really will work with solar, or whether they really should be connected with a "day-night-warp10" switch, which would allow only solar during the day, only wind at night, and combine the two only when the batteries were hungry enough to ensure the voltage sense leads always saw a need for maximum output from both.

Having two voltage-sensing-voltage-controlling systems work together, or one system trying to integrate both, just stumps me. I feel like the guy who couldn't understand how his Thermos bottle was SO SMART: It knew how to keep the hot stuff heat, and the cold stuff cold, all by itself.

But I'd really love to find a review, done with ammeters or wattmeters, showing that a hybrid system was working and actually using power from both sources, rather than just ignoring or wasting one of them.

[Mike OReilly]

I dunno... seems like a bad idea. I suspect it will confuse both controllers. Better to have them sensing battery voltage/amp-uptake at the batteries than at the combined charger input. I'd also be concerned about the wiring diameter and whether it can accommodate the added amps.

I understand the desire for the easy solution, but I think you'd be better off running new cable from the mppt.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by SpaceRnglr

So people advise against Chinese no name charging equipment, but I have had a hard time finding any sort of established name brand for wind turbine charge controllers. Actually, I haven't found any...

(...)

???

AirX is internally regulated, Aerogen use LVM regulators, D400 is shipped with its own regulator and Rutland makes their own regulators (some ow which are wind/solar type).

What turbine do you have?

b.

[SaltyMetals]

I have an MPPT which handles both solar (I have 3x 50W) and wind (a Rutland which goes up to 400-450W). The regulator thinks for itself, sometimes using power from both, or if batteries nearly fully charged it only uses current from the solar. At night it switches across to wind only. I don't have to do anything. All supplied by Marlec UK. I used the brackets with rubber bushes as supplied by SilentWind (via All-stars UK) since Marlec did not have them. Result? Really peaceful and effective windgen.

The pic posted by the OP looks exactly like the one an Italian friend of mine was supplied with for his SilentWind. Not MPPT but has usual cut-out at about 30 Kn but setting can be changed by the user. The SilentWind makes terrible noise so just when it is reaching the point of providing a really good current my friend closes it down. The windgen unit itself has lost 50%of its painted finish after 2 yrs leaving a rather corroded looking aluminium base. It is possiede his noise problem is bec he did not use rubber bushes.

[SpaceRnglr]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I decided to order a like for like replacement of the controller from Aliexpress and it seems to be working fine now. Voltage is now stable. After replacement I now realize the three LED indicators were also not working before so it appears the internal circuit board may have had several small issues that resulted in it not working properly. I also ordered the MPPT for the solar panels but haven't hooked it up yet. I have them connected to the hybrid charge controller but honestly I am not sure they help at all at the moment. I haven't decided how I will connect the solar charge controller but it looks like a bigger job than I was hoping due to cable routing and available space. It may take me a while before I need to get it done as I am getting enough power from the current setup as the boat is only used on the weekends...

[hellosailor]

If you are not certain of how the juice is moving around, take a look on Amazon (etc.) for "watt meter". You will find AC models (like the Kill A Watt) and a variety of small DC models, originally marketed for the RC hobbyists. The DC models typically handle up to 20VDC at 130A for less than $20, and they will show you actual voltage and amperage in real time, as well as accumulated watt hours.
You don't have to permanently install these, you can move them around as needed. They are self-powered from the connection they are in. There are also similar panel-mounted models that you can install on the boat, someplace like the breaker panel where you might want to be able to keep on eye on these things in total.

A simple and cheap way to verify what any power source has actually accomplished while you were away for the week.

[Bleemus]

Like this one . . .