Thread: DC to DC Charger and Solar

Originally Posted by Tikka7mm08

Ok - have sent an inquiry for the DT90.

E-mail quote send and thanks for your enquiry.

X2 on the Traxide. Great device and Tim’s after sales support is second to none.

FYI. For those that come across this topic at a later stage: a DC-DC charger with this function (trickle charge main battery from solar) is the CTEK DS250S or SE.

-P

Originally Posted by prelude

FYI. For those that come across this topic at a later stage: a DC-DC charger with this function (trickle charge main battery from solar) is the CTEK DS250S or SE.

-P

If its intended use is Lithium it needs to be the SE version.
And to charge the starter requires the Smartpass also.

They’re a terrible system IMO

True, I stand corrected you do need both yes. The 250 is the dc-dc charger with mppt solar input and the smartpass is effectively a large passthrough relay, only powered by mosfets instead of physical contacts. When the smartpass detects the battery voltage of the starter to be lower than the aux battery it will trickle charge the starter battery. It can also be a start help if the main battery is flat, automatically connected the aux to the main for some seconds at a max of 350A (which is usually enough).

Also for lithium you do need the SE to have a lithium profile indeed (I own that type and have used it on gel, agm and lithium not flooded)

Funny, I have used the system for quite some time and I rate it. Why do you feel it is a bad system?

-P

Poor algorithm for Lithium, requires bus bars to link, not a tidy install. And I find all previously owned Cteks unreliable.

I now run Victron for most of my charge needs and a stand alone MPPT for my primary solar.

Put the traxide kit in today. Very nice kit too thanks Tim.

Wired my solar back into the cranking battery via MPPT but it looks like I managed to fry the panel as it is not producing enough voltage to switch the icon on for it. Tested with multimeter and very minimal charge. Bugger.

Originally Posted by Tikka7mm08

Put the traxide kit in today. Very nice kit too thanks Tim.

Wired my solar back into the cranking battery via MPPT but it looks like I managed to fry the panel as it is not producing enough voltage to switch the icon on for it. ....

Obvious first step is to triple check the connections to the panel. This will do it every time.

Happens to me regularly, where I have a single (say) 100w panel on the roof of the shed, which runs into a Victron controller, which charges a few batteries I've collected over the years.

Panel nor wiring ever get manhandled, but every now and then I get the low/no input and the Victron is on the blink!
Took me a while to work it out first time it happened, and no obvious disconnected cables, but pushed the connectors together to make sure, and as sure as the sun comes back the next day, Victron not on the blink any more.

Panel was a hand-me-down, and works fine(for me), and it has a mix of both MC4 connections and Anderson coming down into the shed, with another Anderson at the Victron too.

So just check the connections again to be sure.