Solar Controller Wiring

[PreacherTom]

I just picked up my new SS-550 Badland. In trying to familiarize myself with the camper, I’m concerned my charge controller is incorrectly wired. There is nothing hooked to the “solar” input. I believe the wire hooked to the “battery” input might be the wires coming down from the solar panel. The “load” input has wires that go to my battery, but only the positive is connected. Right now I have “Battery Overvoltage” error codes.

It seems to me the “solar” input should be the wires from the solar panel and the “battery” should be connected, positive and negative, to my battery. I don’t know what to do with “load” input. Unfortunately the closest dealer is hours away and wants me to just drop off the camper. So if I could correct this myself, it would be much easier. Any advice as to the correct wiring?

[rsdata]

take a picture of how it is hooked up now

do your own work as much as possible and learn about your camper

take it to the dealer for warranty work as least as possible... you will be much happier

[Aussieguy]

solar panel + - cables that come from the panels (input)
you set up the panels into a small string (arrays) ..... in series / parallel

or if you have multiple strings that you would combine the stings into a single + & -



Battery + - is the controller main output after it has been run through the circuits to clean it up to be suitable for battery charging


Load + - is OPTIONAL... output that bypasses the battery bank

it connects something like a water pump that you want to run when it is sunny and the panels are producing enough voltage.
Leave it blank for most battery systems unless you designed your system to use the LOAD. (biggish array)

-------------------------

Note ... you can have more than one charge controller going to a battery bank

to add more panels

[PhilFromMaine]

Originally Posted by PreacherTom

I just picked up my new SS-550 Badland. In trying to familiarize myself with the camper, I’m concerned my charge controller is incorrectly wired. There is nothing hooked to the “solar” input. I believe the wire hooked to the “battery” input might be the wires coming down from the solar panel. The “load” input has wires that go to my battery, but only the positive is connected. Right now I have “Battery Overvoltage” error codes.

It seems to me the “solar” input should be the wires from the solar panel and the “battery” should be connected, positive and negative, to my battery. I don’t know what to do with “load” input. Unfortunately the closest dealer is hours away and wants me to just drop off the camper. So if I could correct this myself, it would be much easier. Any advice as to the correct wiring?

Firstly, determine which wire goes where-for sure. You could use a multimeter to verify if familiar with one.

The wires attach exactly as shown in the diagram. Please note, you need to hook it up to the battery first. I suppose a load first would work also, but if you are using a battery attach to it first.

[TacomaJoe]

How many wires are there? Should be 4 (2 solar, 2 battery) but sort of sounded like you only had 3 (no negative for battery). If it's only three, the negative may be split somewhere and shared. I think you're right about the wiring error, the solar voltage would be higher than battery voltage and no doubt the source of the high voltage error. I would tag the wires to keep them straight. Check for battery voltage between the battery positive and solar negative. On the solar pair you should have maybe 20+ volts in the sun and very little in the dark. Land the wires where they should go and skip the LOAD terminals (no one uses them).

[PreacherTom]

Here’s my actual controller. As you can see here, and in my original description, nothing hooked to solar input. I believe the wires from the solar panel are hooked to “battery” which is why I’m getting the overvoltage error. I think y’all have confirmed my suspicions, especially that most don’t use “Load,” but any additional input would be appreciated.

[PreacherTom]

There’s 4. One is just called off at the battery and not attached to anything.

[glen1971]

Originally Posted by PreacherTom

Here’s my actual controller. As you can see here, and in my original description, nothing hooked to solar input. I believe the wires from the solar panel are hooked to “battery” which is why I’m getting the overvoltage error. I think y’all have confirmed my suspicions, especially that most don’t use “Load,” but any additional input would be appreciated.

Do you have a volt meter? If you do, unhook the wires that come from the solar panel and measure the voltage. It should be >13 vdc, and upwards of 17 vdc. This would definitely give you an overvoltage fault on your controller. Measure the voltage on the other 2 wires. If it's around 13 volts, those should be the ones going to your battery. Open your battery disconnect switch. Unhook the two wires to your battery, currently on the "Load" terminals, and move them to the battery terminals. Connect the two wires from the solar panel to the "Solar" terminals on your controller. Close your battery disconnect switch.

[SS Sixteen O four]

Just in the middle of the same project with the exact same charge controller and this conversation helped me a lot.



Question; what gauge wire should be used between the controller and the battery?

[Aussieguy]

Originally Posted by SS Sixteen O four

Just in the middle of the same project with the exact same charge controller and this conversation helped me a lot.



Question; what gauge wire should be used between the controller and the battery?

in general....use the fattest wires the controller will allow
install the controller as close to the battery as possible

OR
lookup your max amps the controller can output
add together in feet...... the positive and negative wire run
look up a wire gauge chart


then buy the biggest wire you can fit into the controller output

[SS Sixteen O four]

Originally Posted by Aussieguy

in general....use the fattest wires the controller will allow
install the controller as close to the battery as possible

OR
lookup your max amps the controller can output
add together in feet...... the positive and negative wire run
look up a wire gauge chart


then buy the biggest wire you can fit into the controller output

Looks like a 40 amp controller with less than 15 feet of cable would be 6 gauge wire.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/a...uge-d_730.html