eBay "800/600W LCD Wind Solar Hybrid Charge Controller"...what's on the inside?!

[makenzie71]

Purchased off eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/800-600W-LCD-Wind-Solar-Hybrid-Charge-Controller-MPPT-Boost-Charge-24V-58A-Auto/174094669652?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I'm still tinkering with the thing and figuring out settings so mostly just pictures here so you guys can see what's up.  So far it's been a mix of easy and difficult to sort out.  The instructions are functionally incomplete so I'm having to email the manufacturer for assistance with each new problem, but the solutions have all been "hold (x) button down for five seconds" or something like...easy fixes, just hard to find the fix.

This is a solid state, programmable gadget.  It's set for either 12v or 24v...it comes one way or another by default but you can adjust either way on site.  Inside is pretty straight forward.

Right now I have it set up running one turbine through the wind turbine inputs and another turbine running through a bridge rectifier and then into the solar inputs.  It seems to be working as designed but it is screwing with the 500w eBay turbine...I think voltage is getting too high from the turbine and it's putting the brakes on.  Still working it out.  It's setup charging four lawnmower batteries tied into a 24v bank.

One thing I'm struggling with is voltage.  You set the "full" voltage for the batteries, but just because the wind turbine is cranking out higher than that voltage doesn't mean that's where your batteries are.  My larger turbine is kicking out 36+ volts in a 15mph breeze and it's just sending this thing straight over to the resistor instead of charging.

Any questions or things you would like me to test please ask away.  I'll be updating this as we get more wind...it's been unusually calm for the Texas panhandle since I put the thing it :/

[kitestrings]

Hi M,

Could it be as simple as that the batteries are full?  In the photo we're at 25.3V.  If that's an at-rest reading the bank is full, so I would think the controller would be diverting; everything.  Have you tried putting a load on the bank?

[makenzie71]

Right now I have it hooked up to a grid tie inverter an it's doing better with a load...but not much.  We got 20~25mph of wind right now and it's cranking out a whopping 80 watts with the batteries holding at 23.5~24.2vdc.  I want to try rewiring a couple things but we got 20-25mph winds right now...great for testing, but really crummy for setting up anything.  The second I disconnect either of them they're going to go nuts!

[makenzie71]

Well I don't think this thing is worth the cost/effort.  We had a LOT of 20~25mph winds today and hooked up to this charge controller I was only getting 25w out at most with the "700" watt turbine running to it.  None of the turbines I've hooked up to it have properly spooled up.

I disconnected that turbine and ran it straight to a bridge and was getting 390w at peak and up to 13 amps hooked up to two car batteries.

Similarly, when I had the "500" watt turbine hooked up to it I was getting about the same 25~30w out.  I have it running to a bridge as well, connected to four lawn mower batteries wired in series, and it was peaking around 6 amps and 300 watts.

In short, there's something about the way this combo hybrid controller works that's screwing with the output of the turbines and keeping them choked down.  My suggestion is to avoid it.

[Adriaan Kragten]

It might be that this inverter can be used for a 12 V battery or for a 24 V battery but that it has to be adjusted for a certain nominal battery voltage. If the voltage is adjusted for a 12 V battery and if you use it for 24 V wind turbine, the real voltage may be that low that the wind turbine doesn't reach the required tip speed ratio and so the generated power will be very low. On the other hand this would also mean that a 24 V battery is putting its power into the dump load but this might be prevented by an extra diode. You should check the real DC voltage after the rectifier. If this voltage is about 13 V, this is the problem. If this voltage is about 26 V, there is another problem.

[makenzie71]

It's for either 12v or 24v setups and it allows you to adjust the charge/stall capacities.  When it's rigged out for 24v i have it set with the cap being 32.5vdc and the bottom being 22.5vdc.

It very well may be that my turbines are more suited for 48v operation...which is just too high for this controller.  I don't think that's that case but I'm going to give it a go with my third turbine just to see.