Has anyone built the GHurd Controller

[invent7]

I am in need of help. Has anyone built the GHURD Controller? Glen has been very helpful in helping me get as far as I have, but I do not have the eyes anymore to see the colors of the Resistors. I don't really want to both him more. Plus I need to see a unit finished as a LVD Controller.
And maybe have pictures of it finished. My eyes are not what they use to be and Glen said do not use the pictures to build what I need. So I have no idea what or where anything should go.
There are no good directions for someone like me that can build it if I have good directions and pictures.
Can anyone help.
All I need the controller to do is when the battery is fully charged it sends the power to a dump load and when the battery gets to low it sends the power back to the battery.
I don't see where on the GHurd Controller can control the dump load as the pictures show two LED lights and a Positive and Negative wires are all that's there. There doesn't seem to be a place for wiring in a normally open relay or dump load.
Can you help or tell me of a small controller that will do what i need. I do not need a case because the whole unit goes inside my box. Just need the wires saying where they go.

[SparWeb]

I always check the resistors with a ohm-meter anyway.  I can't see the lines on those tiny 1/8 ohm resistors either!
Living with darkening eyesight must be frustrating.
Probably the best thing to do is set up the things you need to adapt first, before diving into the circuit project.
It might help to set up a table, or make a desk space where you can keep a bright desk lamp, a few magnifying lenses (especially if you can find one on a desk-stand) and maybe other things like a mini workbench vise (or perhaps one of the ones with aligator clips sticking out) to hold your work up where you can see it, and get light on it.

Ghurd didn't draw on a dump load, because you will have to pick that up yourself, unless you ordered some of those nifty resistors he has.  Different purposes need different dump loads, so usually it's best for a designer to avoid drawing the dump load on the schematic.

[gizmo]

A couple of years ago I was given a set of these ( borrowed the image from my web site )

Now I'm in my mid 40's and noticed a big decline in my macro and low light vision, and reading resistor color codes suddenly become near impossible unless I had a bright light. So I've recently started using the magnifying head set, and its made all the difference. The resistors look as big as my finger and reading the colour codes is dead easy. I can even read the fin print on transistors as clear as day. I even use them for soldering, so much easier.

Glenn

[invent7]

Thank You all for the help. I do have and use a Magnifier with the alligator clips with light but it still isn't helping with the build. I am not a electronics person. I am still learning the difference between a diode and resistor. So building this little board is tough without any real directions. I think by trying to save a few dollars I have wasted the money. I can get one already built for $40.00 so its not much more than this board will be if I have to hire some one to build it. OH well I should have known and have to remember I am getting to old to start doing this.
Thank You all again.

[ghurd]

Don't get discouraged,
and don't be afraid to email questions.

Did you see this?
Parts list, with the last line "To make the circuit as an LVD with 0.62V hysteresis, change RX to 3.9k".
http://ghurd.info/dc_parts.html

The only difference between it assembled as an LVD is the resistor I call RX.
Changing the resistor RX to 3K will increase the hysteresis to about 0.8V.
Changing the resistor RX to 1.8K will increase the hysteresis to about 1.0V.

Do not go lower than 1.8K.
If the hysteresis needs to be larger than 1.0V, there is another way to do that.

Sometimes I will change resistor R5 to a higher value, like 100K or 220K for an LVD.  Saves a fraction of a milliamp.

Here is something,
(it also shows an inverter with the rocker switch out to connect a small relay in parallel so the inverter is controlled by the LVD)



A single fet and single small dump load are shown connected in the sketch at the bottom of my homepage...
If this is one that requires a relay, it MUST have a Schottky diode connected as a flyback diode.
http://ghurd.info/

Do not underestimate the value of drug store reading glasses, which I need to see text on a computer screen.

I have a set of eye loupes.  OK, maybe 3 sets of eye loupes.
The set 8" from my right elbow right now are HF #47995.

SparWeb,
All the resistors in the ghurd controller kit are 1/4W.
Not that it helps if he, you, me can't see the stripes anyway.
G-

[Mary B]

Just folllow the picture of the board on the page ghurd posted. Remember that resistors can face any direction, diodes the stripe has to match the board and the transistors need to face the direction in the picture. If you decide you can't tackle it you can mail it to me and I can toss it together for free. Will only take 10 minutes. I repaired electroniucs for 27 years so this is an easy project 

[wooferhound]

I need to see a unit finished as a LVD Controller.
All I need the controller to do is when the battery is fully charged it sends the power to a dump load and when the battery gets to low it sends the power back to the battery.

You want to build it as a Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD), but what you are asking for is a regular Dump Load Controller.
If you make it as an LVD then it will not work like you want it to.

I have built 4 of them
http://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,129731.0.html

[invent7]

Thank You all, I caved in. I hired a friend to build the board for me. But see know where you can set up the dump load trigger. I think I have to soldier a wire to the N-Fet  Gate is this correct and then run a wire from the positive and the one from the N-Fet.
The board seems to be wired correctly but two wires for Green LED two wires for Yellow LED a Ground and a Positive but nothing to the dump load. Also where do I install the blocking diode from the generator to the board. If I run a ground from the generator to the battery, and the positive to a blocking diode to the controller board positive and the ground from the controller to the ground of the battery. There is no dump load hook up.
I guess my last heart attack took more brains than I thought.
Thanks Again for all the help.

[ghurd]

Lets look at this sketch.

The wind turbine, or solar panels, or hydro generator, or any combination, all go to the battery.
The blocking diodes or rectifiers are between the power/charging source and the battery.

The controller and dump load only connect to the battery.

The controller controls the battery... Because the battery is what needs controlled to prevent over-charging of the battery.

The charging source in the sketch is a brushed DC motor (Ametek, treadmill motor, etc).

[ghurd]

Just folllow the picture of the board on the page ghurd posted. Remember that resistors can face any direction, diodes the stripe has to match the board and the transistors need to face the direction in the picture. If you decide you can't tackle it you can mail it to me and I can toss it together for free. Will only take 10 minutes. I repaired electroniucs for 27 years so this is an easy project 

I learned digital pics, rendered in a digital camera, converted via the web, then rendred to whatever, then shown on computer screens, can change the colors quite a bit!

The parts list is better than the digital pics posted anywhere.

Plus it seems everyone wants to do something a bit different, so I am not sure there is an exact pic showing colors on resistors for everyone.

G-

[invent7]

Thank You all I did have a friend soldier the board up for me, so that parts done. But am I missing something in the above picture there is a wire going to the dump load where is it on the Ghurd board? I have Positive, Ground, and two sets going to LED's. That's all, what controls the dump?
Also I purchased some Rectifying Diodes from Radio Shack. I am use to using much larger Blocking Diodes where power only travels in one direction, but the Diodes I bought power goes both directions, now something to think about when I test for Ohms I get good connection in one direction (the silver stripe hooked to the positive and no connection when the ground is connected to the striped end. But when I hook it to a battery power flows no matter what direction the diode is pointed. What am I doing wrong?

[ghurd]

The wire from the board to the fet gates goes in the big hole with the square silver solder pad, between R4 and R5.

I have no idea what you mean about the diodes.
My only guess is you shorted them and they failed to an open condition, or you are only using a volt meter to test them.