Gopower solar controler vs trimetric

[padlin]

Originally Posted by MikeS

I think the Go power controller works pretty well and will not damage your batteries. In fact I've been pleasantly surprised with the ETI solar and Interstate batteries. Well, sorta pleasantly, since I would love an excuse to swap them out for a couple lithiums but I just can't justify it after a year of using the Interstates.

We have two panels but it is pretty cool to stop for lunch and run the microwave to heat lunch and sometimes by the time we are back on the road the panels have the batteries back to 100% as measured by the Victron 712.

I think the standard install is fine for 95% of the folks, the other 5%, me being one of them, have their own reasons for wanting one better then the GoPower.

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Thanks for the help. I thinking i be best to order there system and have them cable tie the controller under the seat. with the Bluetooth I will not need to see it anyway. that way i have a working system to start and can change controller latter. I did send the Go power spec to interstate and this was there response.


" The voltage on your current solar charge controller is lower than we would like to see for charging these batteries. Depending on how low you take these batteries, you may experience low run times and overall short life of the batteries. The way to see if the batteries are getting fully charged would be checking the specific gravities after a full charge cycle. The specific gravities should be 1.285 or greater for a fully charged battery. Anything lower than that indicates they are not fully charged. Let me know if this helps or if you have more questions."

[Vermilye]

As Bob (padlin) noted, the stock GoPower controller will work for most users. It is a bit conservative, which, while won't fully charge the batteries, will give them a bit longer life, and less need to check electrolyte levels. AGM batteries don't do well when undercharged, but standard wet cells don't seem to mind as long as you run a equalization stage every once in awhile.

That said, I am currently using a Victron 100/30 controller & the 721 battery monitor with a pair of 100 amp hour Battleborn lithium batteries & a pair of 160 watt roof top panels. I dry camp all winter, and so far (I just installed them this summer) have found them ideal for my purposes. I can be down 50 amp hours overnight, and fully recharged by 3:00, even on partly cloudy days. Because the lithium batteries provide over 12V down to 10%, I can use my microwave in the AM after a night's furnace run, something that I often could not do with the wet cells.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

As Bob (padlin) noted, the stock GoPower controller will work for most users. It is a bit conservative, which, while won't fully charge the batteries, will give them a bit longer life, and less need to check electrolyte levels. AGM batteries don't do well when undercharged, but standard wet cells don't seem to mind as long as you run a equalization stage every once in awhile.

One reason we haven't moved to a different controller is the GoPower has no problem charging our AGM batteries to 100%. I even see 100% many times on the GoPower readout, much less have 12.8v on our Victron 712 two hours after the sun goes down. Perhaps it charges AGM's better than flooded, but that's just speculation.

If I do move to a Victron controller it will be because of the bluetooth/historical capability and that we have the discretionary money available.

Enjoy,

Perry

[M & M]

Originally Posted by NEWYORKHILLBILLY

I am ordering a 19' trailer and escape now
installs the gopower 30 amp, lithium compatible, PWM, Dual Bank Bluetooth® solar controller.

I have a 17B on order, do you know if ETI install the same controller on all models?

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by M & M

I have a 17B on order, do you know if ETI install the same controller on all models?

I assume so, but you could check with them.

[M & M]

I have send an email, waiting for the reply. I'll post it when that happen. Thank you for getting back to me.