Customer Reviews

HQRP Solar 10A Charge Power Controller / Regulator 12V / 24V 10 Amp with LED Indicator plus HQRP UV Chain / UV Radiation Health Tester

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm satisfied with this PWM PV charge controller. Compared to other charge controllers and even those of PWM or MPPT, this one has the best cost. Only around $30 compared to those that do the same and cost around in the $100's. With PWM techonlogy, the charger is neither on or off like some of the cheaper controllers. Instead it regulates the voltage so it is constantly chargeing and then float chargers when the batteries are full. Also, because the voltage is being regulated closer to the batteries voltage. The batteries do not gas as much. A second thing with PWM controller, the batteries receive pulses of a charge, similar to a battery desulfator. So the batteries plates will not sulfate as much either. I found the charger regualtes the voltage .5V higher than the batteries readings. And float regulate around 13.3V. Controller can handle up to 10Amps (150Watts of PV power) and can control discharge through the controler at 10Amps. Which makes it good for outdoor ligthing or ponds where if the batteries become too low, the controller will automatically shut them down until the batteries are fully recharged.

Here's why this thing rocks:
- good screw terminal connections
- connections for the solar panel, a battery, AND (this is key) a device you want to hook up TO the solar/battery system.
This last point is awesome - it provides a no-brainer way to hook up a device to a regulated / protected solar /battery system, and allows you to use the battery for power when the sun goes down or during cloudy periods - in fact, the system automatically delivers power from the battery as needed.
- Also critical is a Low Voltage Disconnect - for a solar fountain project, I first used another product without the LVD - my battery was drained completely overnight, and batteries discharged 100% can't be recharged easily (they register as an open circuit or cause other problems). This unit takes away that worry.
- The unit has a switch on it so you can turn on/off the device you're powering right from the unit.

The unit seems to be designed for rural electrification (i.e. remote villages in india needing electric lights at night). It has a conformal coating on the circuit board (anti-rust).

For me, I combined a 500 gph Rule bilge pump, this unit, a 30 watt 12 volt solar panel, and a cheap $35 12 volt tractor battery and I have an AWESOME solar fountain. I'm pretty psyched on this device, and just ordered 2 more.

This device does what it says. Has good indicator lights for status and good quality pinch-screw connectors.

There is one point I wanted to mention. IT MATTERS the order in which you hook up the connections to the battery, load, panel, etc.

Follow the instructions on the little booklet. If you hook up out of sequence, the unit will lock up and not run until it is completely unhooked and then powered up correctly!

I am an inventor and sometimes things do not go according to plan. I have this unit mounted on a mobile wheelchair that tows a mobile craft center (see the epiphany3 website). There have been occasions in development when the charge controller took some hard hits (including a traffic collision where it smacked pavement) and a few occasions when heavy wires were violently yanked from the connecter terminals (me being forgetful and not unplugging the trailer). Powering the craft center, a laptop, and lighting, it does the job in spite of the abuse. Miraculously, in spite of all it has been through it appears and works as it did the day I received it, juicing up a 17 amph battery when not towing the craft bench and the huge 90 amph solid core batteries on that mobile work center.

The regulator performs as advertised. I use the system on a camper in the woods and leave it along for long periods of time without worring about it. It keeps my batteries charged.

I used this charger for outdoor lighting and it has been great. The unit has been outside in a sealed box for about 6 months now running none stop. I've wired it to a charger source (15watt solar panel) and have it charging two 7.5Ah batteries in parrallel. I really like the features of shutting down power draw source when the batteries get low b/c a 15 watt panel only gives out so much especially during the winter and needs to rejuice for a day to get back to acceptable levels. I have it powering 3 12V LED halogen replacement bulbs (16 leds/bulb) in some custom pole laterns I made. I love being able to run everything to this one box and have it regulate power. I haven't noticed any issues and it really has been a set it and forget kind of deal. I would recommned this to anyone looking to build a small PV system and the best part is I can upgrade panels or add components with no fear drawing too many amps. Great product.

I bought this as a replacement for my second failed sun force. I'm using to control solar powered yard and entrance lights. With the Gray days, sometimes battery voltage dips to the low voltage cutoff. The problem is the reconnect voltage is so high, at 13.3 volts, it takes days to get back up there.

Since I don't have any critical items being powered, a low voltage isn't critical. It dawned on me that I don't HAVE to use the load contacts, I can hook the load directly into the battery. This isn't mentioned in the manual, but it works just fine. If the voltage drops to around 8 volts, the led lights don't come on. I then just turn them off until the battery charges back up. The system, wired this way, works just fine for me.

Bought this a couple of years ago for a 100w, 12v HQRP solar panel and 400 amp hour battery bank. Still working very well; batteries charged-up every day (that there is sunshine). Keep in mind, it does have a 10 amp limit from the solar panels. I think the max wire size is #10 but I managed to get #8 in there - barely. This is a PWM controller. Says "digital display" which in reality means LED lights, no digital readout. The "manual" is a 3 page pamphlet. It does have a connection for external load. There are certainly better PWM charge controllers but not for $29.

If your just learning, get this controller, some inexpensive batteries, solar panels, 600w true sine wave inverter and avoid the possibility of making a learning mistake on an expensive system.

Our Honda civic is not driven enough to keep the battery full charged. After killing a replacement battery in six months, due to sulfation, I built a charger around the HQRP solar charge regulator.

There is no way to plug in a conventional charger, so I assembled a 16 volt battery pack, with current limiting resistors, to drive the HQRP regulator without exceeding it's 10 amp rating. The output of the regulator is connected to the car battery through a 30 Amp fuse as recommended, with clips. After the car battery tops off in four hours I bring the battery pack back to the apartment and recharge it.

Powering the HQRP regulator from a predictable power supply gave a unique opportunity to study it,s charging characteristics.

First it charges at full power until 14.4 volts is reached, then it applies an equalizing charge at 14.6 to 14.7 volts long enough to equalize the six cells in the battery but not produce significant hydrogen. Thus water is not depleted.
After full charge is reached it goes into a float charge mode holding the battery at 13.2 to 13.9 volts.

This is a pulse charger so it prevents and over many hours reverses sulfation, provided it is not severe. No load resting battery voltage increased from 12.4 volts to 12.8 volts. These readings were made with the battery at 70 - 80 degrees F.

UPDATE NOV 22 / 2011: With the arrival of cold weather I was able to verify that the temperature compensation works. Recently on a cold night with heavy frost the float charge settled at 14.5 volts with 40 mA current to the battery being charged. This is right on target voltage and current wise. Now I am even more happy with this excellent product.

This is a superb product for the price that was designed with a full knowledge of lead acid battery charging.

More aggressive desulfators can be purchased or built from kits, but these should not be used on a battery when it is connected to the car's electronics.

My long term plan is to get a 2 or 3 Amp solar panel that will fit in the car windshield, but these high efficiency panels are rather expensive.

Used charge controller all summer. As long as there was sun never had a problem. Be sure to hook wires up in right order or it won't work.