Customer Reviews

Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bad:
Really cheap quality. Included instructions don't provide enough information. Website is just as un-informative. Cheap connector wires (low current), and is not equipped with screw-on terminal junctions.

Good: Product works as advertised. Amazinlgly "regulates" the voltage to the required amount so as not to overcharge the battery. Beware though, in order to test the actual output voltage, you must apply a load on the battery end of the controller BEFORE. Failing this, the output can register volts as high as 20 volts !!! Apparently applying an actual load causes the controller to output the correct voltage range - lucky me, cause I bought 4 units ! The LEDS alternately flickers (fast for good voltage input and slow for low to no voltage on solar panel). The manual did NOT state the order of LED flashes.
(1) Fast LED flashes - good voltage/current
(2) Slow LED flashes - low/no voltage/current
(3) steady Green - fully charged
(4) steady amber - possible no load OR really low voltage/current

I recommend you go out and buy 'em. The are a really good deal and does the job at the best price ! I use them in Jamaica, to provide my appliances with power during power outages (very frequent here). Used with solar panels and DC to AC inverter, of course. Considered using a generator, but too many accidents here with generators, too noisy, too bulky, and during hurricane aftermath, fuel is a problem. Solar is freely available, so it was the BEST option all round.

Hope this helps all readers !

I have this unit connect to two automotive 12V batteries with three 15W panels connect to it. So far the charger works as advertised by preventing battery drain when the sun goes down and charging while the panels are producing at least 13 volts. It is pretty much an install and forget item. Additionally I have those same two batteries tied into one of my trucks 12V power points so that the batteries charge when the vehicle is running by way of the alternator. Even with this double charging set up, the charge controller appears unphased and shows a charge light in the daytime and has on two occasions indicated a fully charged green light.

Two wires to the battery and two wires to the solar panel. It doesn't get much simplier than that. Worked flawlessly out of the box. Yellow LED indicates charging while green LED indicates the battery is charged.

This unit is simply an electronic switch, it is either on or off. The problem with that is that when it is on the full force of a high current is applied to the battery and if the battery is almost charged the battery voltage quickly rises to the cut-off voltage (14.2v). When current is cut off the battery voltage quickly falls to the turn on voltage (13.1v), and the unit turns the current on again. This can happen several times a minute when the current is high and the battery is almost charged. Also, in operating this way, the battery never gets fully charged, which requires a small constant current.

I strongly recommend that anyone considering this unit spend another $10 and buy the vastly superior HQRP 10Amp controller or something similar which controls the amount of current, rather than just switching current on or off.

Functions just as advertised-please see my other reviews to see what you can use it for. Much better than jury-rigging an old auto voltage regulator as it automatically protects from overcharge or overload. A car regulator will fry unless its an old fashioned electro-mechanical and that would be less efficient than this product. Great item!

As a few others have posted, in here, the quality control on this Chinese unit is poor. The wiring on my unit was reversed. Once I set things right, the unit worked correctly for about four months before complete failure. My battery died in the bargain, due to the unit failure that allowed my battery to drain completely with no load on it except this unit and the solar panel. I'll try one more and then update this review. Update: I just ordered: KINTREX SPC0601 Solar Charge Controller - 7Amp, 100 Watt,... At just $10, on this site, it's a far better deal and has an extra indicator light for low charge condition. The connectors should mate up perfectly if the pictures are accurate. As far as the reversed wiring goes, in all electrical applications with connectors, an exposed contact is normally the ground, coming from a power source. The hot side is recessed and/or shielded to keep you from grabbing it and then a grounded object or contact, which would result in a shock. This scheme is reversed, obviously, in the non-powered side of the circuit, ie., the thing you're sending the power to that mates with the connection just described. When I called Sunforce's rep, in Canada, and spoke with him, he denied knowledge of any other incidents of reversed wiring. That's really curious, as others have posted about the reversals, as I mentioned, above. UPDATE: 4/2011- The Kintrex unit works flawlessly. You are well-advised to go with it and leave the reviewed unit, as above, alone. It costs much more and is inferior.

Once I finally figurd out that it was wired incorrectly internally, the controller works as it is supposed to. The positive and negative wires were reversed and was driving me crazy trying to get it working. Finally I reversed my wiring an it worked.

This product works very well and the customer support was excellent. The photos indicate that the device is connected via screw terminals located under a cover at the bottom of the device. In actuality there are wires leading to battery terminal ring connectors on the load side and wires that need to be spliced to the line or solar panell side.

This charge controller works as any voltage regulator does. I use it to regulate a 10 watt solar panel that maintains the charge on a gate opener battery. Would have rather been told in the product description that it was not weather proof. Had to seal the case where the front & back meet. Since it works as advertised, will use it until the circuit board corrodes and fails.

I received the unit quickly. Install it and it has work great. I did a lot of looking on the web and found this unit was the best value.