The Only MPPT Solar Charge Controller and Charger YOU WILL NEED! - Van Dwelling Life

The Only MPPT Solar Charge Controller and Charger YOU WILL NEED! - Van Dwelling Life | BecauseiVan

Рет қаралды 31,646

8 жыл бұрын

This video is a review of my MPPT solar charge controller and battery charger that I use in my van dwelling setup with my solar panel, AGM deep cycle battery and pure sine wave inverter. I have been asked which solar controller i use so i thought it would be a good chance to make a video and let everyone know about my setup and the best all-in-one solar controller and multi-stage battery charger.
Link to my Amazon store - BecauseiVan.com/products/
Link to CTEK D250S Charger - amzn.to/1UGp22Y
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Пікірлер: 60

@cortipascale 8 жыл бұрын

Have the same unit in my Van. You're absolut right, the Ctek Dual Charger is the way to go, install and forget. Never have any issues with this. Good job.

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Yea definitely man, glad you had a good experience with it too! Thanks for watching mate!

@sheltiemanva 7 жыл бұрын

You need to put that temp probe on the battery for optimum voltage/charge. (It does make a difference)

@FreedomInMindtv 7 жыл бұрын

+"Mr. CHEAP's" OLD MOTORHOME UNIVERSITY haha ah yes that makes sense but I don't think it really makes much of a difference.. thanks bud!

@Mazel_Tov_888 5 жыл бұрын

can you send alternator voltage instead of panel voltage to a standard charge controller and let it regulate aux battery charge?

@lenward474 6 жыл бұрын

This is Aussie land and have early access to 250s which is agm adjustable. Old one was not! Still not in Canada!!! If you need more nice for more batteries add the smartpass. Great video thanks!

@FreedomInMindtv 6 жыл бұрын

My new van has a D250SA

@harliv6117 8 жыл бұрын

This is a wickedly helpful video...your store looks great too! Really well done😊

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Awesome! I'm glad you found it helpful :) Thanks for checking out the store and stuff too!

@FaithwalkerTodd 8 жыл бұрын

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing.

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate and you're welcome!

@lukngud9049 8 жыл бұрын

Another excellent informative Vid'! Cheers! Thumbs Up!

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks lukngud! I'm glad you liked it!

@thenoworriesnomad 8 жыл бұрын

Great video mate...And your website is looking good too...

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark :)

@coolcatcarolena4951 8 жыл бұрын

I've done so much research on solar I'm starting to feel overwhelmed (probably a bit of analysis paralysis), thank you for this detailed video, it cleared some things up.

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Yea it can be overwhelming, hopefully with all the videos i've made so far about it you can piece together what you need to know! It helps a lot if you have basic electrical knowledge, have you done much electrical before?

@coolcatcarolena4951 8 жыл бұрын

+BecauseiVan no.no electrical knowledge at all. I have a friend in a van that's helping me out and your videos are super helpful. thanks so much!

@323K1ELS 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome vid.. I have a 7 stage charger is this inferior? How many a/h is your battery? Also solar panel watts? Also how do you do ALL this and work 40 hours + per week??? Cheers

@ezy5756 7 жыл бұрын

Nice vid bud. Was going to get a Redarc dc to dc charger but after looking into the Ctek ones and watching ya video Ive changed my mind. I like how this unit can charge both aux and start batterys off the solar automatically. Just looked at ya web page and was wondering are the prices on there Aussie or USA dollars. thx keep to vids rolling 👍

@FreedomInMindtv 7 жыл бұрын

Glad to be of service :)

@WideOpenChange 6 жыл бұрын

I don’t have solar yet. Alt only. Can this charge the aux with the start (DC to DC)?

@rogertienken106 8 жыл бұрын

Hey, I would first like to say I really enjoy your videos. I had a question about a suburban truck that I own and I wanted to add a cooling system/fan to power while the car is not on. Is there a simple setup that I can buy such as a deep cycle battery, inverter, charger, etc.. I have absolutely no idea what I would be looking for but I would just like for you to point me in the right direction of what items I need to obtain first so I can make this happen. I do plan on adding a solar panel, but Im not sure what to buy first in order to power a fan/ac cooling system. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Hey mate, if you're wanting to add an auxiliary battery so as not to drain your starter battery then what i have is pretty much what you need. As a minimum you need a battery, a way to charge the battery (battery charger or isolator) and the relevant cables, connectors and fuses etc. There are all in one type devices such as "goal zero" units but i don't know too much about them and they are quite pricey though they may be worth a look. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching my videos man, good luck with your setup!

@CreachterZ 8 жыл бұрын

Nice video, mate! (See, I'm practically Australian now!) Could you rig this up so that it could also take a feed from shore power when it is available?

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Haha thanks Mate! You'll fit right in ;) Unfortunately not man you can't take shore power but to be honest with this lifestyle i never have that option unless i pay for a site, which i only do when I'm travelling very very occasionally and in that case i have an extension lead i can run into the van and hook up to my power board.. Thanks for watching Zeke!

@jtrent90 8 жыл бұрын

Can the CTEK receive mains AC? From a hookup at a house or campsite

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

No it just takes alternator and solar but with this style of living i never have the opportunity to use shore power and if i do i have an extension lead that i can run into the van to power things.. The extension lead is still wrapped in plastic as i have never used it :) Thanks for watching!

@Into_The_Mystery_13 8 жыл бұрын

extremely well done man! I'll be looking into this controller for sure. That amazon affiliate program is win win, I'm glad you set that up. Web site looks great on mobile too, smart move.

@CreachterZ 8 жыл бұрын

I think I subscribed to this guy because of you. Thanks!

@Into_The_Mystery_13 8 жыл бұрын

+Zeke Blackwell :)

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much man! Yea i'd definitely recommend it for your setup if you decide to change out the isolator at some point.. Thanks for checking out the website too mate! It turned out pretty good on both mobile and desktop. I think the desktop version looks best but that usually seems to be the case with sites i see. Also 7000 subs!!! What the F@^^&** man!! Well done :)

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for coming over mate!

@WideOpenChange 6 жыл бұрын

Does this have the “DC to DC” charger type feature?

@FreedomInMindtv 6 жыл бұрын

+WideOpenChange yea it’s a dc to dc charger no ac feature

@jamesmason7124 7 жыл бұрын

you might want to take a look at your website and store on a Android phone , you can only see half the screen and you can't scroll over. but I still subbed to your channel

@FreedomInMindtv 7 жыл бұрын

Hey James, thanks for letting me know. I did notice that when I first made the site but unfortunately Im no internet wiz and I made the site myself using wordpress so i'm not sure that theres anything I can do at this stage besides paying someone :( I appreciate the heads up though

@clarkspiemuncher24 4 жыл бұрын

hello after having watched this video about 3 yrs ago i bought the then available ctek d250sa and while all has worked fine for nearly 3 years there is now an anomaly with the charging when running from the engine where even though i have neither a smart alternator or agm battery so nothing connected for either it is showing a 14.7v+ charge rate yet when i disengage and re engage the isolator switch between the ctek unit and the battery it will drop to a charge rate of 13.8v which is the same as the van and stay there ? which is odd and i wondered if you have had any problems with the ctek units ? thanks

@FreedomInMindtv 4 жыл бұрын

I’ve had no issues at all with mine, once they are setup I forget about them.. maybe reach out to ctek for some troubleshooting man. Good luck 🙂

@sujahitrudra7712 7 жыл бұрын

Do u have the Ckt diagram ??

@FreedomInMindtv 7 жыл бұрын

No sorry mate

@MrBluoct 8 жыл бұрын

can you show your related car battery set up

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

As in the starter battery or the auxiliary battery? Or both?

@dufung3980 7 жыл бұрын

'Allen key' and 'touch wood' AUS confirmed :P

@FreedomInMindtv 7 жыл бұрын

Hahaha

@ddd228 7 жыл бұрын

The ctek chargers get HOT.My 7002 has an external fan.

@FreedomInMindtv 7 жыл бұрын

I never noticed mine getting hot but ill keep that in mind :)

@Shavian1 7 жыл бұрын

I cloned your setup and have been using it for a year. I've never had a problem. The CTEK charger is used in Mclaren, Ferrari and Corvette automobiles, so you can bet it's the best tool for the job. (Thanks for sharing)

@rod22lt 8 жыл бұрын

Another great vid. And your website is looking good! Thanks man I have a question that maybe u can help me with... I'm currently doing my van build in my head and trying to figure out power set up. I'll be transporting a kayak on the roof so roof space will be severely compromised. Should I plan for solar or just rely on the alternator for recharging? I want solar but I'm skeptical that I'll find a solar panel that would provide significant enough charge to make it worthwhile.

@FreedomInMindtv 8 жыл бұрын

I love my solar panel so my recommendation would be to find a way to mount a decent sized solar panel, just get creative because i think they are well worth it living this lifestyle. Thanks for watching and checking out the website!