Why cheap PWMs break and how to prevent it. Modification on PWM Solar charge controllers

Рет қаралды 14,780

Күн бұрын

How to fix issues at cheap chinese PWM Solar charge controllers.
Modification (mods) at PWM from Amazon and Ebay.
How to mount a heat sink to solve heat problems
Use PWM controllers with high current.
Prevent battery issues.
You will find these PWM controllers in many solar kits. You should modificate them to keep your battery save.

Пікірлер: 31

@notyoung 5 ай бұрын

Thank you. I have solar-charged lighting in the equipment shed (riding mower, leaf blower, etc, etc and storage for treated gasoline). The lighting is used, at most, twice a day for 20 minutes each time - time to get equipment out of the shed to do yard work and time to put that equipment away when the work is done. The switch for the lights is a 60 minute wind-up timer which ensures the lights can NOT be left on. In extensive testing (I'm a statistics geek ;-), a PWM controller (EPEver LS1024) was compared to an MPPT controller (EPEver XTRA1210) - both of those can be monitored and the data collected by a computer or with the EPEver eLog01 recording device. Because the MPPT controller's idle current (the Brits say "self consumption") is higher than that of the PWM controller's (roughly double) and the location of the 30 watt solar panel is not optimal, in several days recording of the lighting usage and subsequent re-charging, at the end of the day the PWM controller delivered more charge to the battery - and that's what is important: how much power is delivered to the battery. If you add a better heatsink to one of the small PWM controllers, you need to use plenty of heatsink compound (thermal grease) to maximize heat transfer from the controller's metal back to the added heatsink.

@nissimcohen6811 Жыл бұрын

Great video. I like that you think out of the box with a practical solution.

@nhikoid Жыл бұрын

Very good video. Thanks!

@omoredeamadasun7821 Жыл бұрын

It is good to know they work

@dannystrachan475 Жыл бұрын

Yes heat is killer. I have use magnets 5cm by 1cm and spaced them facing vertical attached to the outside of the back cover when a conventional heatsink was not available.

@the_vortex Жыл бұрын

thank you for the tip.

@nicoschadjidemetriou4373 Жыл бұрын

Thanks my dear .Arrived to me yesterday two of these 10A and 30A but I don't have yet solar panel.I have many heat sinks. I bought them to add them on flat lights of 50W and 100W because they get very hot in summer.

@kevinc3236 Жыл бұрын

Sometimes the mosfets don’t have heat conduction paste. Add it to the heat sink as well

@jafinch78 Жыл бұрын

I was wondering about making an itemized list of MOSFETS that can basically be swapped out and replaced with equivalent or larger than current rating so to up the current if wanted or required. Of course either an external where the MOSFETS are mounted or other heat sink will be required. Now, in regards to using higher voltage solar cells, I've not researched enough yet, though I did find some DC-DC converter modules that can be paralleled for higher current rating with additional added for redundancy and most likely adding an alert circuit for if one does fail. The smaller current rated are so much cheaper than when you get into the larger units. Thanks for sharing!

@johnnolang3734 Жыл бұрын

I suggest you learn more about PV arrays, batteries and controllers before stuffing around with DC-DC converters. If you knew more about power mosfets, you would know there are literally tens of thousands of part numbers out there. You are on the right track though. The way the fets are mounted in these little blue thingies is woeful. If I was going to use one, I'd have an reasonable size heat sink, mount the fets with bolts, mica isolaters bolt insulators (buy a few larger transistor mounting kits) and that white heat conducting grease. The backing plate from the PWM would not be required.

@jafinch78 Жыл бұрын

@@johnnolang3734 Right, mainly the gate specs needs to be matched up from what I roughly understand. Though not certain about the rest of the circuit other than over rating the rails for the current with larger strip or wire or tubing. Was very ad hoc and impromptu comment I made. I've seen a site before that allowed for the input of the pinout specs and then that relational database searched to find matching suitable replacement parts. Guessing was a slavik site that hacked some parts catalogs out and provided with more that option. I've never used, though saw in a KZfaq video being used. I'll reply back later when I get the time and find. Thanks for the additional insight and info. Kindly appreciated.

@jafinch78 Жыл бұрын

@@johnnolang3734 I still haven't found the site again and since the reinstall, I don't have linked. I did recall this one video I watched recently by Haseeb Electronics titled How to Find SMPS PWM IC Equivalent, though that only shows a page for the power supply chips unfortunately. I'll keep in mind, since I want to find that link again as the above noted page only cross references pins and not the pin spec values in detail. Seems like someone in the US could open source host a similar site using a free cloud server if could access or scrape the major suppliers websites since the data is already off the datasheet I'm thinking. Verifying the data would take the most time.

@micksmith106 Жыл бұрын

Good video info, I have a 12v Fan directly behind my 30a controller , before that I notice a few times that my battery monitor was showing 16.2 v , since the upgrade , it has gone back down to a respectable 13.2v ..Simples ...

@laserquant 11 ай бұрын

This has nothing to do with the heatsink. This controller switches on and off with a cycle of approx. 1 s causing the voltage to overshoot up to the voltage of the solar panel. You will see this overshooting depending on low inner resistence of your battery and at very sunny days. Not good for the battery.

@micksmith106 11 ай бұрын

@laserquantum1272 Are you saying that a heat sync plays no part in any electrical appliance that generates heat..are you mad pal.. it makes no difference if it's solar controllers or audio or anything else for that matter that produces heat . Try running your 600w audio amp.. without no heat sync ..

@laserquant 11 ай бұрын

@@micksmith106 No, that's not what I was saying and talking about. And no, to your other offensive question.

@micksmith106 11 ай бұрын

@laserquantum1272 I didn't mean it to sound offensive at all... I'm no electronic expert , but after over 6 decades of tinkering with solar and audio DIY, projects..it is a bald statement to suggest that any kind of none conductive heat sync plays no or little part of reducing electronic heat ..all the best and you take care.

@laserquant 11 ай бұрын

@@micksmith106 Ok, but read my text. I haven't said that it doesn't make sense to reduce heat with heatsinks. The opposite is the case. It make sense. However, your overvoltage problem is not solved. It is still possible to overshoot because of the basic contol design of this solar charger. The overvoltage will still appear. From my perspective, you have focused on one particular statement, taking it out of context and added somthing that haven't been said. Hopefully, we can put this right.

@alfredotorres3553 Жыл бұрын

How to determine the voltage they can handle?

@lifeisgood3386 Жыл бұрын

Can i use one of these with a 12v 200ah leshure battery .

@mrtechie6810 Жыл бұрын

Even more exciting with a Lithium battery. Boom!

@blufade Жыл бұрын

@ 4:20, I recommend using red thread lock rather than super glue.

@user-mo4ul5td2p Жыл бұрын

how did you know that the mosfet are burned witout unsoldering them ??? you tel that the "voltage' displayed are the same on lcd in case of "burned" mofset. a have two of these controller the first one dont regulate my load voltage ( i get around 25 to 27V ) with 24v battery and second one the settings mode dont work well impossible to change B1 battery type to B2 and minus button dont work but load output is 24v!

@dayforit1750 Жыл бұрын

Would you think this modification would be required on only a 15amp PWM? And could simply taking the back cover off of the PWM be beneficial to allow heat to escape, if it's hard mounted on a controller board inside my car and out of the elements?

@freeenergyonshore2828 Жыл бұрын

I guess it makes sense even at the 15Amp Version. To remove the backside cover is not a good idea. You need surface to reduce the head

@lezbriddon Жыл бұрын

improving a pwm charger.... you know that old saying you cant make a silk purse from a pigs ear, or polishing a turd... just buy a better no-brand-name mppt and its like adding 30-50% more power collection from your existing panels

@crpth1 Жыл бұрын

That's really dependent on your particular application, needs and intention. As strange as it might seem. I promised myself to get an MPPT as soon as the "default" PWM went belly up. No need to waste a perfectly good and functional piece of the puzzle. Notice I'm talking about those USD 10$ controller just like in the video. Well, that was some 5 years ago! The damn thing never failed once! On my setup I really can't justify spend 10x more, for no good reason. My batteries are always charged exactly as needed. So let it go, until it burn... ;-)

@lezbriddon Жыл бұрын

@@crpth1 I bought 2 mppt chargers for $25 each, rated for 300w, put them in parallel as that was cheaper than 1 larger charger. i'd love to see the scenario were a pwm is preferable

@DougWoodrow Жыл бұрын

@@lezbriddon can you provide a link to the chargers you are using?

@freeenergyonshore2828 Жыл бұрын

To the PWM?

@DougWoodrow Жыл бұрын

@@freeenergyonshore2828 If that was addressed to me, no - I was asking @lezbriddon for a link to the $25 MPPT chargers he found.