Photonic Universe Controller workings?

[Ricardo T]

Afternoon all. I'd like to try and understand if my PU controller is working correctly after fitment by my very capable converter.
So did a short video with the van outside in the sun, and according to the PU website the SP should be charging the leisure battery ,but the little arrow icon from the SP icon to the battery icon was not showing...I cant really fathom a reason for this so peoples wisdom is most welcome. There were no instructions with the controller but I have very faith in my converter installing it correctly. Any ideas please? Thank you peeps.

VS1024AU_VS2024AU_VS3024AU_user_manual.pdf

 

[oldiebut goodie]

My first thought would be that the battery is fully charged hence no charge going into it.

 

[Sim60]

Leisure battery fully charged already?

does repeatedly pressing the menu button cycle through the display options as shown in the manual? What voltage is the leisure battery displaying?

simon

 

[Ricardo T]

Yes I think you are right...tried to download a short video of it going though its cycle but not successful doh! The leisure battery is displaying 13.3v although on the PU webpage the battery has another horizontal 'bar' icon on the top showing a fully charged battery, but I guess if its at 13.3v that IS fully charged.

 

[Dellmassive]

try turning on all your loads to drop the battery voltage a bit . . . that should kick it into life. (if its in standby due a full battery)

you should then start to see some power being pout into the battery.


You see the same on the Victron controllers . . . blazing sunny day but the controller will only show 1 or 2 watts prom the panel if the battery is fully charged.

turn on all the loads . . . then bang !! solar will jump up.

 

[Dellmassive]

edit: this is a wrong post position, it was meant for @Niknak but ill leave it here anyway as its kind of relevant.



hiya

have a look at these: (you might need 2x100/120/150w instead of 1x200w)

Lensun flexable:

Black flexible solar panel

Black flexible solar panel made of fiberglass back sheet, fiberglass back sheetis better with ETFE film than PET back sheet.

www.lensunsolar.com

Photonic Universe:

12V solar panels charging kits for caravans, motorhomes, boats, yachts, marine

12V solar panel solar charging kits for motorhome caravan boat campervan yacht marine off-grid

www.photonicuniverse.com

Renogy:

Shop Flexible Solar Panels & Solar Products for Sale | Renogy UK

Need a flexible solar panel to complete your solar energy system? Shop the flexible solar panel selection from Renogy to thin, lightweight solar panels.

uk.renogy.com

mayabe look at the ones with the rear junction box for a nice clean roof install.

i have one of these:~

12V solar panels charging kits for caravans, motorhomes, boats, yachts, marine

12V solar panel solar charging kits for motorhome caravan boat campervan yacht marine off-grid

www.photonicuniverse.com

more examples over here:

Solar Panel: Cutting Hole in Roof !!!

im going fit a solar panel I’ve made sure all cables and connections are under the panel. As I hate to see them. Until it arrives I don’t know how high the connections make the panel sit off the roof ! It’s a HiLow roof. Inside is unfinished. I’ve got to drill cable holes anyway. So...

www.t6forum.com

.

 

[Ricardo T]

Thanks @Dellmassive....ill try that when I get the van back form the transmission guys, and ill have a read though your links.

 

[Phil_G]

I'm surprised at PU, thats a badged cheap generic Chinese controller, which is fine but when you have some spare wad, a decent mppt controller will give you much more from the same panel

 

[MrD]

So just got back from a few days in Devon (luvley innit )

First time using an EHU , so I arrived and just plugged it in and green light showing on black controller. Happy days? Think so .

Packed up today , unplugged ehu and looked at solar controller which showed no lights like it normally does. Drove a bit then at first coffee stop heard a whirring sound and investigation found it to be a fan on the leisure battery running which was warm ?. Still no activity on the solar controller.

Get home , no whirring and solar is blinking away left light blinking , middle solid(battery) and red light solid.

Have I not done something right in just plugging in ehu?

Is everything actually ok?.

Should I have switched something over, on off etc?

See below image of electric set up

 

[MrD]

Anyone able to answer?

 

[T6Jay]

Is the left light 'Slowly Flashing' or 'Fast Flashing'?

 

[MrD]

T6jay….it’s slowly flashing so it looks all normal

 

[T6Jay]

....... which showed no lights like it normally does.

What do you mean here? Your solar is normally OFF?

 

[MrD]

Whenever I have had a look in the electrics the solar has been blinking the led showing it charging.

This time after I hooked up an ehu 240 v it didn’t (assumed it wouldn’t) but when I disconnected it to come home the solar stuff had no led lights on the panel. Just wondered if I did something wrong?.

The leisure battery fan was on though when we parked up on the journey home (still nothing on solar) .

However when we got home I had a look and the solar stuff was doing it’s thing as per my image.

As I don’t know if I cocked something up plugging and unplugging thought I would ask ……and lose all my man points

 

[Bav]

Whenever I have had a look in the electrics the solar has been blinking the led showing it charging.

This time after I hooked up an ehu 240 v it didn’t (assumed it wouldn’t) but when I disconnected it to come home the solar stuff had no led lights on the panel. Just wondered if I did something wrong?.

The leisure battery fan was on though when we parked up on the journey home (still nothing on solar) .

However when we got home I had a look and the solar stuff was doing it’s thing as per my image.

As I don’t know if I cocked something up plugging and unplugging thought I would ask ……and lose all my man points

"Man points" are only awarded for not reading the manual and for not asking directions when "trying to find directional inspiration" (i.e. lost). You don't lose "man points" if you ask a question provided you then agree vigorously with answer(s), stating that you knew that all along and were "just checking".

 

[T6Jay]

If there's no led lights on (or flashing) on the solar controller, something is wrong. Can you check the voltages on the two pairs of terminals next time this happens?

I can't imagine how you could have caused this by connecting/disconnecting the EHU. It would be a shoddy setup that got upset about this.

On another note, what's this fan on the leisure battery? photos?

 

[MrD]

T6jay…..I only assumed it was a fan I can’t see it. All I can see is a “panel” with leds and various states of volts etc that says Sterling on it, the whirring fan sound seemed to be from there.

I just thought I had omitted pressing something before during or after .

Looks like this

 

[T6Jay]

That's your DC/DC charger. It uses your alternator to charge your leisure battery. So that would explain the sterling fan whirring during and after driving.

What's still a mystery, is why your solar charger can have NO led's on?

 

[MrD]

That's your DC/DC charger. It uses your alternator to charge your leisure battery. So that would explain the sterling fan whirring during and after driving.

What's still a mystery, is why your solar charger can have NO led's on?

Thats what puzzled me, No LED on after unplugging or when i checked after driving for 50 miles or so but its all on again as normal when i got home without me doing anything

 

[MrD]

From memory on plugging in the EHU the green light was on on the green area and the Photonic unit red area had no led showing