Application

A basic battery charge controller coupled with a basic light controller. This unit charges the battery by day and keeps the light on during the night until either the sun comes up or the battery is drained. This unit emphasizes extremely low cost and minumum interference.

This unit is availble open frame as shown for mount in your battery box, in a plastic enclosure for indoor mount, or a NEMA 4 enclosure for outside mount.

Features

• LOW COST
• Internal Day / Night Sensor
• No sharp current transition = very low interferance
• Charge Indicators
• Low Voltage Disconnect
• remote on/off
• EXTREMELY low nighttime draw

Basic Operation

A major source of noise interference in PWM systems is the sharp voltage and current transisitons that happen when the Series PWM switch very quickly connects and disconnects the panel current to the battery to control the charge.Add a large panel and long panel wires and you have a perfect antennae to transmit all this electrical noise being created.

This basic charge controller charges the battery by connecting the solar panels to the battery then shorts the panel (no power loss when shorted) and reconnects the panel to battery with PWM control. The battery sees a PWM style charge current with PWM control, however, since the panel current shorted is very close to panel current into the battery, there are no sharp transistions of panel current, hence minimal electrical interference.

An integral Low voltage disconnect shuts the light off if the battery gets to low. As well, as internal circuit turns the light on/off at nighttime/daytime. For extra flexibility, shorting the on/off connector with a switch turns the light off - an on/off light switch at night

Electrical Specifications

Mechanical Specifications

Weight:

• 0.3 lbs.

• 2.5" X 1.5" X 1.0" open frame
• 3.0" X 2.0" X 2.0" plastic case
• 5.0" X 2.0" X 2.0" NEMA 4

• -40 to 60 deg. C

• 0 - 90 % non-condensing

Connections

• Eurostyle Terminal Strip #14 AWG

March 2002