trakmax

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rich
rich Solar Expert Posts: 62 ✭✭✭✭
in Solar Product Reviews & Opinions #1
Anybody have experience with the trakmax 40 amp mppt charge regulator?....can only seem to find the sellers info and no online reviews???..anybody?
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,443 admin
    #2
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    Re: trakmax

    If I have the correct controller specifications:

    http://www.windynation.com/sites/default/files/Trakmax_40_TechnicalSpecs.pdf

    If you are using a 12 volt battery bank, the maximum input voltage is only 30 VDC... That is "good enough for ~17.5 to 18.6 volts or a bit higher Vmp rated solar panels... Those are the "standard 12 volt panels" and you cannot use higher voltage panels (usually over ~140 watts) that are so common and, sometimes cheaper ($$$/Watt pricing) than the 12 volt panels.

    Even for a 24 volt battery bank, the maximum 55 volt input rating does not let you use a pair of Vmp~30 volts (60 cell panels) in series... And one Vmp~30 volt panel is too low of voltage for charging a 24 battery bank reliably.

    Also, it has a 14.8 volt maximum (not adjustable?) over charge cutoff... Depending on your batteries, temperatures, and if you equalize--You can easily exceed 15.0 volts during "normal" charging operations. This is, probably, too low of setting if you plan on deep cycling your battery bank and/or get some nice industrial type batteries that can require higher charging voltages.

    http://www.windynation.com/sites/default/files/TrakMax40%20Owners%20Manual_R1.pdf

    So--For me, even if the controller is a "good one", it does not have the features that we like to see on a (more expensive) MPPT charge controller that lets you use a higher Vmp-array voltage so you can use smaller gauge wire (from array to charge controller) and/or "non standard Vmp panels/arrays).

    Which comes back to a MPPT charge controller on a "12 volt" array will gain you around ~10-15% typically on below freezing days in winter. In general, you will not gain much (if anything) for the rest of the 9 months of the year.

    Otherwise, if you want to compete on price--Look at a good PWM controller and compare with this one.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • rich
    rich Solar Expert Posts: 62 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: trakmax

    OK... I would be employing 8- 100 watt pannels..in series pairs 4 parallel into my buss.these are 17.5 volt 12 volt charging pannels...im sure it says.. it(controller) can be adjusted up to 15.5 volts via the battery type settings ..I think the specs look good in my understanding.am i missing something?..what I was looking for was real world experience in context of reliability and known problems....any experience with windynation?...again , thanx.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,443 admin
    #4
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    Re: trakmax

    I don't think you can run your panels in series + parallel if you are on a 12 volt battery bank (Voc-cold will exceed controller's input voltage rating).

    Need to know the details of which panel and 12 or 24 volt battery bank to know the "optimum" array configuration.

    Will the panels be mounted on the roof the trailer (short wiring run from array to battery bank)?

    I am not in the solar business and really do not buy much solar hardware (I have a grid tied system)--So, I don't know anything about Windynations.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • rich
    rich Solar Expert Posts: 62 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: trakmax

    sorry it will be 24 volt bank...4 -6v tracktion batteries.
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  • rich
    rich Solar Expert Posts: 62 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: trakmax

    I have 8 100 watt pannels...4 of them 17.9 volt vmp....and 4 at 18.9 vmp..they are renogy and eco-worthy 4 of each ...i want to run 4 paralell runs of two series pannels...thru the trakmax into the 24 volt bank....seems i might be getting confused as I thought this was n exceptable set -up.....hmmm am I wrong?
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,443 admin
    #7
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    Re: trakmax

    You should be fine with that configuration on a 24 volt battery bank.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #8
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    Re: trakmax
    rich wrote: »
    I have 8 100 watt pannels...4 of them 17.9 volt vmp....and 4 at 18.9 vmp..they are renogy and eco-worthy 4 of each ...i want to run 4 paralell runs of two series pannels...thru the trakmax into the 24 volt bank....seems i might be getting confused as I thought this was n exceptable set -up.....hmmm am I wrong?

    This can be done: the two different panel types are very close to one another.

    You need to make strings of two to make the 24 Volt charging viable. I would suggest making two strings out of each type, so you end up with two @ Vmp 35.8 & Imp 5.5 (estimated) and two @ Vmp 37.8 & Imp 5.2 (estimated).

    All together the 800 Watts should provide approximately 26 Amps peak current. I don't know what the actual Amp hour rating of your batteries are but I think they are in the 220 Amp hour range, in which case four in series gives you 220 @ 24 and it would work well with that array.

    Be wary of cheap controllers that do not have flexibility for input and output; you may not be able to make the small adjustments that can be crucial for best function with your batteries. One example of this would be having batteries requiring 14.8 or more Absorb Voltage and being limited by the controller to 14.6. Another would be "MPPT" controllers that place severe limits on input Voltage making them little better than their PWM-type counterparts.
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