can i use a pwm and a mppt together?

Re: can i use a pwm and a mppt together?

Yes you can.
How well it will work depends on the particular controllers involved especially how close you can get the Voltage set points to agree. The TriStars and the C60 should work together fairly well. There will be a 'difference of opinion' over actual battery Voltage and charge stage, but if you understand that the smaller panels and PWM controller are there to add current during the Bulk stage and allow the MPPT controllers to handle the more precise Voltage needs of Absorb and float it should all work.

Remote temperature sensors will cause a bigger difference in the Voltage each controller 'sees' but are really a good idea for the Voltage stable Absorb and Float stages. In Bulk it doesn't matter much.

Incidentally even among 'identical' controllers there are discrepancies, and the only way to get it to work '100%' is using MidNite Classics with the "follow me" function where there's one 'master' controller and the others take their cue from it.

But over all multiple controllers, even of different types, do work.

Re: can i use a pwm and a mppt together?

WillBkool wrote: »

I'm am going to have to do something similiar until I can save up for a large enough MPPT controller. So the thing is to set the 2 controller's voltages the same, or as close as possible, correct?

Yes, in theory.
In practice you may have to adjust the Voltages to get the right charging performance; the target being to actually have the correct Absorb Voltage at the battery when the Absorb stage begins.
So you may have to crank up the setting on one or the other or turn one down a bit so that both go to Absorb at close to the same time and Voltage. That's the most important set point.