SOLAR CONTROLER REPLACEMENT WITH AGM OPTION

Stormforce

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Joined
Jan 27, 2019
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Fluid Motion Model
C-242 C
I recently replaced my original house batteries on my R23 2018 with two 100ah AGM bats ,,and upped the solar panel to
195 watts to better able staying on the hook for longer periods with fridge running ect. So i figured i would upgrade the charge controller to 20amp (recommended) as the one supplied by ranger is 10amp according to factory ,, ( EPIPDB-COM-10 ),but realized that that brand controller does not have a setting for AGM bat. type .. only SEALED,,,FLOODED,,,or GEL,,no option for AGM,,, no problem with the ac charger , it has the AGM setting. Has anybody else found a dual bat. solar charger with a AGM bat. type option ? I dont want to risk damaging the bats. with incorrect voltage inputs.
 
I upgraded our Morning star Duo solar controller (PWM style) to a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 (100volts from the panel, 30 amps max to the battery). It supports AGM charge profiles. Very few solar controllers offer a connection to more than one battery bank like the Morning Star Duo controller.

The connection from the solar controller to the house and engine battery isn't necessary in my opinion. There are ACR's between House and Thruster and between House and Engine. So when the house battery is being charged it's possible for the ACR to close and allow the thruster and engine battery to be charged at the same time.

The Victron Mppt 100/30 Smart Solar controller I upgraded to connects to the house battery bank and the solar panel. It charges the engine and thruster battery via the ACR's.
 
Looking at Victron website.
Victon AGM: Absorption: 14.2 – 14.6
Victron GEL: Absorption: 14.1 – 14.4
Float: AGM: 13.5 – 13.8
GEL: 13.5 – 13.8
Storage: AGM: 13.2 – 13.5
GEL: 13.2 – 13.5

I'm no expert, you decide.....
It seems to me that IF your batteries are similar, then the AGM setting may be completely acceptable. The Gell setting may not throw too much voltage as a GEL 14.1- 14.4 is in the range for AGM of 14.2 - 14.6.
The rest are the same.
Call the battery MFG.
I called BattleBorn and they said my GEL 2 setting on Inverter is fine for their Lithium!! May not have been optimal, but should work. Nice to know some day when I do lithium, just not now.
 
i believe Im using the Spiral AGM setting (3) on my victron for the universal AGM's. puts volts at 14.7 and 13.8 which is inline with specs.

check out page 7 here:

https://www.victronenergy.com/uploa...er-MPPT-100-30---100-50-EN-NL-FR-DE-ES-SE.pdf

also worth getting the bluetooth battery sense module to make sure the output voltages are whats being recieved by the batteries after voltage drop in the cables between victron and battery.
 
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