What's the difference between the RV-30S and HPV-22B Solar Controlle December 08, 2011, 01:12:24 pm Yahoo Message Number: 127212My 2003ML has the RV-30S solar controller. I keep reading that everyone else has the HPV-22B. What's the difference and should I be concerned about mine? I will appreciate your response. Question: Is it ok to send pictures with email or should they be posted to a web alblum? Bill[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: What's the difference between the RV-30S and HPV-22B Solar Contr Reply #1 – December 08, 2011, 01:33:50 pm Yahoo Message Number: 127214Quote "My 2003ML has the RV-30S solar controller. I keep reading that everyone else has the HPV-22B. What's the difference and should I be concerned about mine?"Bill BillHurry - Hurry - Read all about it! http://www.heliotrope-pv.com/index.htmlHeliotrope is a division of AM Solar. Take a look at the Heliotrope site and you'll find your answers.Steve S. Lazy Bones & Jiggs
Re: What's the difference between the RV-30S and HPV-22B Solar Contr Reply #2 – December 08, 2011, 01:47:21 pm Yahoo Message Number: 127215lejest2003 wrote: Heliotrope is a division of AM Solar. Take a look at the Heliotrope site and you'll find your answers. --- The HPV22B is no longer manufactured: http://www.heliotrope-pv.com/hpv22b.htmlAM Solar's current line of charge controllers: http://www.amsolar.com/home/amr/smartlist_14/charge_controllers.html Joan
Re: What's the difference between the RV-30S and HPV-22B Solar Contr Reply #3 – December 08, 2011, 02:50:27 pm Yahoo Message Number: 127217"My 2003ML has the RV-30S solar controller. I keep reading that everyone else has the HPV-22B. What's the difference and should I be concerned about mine?" Yes. The RV-30 is a crude device that wastes a lot of power. Substituting an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) controller such as the HPV-22 (if you can find one) or the SBV 2000E or SB 2512ix controllers that AM Solar is now selling will significantly increase the amount of charging amps you get from your panel(s). It's not that the MPPT controllers make power out of thin air... they just don't throw it away by the handful the way the RV-30 does. The result, based on my measurements, is anywhere from 15% to 30% more juice from the same panels. This isn't a cheap upgrade, but it's a very beneficial one. "Is it ok to send pictures with email or should they be posted to a web alblum?" Photos and other attachments are stripped off by Yahoo, so they won't show up here. (We experimented with allowing them, but it caused more problems than it was worth.) So post them to an album, either here or on a free service such as Flickr, Picasa, or SnapFish.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: What's the difference between the RV-30S and HPV-22B Solar Contr Reply #4 – December 08, 2011, 04:20:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 127220QuoteYes. The RV-30 is a crude device that wastes a lot of power. Substituting an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) controller such as the HPV-22 (if you can find one) or the SBV 2000E or SB 2512ix controllers that AM Solar is now selling will significantly increase the amount of charging amps you get from your panel(s). Andy's point is valid, but calling the RV-30 'crude' is overstating its relation to MPPT controllers. It IS an intelligent, pulse-width-modulation (PWM) precision controller, and I would only consider upgrading to an MPPT controller if yours currently produces slightly too little charging for your needs. If, however, your batteries are pretty much staying fully charged now, and you don't anticipate needing a bit more in the future, upgrading would be a waste of money. The charge controller I used previously was of a type called a 'shunt controller'. It was 'dumb', crude, and took a long time time bring the batteries to a true full charge. Either a smart PWM controller like yours OR an MPPT model would significantly improve my situation, and the difference in price is small - so I chose an MPPT model. An upgrade in your case would not deliver nearly the same results as mine.Steve
Re: What's the difference between the RV-30S and HPV-22B Solar Contr Reply #5 – December 08, 2011, 10:46:01 pm Yahoo Message Number: 127224Steve, Andy, Thank you. It's never good to find out the one you have is discontinued but it's good to know it's been superceded by a better unit. My RV-30 seems to work fine but I do watch the batteries to make sure they aren't overcharging. If it stops charging or starts to prove inadequate, I'll upgrade. For now, I'll let it be. Thank you again, Bill