Question On Morningstar Solar Controller Output To Battery

Finally got a solar panel (95 watt) and rigged a power wire with the 3-wire male solar plug supplied with the CI 550 Ultra. Put the panel out in the sun and plugged it in. The meter read 17.1 volts and 4.47 amps. This seemed like straight uncontrolled solar panel output. I was worried that the high voltage would cook my AGM battery so unhooked the panel right away.

According to the data sheet, the solar controller should be putting out something around 14.1 volts. What volt readings are typical when the Morningstar SunSaver SS-10-12V is charging from a solar panel?

Thanks
Tom

 

Hey Tom,
First I would say to contact Camp Inn about this. I would not put a 17+ volt charge on the battery. I took a look at the wiring schematic in the manual and it shows pin 2 on the receptacle going to the solar charge controller and pin 3 connected directly to the battery. It looks to me that if your panel does not have a charge controller on it, then the plug should be wired to pin 2 so that the CI charge controller is used. If the panel does have a charge controller, then the + wire should be on pin 3 of the plug. It sounds like your panel does not have it's own charge controller and the + wire is connected to the wrong pin on the plug resulting in the full voltage bypassing the charge controller and going straight to the battery. I would check this first if I were trouble shooting.

 

I contacted Camp Inn and got help from Cary. The issue was the solar plug, and we got it straightened out.

 

Glad you got that sorted - would hate to fry a battery.