Renogy RBC50D1S-UK

[mikejay]

Hi i know lots of you are very clever and understand solar power stuff so few questions. Has anyone got the above dc to dc mppt charge controller? I fitted this controller along with a 200w shadowflux panel last week in the understanding when my leisure battery was charged it would trickle charge my starter battery. My setup consists of the above parts and a 190amp varta efb battery. New bits are so I can upgrade when funds are replenished to lithium. My problem is the manual says once my leisure battery goes into float mode it will then trickle charge my starter battery. My leisure battery has sat in float since last wednesday when fitted and no charge has happened. Renogy say my panel is not producing enough volts since it was fitted its been overcast and raining here in the northwest but the panels been producing about 36.5v today it went to 37.1v. Renogy have not told me how many volts it needs but the controller can only take 50v and other people with the same controller are saying theres chargers the starter battery. One sent me a screenshot his solar was on 39v and charging his starter battery. Here is a link to the manual pages 36/37 are about the reverse charging . https://uk.renogy.com/cdn/shop/files/RBC50D1S-G6.pdf?v=17945055452888564331

Also my dc home app only shows an engine icon charging my leisure battery during the day I have no solar panel icon showing charging as other users of the app.I know its all wired correctly as i have replaced my old mppt as it could not handle the new solar panel and replaced my ancient but still working sterling 121250 because of the plan to go lithium.

Thanks for any input Mike

 

[yeoblade]

I have the 30A version of this DC DC MPPT and it does work perfectly for me, as per charging Veh, bat. after fully charging leisure batts. Earlier ones only handles 24vdc solar input, like mine but I guess you have the newer model with increased V inputs. If it's wired correctly, then maybe it is faulty.
Sounds like fault finding by isolating inputs and see whats working or not, observing app and LEDs on the controller.

 

[mikejay]

Cheers yeoblade seen you had one when I searched. Have tried it all ways solar disconected starter battery disconnected. Have left it all disconnected to see if it needs resetting. It charges the leisure up from solar as it should and chargers up from the alternator as it should just no reverse charge. And this dc home app only ever shows the engine icon charging no solar panel icon. I suspect it's faulty but renogy say its because my panel is not powerful enough to output a higher voltage. These are my stats and that is the engine icon which always shows it charging while sunny. Others I have seen also have a solar panel icon for when solar is charging.

Thanks for the reply Mike

 

[yeoblade]

I think if you disconnect ALL the DC DC stuff and have only the solar very BASIC circuit and the Solar Icon on app (and LEDs on unit) are not working it must be faulty, is it new? Keep hassling Renogy for an exchange. The charging of the Veh. Bat is another issue, the basic operation whilst charging, solar Panel Icon, needs to be correctly displayed.

 

[mikejay]

Yeah solar panel and dc dc charger delivered from renogy and fitted last week.

 

[merl]

Hmmm sounds like a faulty unit to me. Wouldn't surprise me, I had to return my first Renogy DC-DC charger because it stayed in Absorption charge mode and never tripped into float. Similar story to you with Renogy trying to fob me off, second unit performed very differently.
I take it the starter battery voltage is less than 13.2V because above this the unit wont charge the starter battery.

 

[mikejay]

Yeah starter battery is on 12v near flat which is why I wanted the trickle charge option as I don't use my van often enough. I have requested an rma and full refund going to buy victron separates.

 

[Thistle]

@mikejay
Your PV voltage is more than adequate.
Is it a G6 version?
There’s lots and lots of people reporting these are not switching to solar correctly after alternator charging
Temporary fix is to disconnect the pv input briefly which seems to kickstart solar again and that may or may not cause the chassis battery to trickle charge

I think they’ve bungled the firmware when they added the low current solar cut off settings for alternator charging

 

[trevskoda]

Never had a problem with my german votronic twin output, s panels kicking out 19v but unit can handle 50v max.
Unit can be switched to any type of battery.

 

[Thistle]

The other thing to bear in mind is the manual for the dcc50s on the UK website is an an absolute abortion 56 pages long, lots of technical errors some outright mistakes, lots of unnecessary repetitive reminders, so it needs digesting a few times to be certain how the thing is supposed to operate in certain conditions now!

I’ve suggested in the admin chat room of the FB group that Renogy need to engage a technical author whose first language is English and is fairly up to speed with writing in plain English

 

[mikejay]

Thanks everyone sorry for the late reply was a tatton vw show. Yes it was a brand new g6 version. I sent it back and fitted a victron mppt 100/20 and an orion xs50 worked out the box flawlessly all weekend. I know it won't trickle charge my starter but I knew that when buying it. Glad I spent the extra on the victron stuff renogy support was useless.

Mike

 

[Stratto]

Hi i know lots of you are very clever and understand solar power stuff so few questions. Has anyone got the above dc to dc mppt charge controller? I fitted this controller along with a 200w shadowflux panel last week in the understanding when my leisure battery was charged it would trickle charge my starter battery. My setup consists of the above parts and a 190amp varta efb battery. New bits are so I can upgrade when funds are replenished to lithium. My problem is the manual says once my leisure battery goes into float mode it will then trickle charge my starter battery. My leisure battery has sat in float since last wednesday when fitted and no charge has happened. Renogy say my panel is not producing enough volts since it was fitted its been overcast and raining here in the northwest but the panels been producing about 36.5v today it went to 37.1v. Renogy have not told me how many volts it needs but the controller can only take 50v and other people with the same controller are saying theres chargers the starter battery. One sent me a screenshot his solar was on 39v and charging his starter battery. Here is a link to the manual pages 36/37 are about the reverse charging . https://uk.renogy.com/cdn/shop/files/RBC50D1S-G6.pdf?v=17945055452888564331

Also my dc home app only shows an engine icon charging my leisure battery during the day I have no solar panel icon showing charging as other users of the app.I know its all wired correctly as i have replaced my old mppt as it could not handle the new solar panel and replaced my ancient but still working sterling 121250 because of the plan to go lithium.

Thanks for any input Mike

I don’t have the renogy with built in dc to dc converter but you don’t say what setup you have is this a camper with split charging or is this no split charging

 

[mikejay]

I don’t have the renogy with built in dc to dc converter but you don’t say what setup you have is this a camper with split charging or is this no split charging

It's a autosleeper medallion that I have had a big old sterling 121250 on for the last 13yrs and a tracer mppt. All the old split charge stuff was took out when this was fitted. The renogy was fitted as the mppt and sterling do not support lithuim which is the next plan. Renogy has now gone and I have been refunded won't be touching there stuff again I see lots of people with same dcdc having problems and being messed about. Went blue now and got victron stuff.

Mike

 

[yeoblade]

Thanks everyone sorry for the late reply was a tatton vw show. Yes it was a brand new g6 version. I sent it back and fitted a victron mppt 100/20 and an orion xs50 worked out the box flawlessly all weekend. I know it won't trickle charge my starter but I knew that when buying it. Glad I spent the extra on the victron stuff renogy support was useless.

Mike

Glad you're sorted now, the failing I have heard of Renogy is just as you describe, doesn't work out of the box and lack of support and needing persistant action to get results. On their plus side is of course price for the products/technology. I not particularly herd of it breaking down (when it works in the first place )
@merl will be along soon to promote his Mot lot what not device to solve your V.Bat trickle charger for only a few pounds

 

[bjh]

Probably too late to do anything about it now, but I seem to have the same problem. I fitted an RBC 50D1S-G4 when converting my van last year. I also thought it was supposed to trickle charge the starter battery when the LBs were charged, but doesn't seem to do that. Just had a look and LBs at present at 13v and SB at 12.4v. The app says it is in Bulk charging mode but thinking about it I don't think I have ever seen it show Float. After the weather we've had this year it should have plenty of power left over for the starter battery. Renogy app is not very helpful and there are lots of complaints on their forum. I have been happy with the instalation so far for the PVs and LBs. Never really thought again about the trickle charge side of it until had to charge the SB earlier this year as did not use the van for 2 to 3 months so no charge from the alternator.
Any ideas for a simple low cost way of providing a bit of charge to the SB occasionally?

 

[Chasn]

I have two 30A Victron Orions. I use Victron for a lot of off-grid applications and their products set the standard. Yes the Orions don't back charge the vehicle battery and on my MH the EHU doesn't either. I got around this by installing a small battery charger in the onboard 240v system. The EHU then keeps the vehicle battery topped up. If you don't have EHU where your MH is stored you can occasionally turn on the inverter (assuming you have one) to top up the vehicle battery.
This setup is also a potentially useful backup during wild camping should a weak vehicle battery need some help during a cold winter start. In this case the inverter should be turned on for about 30mins before starting. Something you hope never to need but might make the difference in the middle of nowhere with no jump start opportunities.

 

[Thistle]

Just to prove it did work once this is the first dcc50s I installed in a temporary setup for a owner over 5 years ago, other than the severe 25v max limitation in the first gen model I rather liked it….

But I stopped recommending and installing Renogy soon after, because like so many others I soon learnt they have such a protracted warranty process involving the customer doing all the fault finding and jumping through far too many hoops!

I’ve still got a few Renogy items in my Crafter because then their kit was significantly cheaper, not now though some of it is more expensive than the far superior Victron alternatives.

Interestingly Renogy are producing a system called Vision similar to the function of the Cerbo GX but I’ve seen it at £1500+!

 

[bjh]

I have two 30A Victron Orions. I use Victron for a lot of off-grid applications and their products set the standard. Yes the Orions don't back charge the vehicle battery and on my MH the EHU doesn't either. I got around this by installing a small battery charger in the onboard 240v system. The EHU then keeps the vehicle battery topped up. If you don't have EHU where your MH is stored you can occasionally turn on the inverter (assuming you have one) to top up the vehicle battery.
This setup is also a potentially useful backup during wild camping should a weak vehicle battery need some help during a cold winter start. In this case the inverter should be turned on for about 30mins before starting. Something you hope never to need but might make the difference in the middle of nowhere with no jump start opportunities.

Yes, this is what I was thinking, but maybe wiring into the inverter and switching the charger and inverter on if necessary. The LBs are virtually always fully charged when we not using the van. Just wondered if there was a simple way of automating it if the voltage drops to say 12.4v.

 

[Chasn]

I have just bought a third Victron Cerbo GX for my off-grid systems. The price has come right down. I paid £166 +P&P which is good value.

 

[Sid]

It's a autosleeper medallion that I have had a big old sterling 121250 on for the last 13yrs and a tracer mppt. All the old split charge stuff was took out when this was fitted. The renogy was fitted as the mppt and sterling do not support lithuim which is the next plan. Renogy has now gone and I have been refunded won't be touching there stuff again I see lots of people with same dcdc having problems and being messed about. Went blue now and got victron stuff.

Mike

I have a relatively cheap Votronic add on that enables trickle charge of the vehicle battery when it's below 13.2V. it doesn't need any pv input just puts a slight drain on the leisure batt. Which soon gets refreshed when solar kicks in.