Post by Admin on Sept 24, 2018 13:36:22 GMT
**Edit
The Voyager Suitcase is now waterproof
-Renogy Team
So, am I the only person who cares about this? Will the controller fry if it gets wet?
No, you aren't the only person who cares about this. I just don't have a solution for you.
To answer your question, yes, the controller will probably malfunction if it gets wet. But, as I see it, the problem is not simply how to prevent moisture from getting to the unit. It's how to do that AND maintain proper airflow/heat dissipation at the same time.
Sure, you could slap a plastic box over it and use silicone to seal that thing up tight. But the controller needs to breath!
Perhaps someone else has experience in keeping professional equipment dry while maintaining airflow?
Hello Sir,
Unfortunately we currently have no way of waterproofing our charge controllers. If a charge controller was to get wet it will definitely damage the unit.
O.C
So, let's be honest, this is kind of a big deal unless you live in California, where it no longer rains. How much ventilation does the controller need? I'd like to come up with some sort of rainproof cover if rain is a possibility, but I don't want to fry the unit from overheating either.
I personally don't think the manufacturer is going to provide you with recommendations as to how to use this outside. It was designed as a non-wet location device. You will need to come up with your own design with common sense in mind to make sure it's dry and has air exchange, as jsb2000 mentioned above. Will it at least be in the shade? It seems that even in a weather resistant enclosure, sitting in the sun will cause temps to rise inside, possibly causing the controller to overheat. Good luck, be sure to post results if you come up with a working solution!
I am mounting my controller in a marine battery box. It is waterproof and vented.
If I were building a box for it, I would give it lots of room and mount the controller off the bottom of the box, add a 12v fan with a 105 degree pot, to start the fan and off at say 80 degrees, they make them at different temps. Mount that right over the controller. I did this in my fifth wheel when I had it. It actually worked well in the summer time to keep it cool, so why not in a box as well. You can get all these items from Amazon. Except the box which you would have to make. Vent the fan out and let anohter vent built into the box suck it in from there. That way you would not be blowing rain on the controller.
These are all just thoughts.
I already have a Size group 27 marine battery box. It does seem large for these small controllers and should offer plenty of cooling space. I also have a spare fan for my trailer fridge compartment that I can use if necessary. It is a small high effeciency low consumption computer fan. The box is vented and comes with a cigerate lighter socket and a basic meter. I also have a couple of SAE Zamp surface connection plugs that offer a solid water tight connection. I have been using them for years on boats. One for power in and the other out to the batteries. I ordered the 100w suitcase today and will look seriously at waterproofing the controller once I have it in hand. I do think it is a viable project. Another benifit of using the larger battery box is room for storage of extra wiring.
I find it interesting that you sell a portable system designed to be used outside with an interior designed controller that is not even water resistant. Your previous controller offered with these systems was advertised as water proof according to several YouTube videos.
I will let you know how it works out.
Seems I would have been better off ordering the kit without the controller, getting the controller separately so it could more easily be mounted in a weatherproof location ( even inside the trailer ). Expecting to keep an outdoor, sun-dependent product, dry isn't realistic. How difficult will it be to remove the controller from the metal/hinged panel it is glued to ?
Hello Burnhaven,
We do sell the suitcase without the controller if you needed to have the controller mounted elsewhere if you know it will get wet. For the model that comes with the controller already attached and connected. removing it or modifying the connection would void the warranty for that unit.
-A.L.
Thanks for that, but realistically, it can rain anywhere unless you're putting the panels under an awning or something, where they wouldn't function. I'm really thinking there is no useful market for the kit with controller mounted on the panels. I did quite a bit of pre-purchasing reading but still wound up with a situation where ( due to onboard/fixed controller ) A. the unit must be kept close to the battery and B. it must be kept dry, outdoors, but still breathe so it doesn't overheat.
During the warranty period I'm probably going to have to add the extension cables, try to bump up the charging voltage and wrap the controller in something water proof that breathes.
I had the same issue as this was mounted on my dock. I found a water proof encasement with a clear front panel. I drill a tiny hole in the front of the clear panel which allowed me to insert a small object such as a jewelers screw driver to turn on and off the unit or load. The controller stayed dry, I could see what was going on and control what I needed without removing the four screws holding on the clear panel, seems to work fine.
For what it is worth, and proceed at your own risk, as i don't know how hot the charge controller gets. This is just an idea.
I would imagine that all your need is a water resistant (as in "not water-proof") enclosure that keeps the water away of the thing while allowing some air flow.
I had a sprinkler control panel set outside on a wall under an eave. Every time it rained with some wind it would get slightly wet to the point that the lcd display would start displaying crazy digits until it dried. This happened a couple of times.
So i got a plastic enclosure, and mounted it to the wall, drilled a hole for power-in to the enclosure, and installed the panel in its center. For ventilation i drilled a horizontal line of 1/4" holes at 3/8" on center just off the bottom of one of the side walls of the enclosure. Did the same on the opposite side wall of the enclosure, but close to the top. This gave the enclosure cross ventilation.
The enclosure was big enough to leave 2-3" all around the panel. So the are not any holes through the top of the enclosure only on the sides. I drilled a drain hole at the bottom of the box/case/enclosure just in case water did manage to get inside. I did not even use any sealants. The panel has stayed dry for several years since installation. Even when it rains with wind and the enclosure gets hit with water, the liquid stuff stays away from the panel. I can open and close the box with ease for adjustments to the sprinkler system.
Again, just an idea. It worked for me.
The Voyager Suitcase is now waterproof
-Renogy Team
Jun 5, 2015 14:16:59 GMT Guest said:
Hi folks. I'm thinking of buying the 100w Foldable Solar Suitcase Battery Charger to use for my trailer when camping. I see that the newer units come with a controller that is NOT waterproof. While I wouldn't plan to leave it out in the rain, I would leave it set up all day when I am out and about and I would hate to have it damaged by rain when I was away. This is kind of a deal killer for me.
So, have any of you with a similar unit come up with some sort of rain protection for the controller box? It doesn't look like it would be too hard to attach some sort of plastic box over it to protect from rain. Thanks!
Jun 9, 2015 5:05:24 GMT Guest said:
So, am I the only person who cares about this? Will the controller fry if it gets wet?
No, you aren't the only person who cares about this. I just don't have a solution for you.
To answer your question, yes, the controller will probably malfunction if it gets wet. But, as I see it, the problem is not simply how to prevent moisture from getting to the unit. It's how to do that AND maintain proper airflow/heat dissipation at the same time.
Sure, you could slap a plastic box over it and use silicone to seal that thing up tight. But the controller needs to breath!
Perhaps someone else has experience in keeping professional equipment dry while maintaining airflow?
Jul 12, 2015 16:21:42 GMT Guest said:
I also have been trying to find answers on how to weather proof the Renogy controller, with no luck however. I was thinking about using a ziplock bag to help keep water out. Obviously I wouldn't be able to close the bag all the way due to the cable, but it should greatly reduce water getting to the unit. Might be a good idea to to put a few holes in the bottom of the bag in case water does find a way in, that way it will have a means of draining out. Just thinking out loud.
Hello Sir,
Unfortunately we currently have no way of waterproofing our charge controllers. If a charge controller was to get wet it will definitely damage the unit.
O.C
Jul 15, 2015 5:02:33 GMT Guest said:
So, let's be honest, this is kind of a big deal unless you live in California, where it no longer rains. How much ventilation does the controller need? I'd like to come up with some sort of rainproof cover if rain is a possibility, but I don't want to fry the unit from overheating either.
Jul 15, 2015 16:10:14 GMT @jeralmac said:
I personally don't think the manufacturer is going to provide you with recommendations as to how to use this outside. It was designed as a non-wet location device. You will need to come up with your own design with common sense in mind to make sure it's dry and has air exchange, as jsb2000 mentioned above. Will it at least be in the shade? It seems that even in a weather resistant enclosure, sitting in the sun will cause temps to rise inside, possibly causing the controller to overheat. Good luck, be sure to post results if you come up with a working solution!
Jan 27, 2016 16:38:55 GMT @michaelcagle said:
I am mounting my controller in a marine battery box. It is waterproof and vented.
Jan 27, 2016 19:38:24 GMT @spiderbob said:
If I were building a box for it, I would give it lots of room and mount the controller off the bottom of the box, add a 12v fan with a 105 degree pot, to start the fan and off at say 80 degrees, they make them at different temps. Mount that right over the controller. I did this in my fifth wheel when I had it. It actually worked well in the summer time to keep it cool, so why not in a box as well. You can get all these items from Amazon. Except the box which you would have to make. Vent the fan out and let anohter vent built into the box suck it in from there. That way you would not be blowing rain on the controller.
These are all just thoughts.
Jan 28, 2016 23:39:36 GMT @michaelcagle said:
I already have a Size group 27 marine battery box. It does seem large for these small controllers and should offer plenty of cooling space. I also have a spare fan for my trailer fridge compartment that I can use if necessary. It is a small high effeciency low consumption computer fan. The box is vented and comes with a cigerate lighter socket and a basic meter. I also have a couple of SAE Zamp surface connection plugs that offer a solid water tight connection. I have been using them for years on boats. One for power in and the other out to the batteries. I ordered the 100w suitcase today and will look seriously at waterproofing the controller once I have it in hand. I do think it is a viable project. Another benifit of using the larger battery box is room for storage of extra wiring.
I find it interesting that you sell a portable system designed to be used outside with an interior designed controller that is not even water resistant. Your previous controller offered with these systems was advertised as water proof according to several YouTube videos.
I will let you know how it works out.
Seems I would have been better off ordering the kit without the controller, getting the controller separately so it could more easily be mounted in a weatherproof location ( even inside the trailer ). Expecting to keep an outdoor, sun-dependent product, dry isn't realistic. How difficult will it be to remove the controller from the metal/hinged panel it is glued to ?
Hello Burnhaven,
We do sell the suitcase without the controller if you needed to have the controller mounted elsewhere if you know it will get wet. For the model that comes with the controller already attached and connected. removing it or modifying the connection would void the warranty for that unit.
-A.L.
Thanks for that, but realistically, it can rain anywhere unless you're putting the panels under an awning or something, where they wouldn't function. I'm really thinking there is no useful market for the kit with controller mounted on the panels. I did quite a bit of pre-purchasing reading but still wound up with a situation where ( due to onboard/fixed controller ) A. the unit must be kept close to the battery and B. it must be kept dry, outdoors, but still breathe so it doesn't overheat.
During the warranty period I'm probably going to have to add the extension cables, try to bump up the charging voltage and wrap the controller in something water proof that breathes.
Jun 4, 2016 15:56:26 GMT @wmac62 said:
I had the same issue as this was mounted on my dock. I found a water proof encasement with a clear front panel. I drill a tiny hole in the front of the clear panel which allowed me to insert a small object such as a jewelers screw driver to turn on and off the unit or load. The controller stayed dry, I could see what was going on and control what I needed without removing the four screws holding on the clear panel, seems to work fine.
Aug 17, 2016 14:32:42 GMT @cosmicboss said:
For what it is worth, and proceed at your own risk, as i don't know how hot the charge controller gets. This is just an idea.
I would imagine that all your need is a water resistant (as in "not water-proof") enclosure that keeps the water away of the thing while allowing some air flow.
I had a sprinkler control panel set outside on a wall under an eave. Every time it rained with some wind it would get slightly wet to the point that the lcd display would start displaying crazy digits until it dried. This happened a couple of times.
So i got a plastic enclosure, and mounted it to the wall, drilled a hole for power-in to the enclosure, and installed the panel in its center. For ventilation i drilled a horizontal line of 1/4" holes at 3/8" on center just off the bottom of one of the side walls of the enclosure. Did the same on the opposite side wall of the enclosure, but close to the top. This gave the enclosure cross ventilation.
The enclosure was big enough to leave 2-3" all around the panel. So the are not any holes through the top of the enclosure only on the sides. I drilled a drain hole at the bottom of the box/case/enclosure just in case water did manage to get inside. I did not even use any sealants. The panel has stayed dry for several years since installation. Even when it rains with wind and the enclosure gets hit with water, the liquid stuff stays away from the panel. I can open and close the box with ease for adjustments to the sprinkler system.
Again, just an idea. It worked for me.
