Will the charge controller work well in the cold (zero degrees F) and hot (120 degrees F) temperatures? I would like to install in an outbuilding.
1859498
Mine is mounted inside my shed in my NH back yard. As I'm typing this it's -12 (F) out and it's working fine. My shed has seen temps past 100 degrees (higher internal temps) as well in the summers. I'd say it will work fine for you.
1859499
I have one installed in a metal box on the roof. It has already been down to -10 F and probably to 100 F. That said, you may want to look at a MPPT charger. It seems you never get enough power out of a solar panel and the MPPT charger can get up to 30% more power to the battery / load. Its because a solar panel is a constant current device. The current is a function of how much light is hitting the solar panel and with a PWM charger you are pulling the voltage down to the battery voltage instead of allowing it to work at about 19 volts, which is the maximum power point for most 12 volt panes. I have one installed in a metal box on the roof. It has already been down to -10 F and probably to 100 F. That said, you may want to look at a MPPT charger. It seems you never get enough power out of a solar panel and the MPPT charger can get up to 30% more power to the battery / load. Its because a solar panel is a constant current device. The current is a function of how much light is hitting the solar panel and with a PWM charger you are pulling the voltage down to the battery voltage instead of allowing it to work at about 19 volts, which is the maximum power point for most 12 volt panes.
278983
I'm not 100% on the difference the cold makes, but I leave my boat (here in TX) hooked to power, using this charger. Now, I run gel batteries for everything. It works great for me. I can't see why it would be any different in the cold. The issue isn't the charger- it's only a matter of whether cold harms batteries, themselves, in any way; the charger doesn't care what the temperature is, it'll charge them safely as long it's got power. Good luck and I hope this helps!
1075787
Yes I have had mine outside controlling my landscaping light transformer and it's always worked even in frigid temperatures.
180849
I live in az... So cold weather for us is 35f.... It does state in the manual not to operate below about 30ishF (I remember reading it).... As far as tripping breakers: it works fine on a 15A 110v circuit witha stereo plugged in as well.... So maybe it pulls 10A peak when it starts at most... Hope this helps...
1818806
It works fine below 0C as long as you don't flex the plastic very much. Cold temps don't damage the plastic so you should be fine in static applications down to -20C and probably lower. I wouldn't use it above the 250C on the upper end, though.
1871252
It works great. Mine is attached to the side of the dash and have no problems in this 110 degree summer.
1195155
Carlos: I installed two of these in my pickup bed cover to lock/unlock it remotely. They worked fine in temps from 20 to 120 degrees (F).
1163990
bob, I have one but installed it in the summer. How warm is warm? did you try switching off your power for that outlet to make sure it is working? I also would switch out the 9v battery to make sure that there is not a short in the battery. good luck. chris
1876388
Havent tried that one yet :P but consumer batteries may have trouble working in sub zero temperatures, probably that is why.
34726
Yes, it can. You may use any array voltage up to 150 volts, but be aware that solar panel voltages rise dramatically as temperatures fall. Check the temp. correction factor of the panels that you want to use. Basically don't go over a 90 volt series stack of panels to provide a buffer for when the panels are unloaded and to account for that surprise freezing morning. Over voltage is the surest killer of charge controllers, also be aware that the unit is rated 30 amps output to the battery, not 30 amps in from the panels. David Wardle
1428829
I think you would be OK. I keep mine in the garage and the temperature there is often in the low thirties but doe not freeze. I use to power my snow blower and it works great, never get hard or become difficult to wind up after use. You could probably ask the manufacturer and see what they say.
881443
It works very good in cold or warm weather, and 32 degrees below it still works well. Just like any other electronics don't get it wet.
2151947
SPEC'S: Avoid temperatures below -10°C (14°F) or above 60°C (140°F).However, I tried it in my great cold City of Chicago last week when it was below 0, and it worked......barely.
610498
I don't see that being a problem because the battery is in the sending unit. I know it gets cold in WI, but not cold enough to stop radio waves or electrons :-) When in doubt I always contact the manufacturer. I've been using this device (both units are in the house) for a few months now and it has worked flawlessly for me. One side note is that we have our house heavily insulated. It's wrapped in foam board insulation as well as the usual in-wall cavity insulation along with triple pane windows. After installing the extra insulation and new windows we no longer can use outdoor radio wave devices (indoor-outdoor remote thermostats). The receivers can't pick up the signal even if it's only a couple feet away with new batteries.
895476
Would love to hear how it works out. I would also make sure that your Charge controller can handle the load, if this is an all on to the existing system.
565015
I don't know exactly how low they will tolerate but I've had mine out in minus -20 degree temps without any problem, its best to use the external 6 volt lead acid battery in its weatherproof enclosure, I also cover the battery case with a plastic bag, this is what I do, I live in upstate central NY , Good Luck and if I can be any more help, just ask Sincerely Mary
1113516
Absolutely. In fact, that's exactly why I purchased this STC-1000 unit and it has been working like a charm ever since I installed it a couple months ago. Highly recommended for your application. Bear in mind, it only displays temperature in Celcius (not a problem for most of the world) but, even so, it's a cinch to get this working. You'll also need a normal wall outlet and some type of project box but again, it's really pretty easy.