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The RV-30SE is a standard 30 ampere, 12 or 24 Volt DC, series type Pulse Width Modulated charge controller that utilizes power MOS FET technology. This type of controller maintains the battery voltage set point by frequent on and off switching of the photovoltaic source.
The RV-30SE can deliver up to the full 30 amp rating of the controller with all of the "Bells and Whistles" listed below.
As the sun rises and the solar panels reach a voltage that is slightly higher than the battery voltage, the RV-30SE will deliver all available charging amperage to the batteries and the “Charging” LED will be illuminated. The battery voltage will rise under this influence until it approaches whatever battery voltage setpoint you have selected.
At this point, the controller will begin to taper off the charging amperage slightly and check to see if the battery is really at the battery voltage setpoint. After about 1 or 2 minutes, the controller will go into its Aut omatic Equalization cycle.
During this Equalization period, (which only happens once a day after the first time the battery reaches its battery voltage setpoint), the controller allows full charging amperage to continue to be delivered to the battery for about 30 minutes. This effects a short term “overcharge” during which plate sulfation is driven back into solution and weaker cells are allowed a little extra time to reach full charge.
Depending on how much solar power you have and how many electrical loads you have on, your battery voltage may climb as high as 0.8 volts above the battery voltage setpoint. The RV30SE will not allow the voltage to go higher than that.
After this 30 minute Equalization period, the “Charged” LED will be illuminated and the controller will enter its Pulse Width Modulation “Taper” cycle and only deliver whatever amperage it takes to maintain the battery voltage setpoint. This will hold the batteries at their highest state-of-charge with the least amount of water consumption.
As the sunlight fades and evening approaches, the battery voltage will begin to fall from its setpoint to a lower point that is closer to its “at rest” voltage.
This cycle will be repeated the following morning.
As the sun rises and the solar panels reach a voltage that is slightly higher than the battery voltage, the RV-30SE will deliver all available charging amperage to the batteries and the “Charging” LED will be illuminated. The battery voltage will rise under this influence until it reaches a point that is 0.8 volts higher than the battery voltage setpoint.
The controller will then begin to taper the charge until it reaches a value equal to about 60% of the charging amperage. About 1 or 2 minutes after the “Charged” LED is illuminated, it will then cut off all charging until the battery voltage falls to the battery voltage setpoint.
The RV-30SE will then operate in its Pulse Width Modulation “Taper” cycle and only deliver whatever amperage the batteries need to maintain the battery voltage setpoint.
As the sunlight fades and evening approaches, the battery voltage will begin to fall from its setpoint to a lower point that is closer to its “at rest” voltage.
This cycle will be repeated the following morning or any time the battery voltage falls below its setpoint.
As the sun rises and the solar panels reach a voltage that is slightly higher than the battery voltage, the RV-30SE will deliver all available charging amperage to the batteries and the “Charging” LED will be illuminated. The battery voltage will rise under this influence until it approaches whatever battery voltage setpoint you have selected. (If you are using the Temperature Compensation feature, this point can vary slightly depending on your battery temperature.)
At this point, the “Charged” LED will be illuminated and the RV-30SE will enter its Pulse Width Modulation “Taper” charge and deliver whatever charging amperage the battery requires to maintain the selected battery voltage setpoint.
As the sunlight fades and evening approaches, the battery voltage will begin to fall from its setpoint to a lower point that is closer to its “at rest” voltage.
This cycle will be repeated the following morning.
The RV-30SE is a fully automatic controller. Basically, after all the settings are made and the controller is installed, the only interaction you will have with it is moving the slider switch to change the display readout. It takes care of everything else automatically!