Campbell CH201, Product Manual

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WARNING:
Battery life is shortened if the battery is allowed to discharge below 11.5 VDC. Low voltage
disconnect can be set in the CH201. Default low voltage disconnect is 6 VDC.
Charging requirements and tips:
Campbell Scientific offers a variety of solar panels and AC-to-DC transformers to meet the power
requirements of a system installation.
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10 A is the highest input current that the CH201 can fully use. Although a solar panel or
transformer with a higher output current won't damage the CH201, its power will not be
fully used. Peak voltage of the solar panel must be less than 50 VDC.
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Solar panel specifications assume a 1 kilowatt per square meter illumination and a solar
panel temperature of 25 °C (77 °F).
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Individual solar panels may vary up to 10%.
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Solar panel output voltage increases as the panel temperature decreases. VRLA batteries
also have increased output voltage as the battery temperature decreases.
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Higher latitudes and less sun hours during winter months might require a larger solar panel
than what is required to keep the battery charged during the summer.
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Use the Device Configuration Utility to change the current limit settings of DC In 1 or DC
In 2 to accommodate the current limit of a charging source. For example, set the current
limit to 1.67 A to avoid tripping the power supply when using a wall charger with a 1.67 A
current limit.
DC In terminals have a polarity that must be followed. Connect the positive wires to the DC In
terminals, and connect the negative wires to the G terminals. Reversed polarity inputs, however,
will NOT damage the CH201.
6. Installation
The CH201 module is designed to handle extreme conditions and to transmit charging, load, and
battery voltage and current information directly to a data logger by using SDI-12 or RS-232
commands. The data logger program can use the CH201 data to calculate a power budget for the
system and remotely pinpoint power problems. SDI-12 or RS-232 connections are not required for
normal operation, and the module is ready to use out of the box.
CH201 12V Charging Regulator 8