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The Brat Solar Charge Controller Instructions
LED indications
Blue LED (Far left)
On Solid = Load is on.
Slow Blink = OCP Fault, Can attempt reset by pressing reset button.
Red LED (2nd Left)
On Solid = Load disconnected by Low Voltage Disconnect (Low Batt).
Slow Blink = Battery Voltage too low (LVD) or too high (OVD).
Org LED (2nd Rt)
On Solid = Bulk Charging.
Slow Blink = Absorb Charging.
Rapid Blink = Bulk or Absorb, Output derated due to overheating.
Grn LED (right)
On Solid = Float Charging.
Slow Blink = EQ cycle in progress.
Rapid Blink = Float or EQ, Output derated due to overheating.
GRN and RED
Slow Blink = OCP - an overcurrent event has occurred.
Solar Clock
- The Solar Clock uses dusk and dawn to determine time of day.
When the slide switch S1 -1 (furthest left) is turned on for the first time or after a reset The Brat begins a
monitoring cycle and records sunrise and sunset for seven days. At the end of this seven day period The
Brat has a pretty good idea of time of day. The Brat uses this information with the load function to turn
loads on and off at dusk and dawn as set by the user. The Brat continues to monitor dusk and dawn to
keep the solar clock updated.
For example, if in late spring you set The Brat to turn the load on at dusk for two hours and dusk is at
7:30 PM it would turn the load off at 9:30. As the sunset time gets later the turn off time will remain at
9:30. Should dusk come after 9:30 the load would not come on.
On that sad, sad day after the solstice when the daylight hours start getting shorter again the turn off time
will remain at 9:30 while dusk could be at 5:1 3 or earlier. The on time adjusts automatically by length of
day. The Solar Clock works with load modes 1 -9.
The Solar Clock is reset when S1 -1 is set to off for more than 30 seconds.
Temperature sensing and compensation.
The Brat has a temperature sensor near the bottom of the plastic enclosure. This sensor is used for
temperature compensated battery charging. Charging is adjusted by -30mV/°C in 1 2V mode and
-60mV/°C in 24V mode. Temperature compensation is most effective if The Brat is near the batteries.
If the sensor becomes damaged or disconnected The Brat will ignore this sensor and disable temperature
compensation. Charging will continue as if at 25°C. An error code will be displayed, all LEDs blink three
times then Low Batt, Bulk and Float LEDs light together for 2 - 3 seconds.
The LEDs will then return to normal, displaying load/charging status The temp sense error status will be
displayed once a minute. To cancel the error status display - hold the button at the bottom of the board for
three seconds. The error code will flash three times to acknowledge the request.
An error code will continue to show when the unit is powered up.
Repairing the sensor will clear the error.
