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Schaudt Electroblok EBL29 problem


mikejkay

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I have replaced my failed flexible solar panels with rigid panels and modified the wiring so that both panels are now individually switched and wired to a fuse/distribution box. I have replaced the Schaudt controller with a Votronic MPP 165 regulator. I now get 20.5v at the input to the regulator and 14.4v at the output. When I switch on the solar panels the MPP and >80% lights on the MPP 165 illuminate. So far, so good.

 

With the solar panels switched off, and with no EHU, when I connect the output of the regulator to the solar input of the EBL29 (Block 6) and put in the 15a solar fuse it immediately blows. If I put a 20a fuse into the EBL29 the 15a fuse on the MPP 165 blows.

 

With the solar panels switched on the 15a fuse on the EBL again blows the instant that it is put in.

 

If I switch the EBL29 off, and with the solar panels off, the fuse again blows the instant it is put in.

 

I am at a loss :'( can anybody help. I am running out of fuses!

 

I really do hope that the EBL29 hasn't gone belly up.

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As a rule of thumb you should not connect the solar regulator to the solar panels unless it it first connected to the leisure batteries so for now I suggest that you leave the solar panels out of the equation.

 

As I see it, connecting the solar regulator to your EBL causes either the EBL or solar regulator fuse to blow. I’d suspect that you’ve incorrectly wired it in so I’d suggest you go back and check that it’s correctly wired as per the EBL pin out diagram and that there are no shorts.

 

To discount the solar regulator being an issue you could jury rig a connection direct from the regulator to your leisure batteries - ie by-pass the EBL. That should show both solar charging and no fuse blowing.

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I have the same regulator as you but the bigger 250 model. I think you should have got the bigger one if you have 2 solar panels (unless they are smaller than the average 100 watt ones). Another possibility is that you have not set the 'jumpers' to the correct type of leisure battery. Failing that, you could have a wiring fault.
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"With the solar panels switched off, and with no EHU, when I connect the output of the regulator to the solar input of the EBL29 (Block 6) and put in the 15a solar fuse it immediately blows* The regulator is completely isolated from the solar panels when I put the fuse into the EBL29.

 

I will try connecting the regulator directly to the battery tomorrow. Thanks for the help.

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It does sound like a wiring fault between the MPPT160 and your EBL (block 6).

If you made up the cable yourself, double check that you have correctly identified pin 1 (an easy mistake to make). This is a 3 pin Mate_N_Lok and pins 1 & 3 will have the solar controller ground and + outputs. Mistaking pin 3 for pin 1 will reverse the polarity and blow the fuse.

Also German vans tend to have the brown wire as ground and blue as power (can also cause confusion if compared to mains wiring colours)

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plwsm2000

 

You were right and I claim the cretin of the year award!

 

I looked very carefully at the Schaudt schematic (with a magnifying glass) and noted that the top connector in Block 6v is negative. The plug is "handed" and cannot therefore be installed upside down. However, the connecting wires from the original Schaudt LR1218 regulator to Block 6 of the Electroblok were red upper and black lower. Thoughtlessly, I had simply put the red wire to positive on the MPP165 and the black wire to negative. Reversing the connections immediately solved the problem!

 

The "professionals" who installed my original solar panels (Travelworld) incredibly chose to use a red cable to connect to negative on the Electroblok and a black cable to connect to positive.

 

Fortunately, there appears to have been no damage either to the Electroblok or the MPP165 and earlier today I was getting 8.5 amps with both 80w panels switched on.

 

I find it intensely irritating to have a black wire going to positive and a red wire going to negative so I will at some stage rewire the connection.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

 

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mikejkay - 2021-06-22 7:40 PM

 

The "professionals" who installed my original solar panels (Travelworld) incredibly chose to use a red cable to connect to negative on the Electroblok and a black cable to connect to positive.

..that's because black live matters.... ;-)

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Robinhood - 2021-06-22 9:38 PM

 

mikejkay - 2021-06-22 7:40 PM

 

The "professionals" who installed my original solar panels (Travelworld) incredibly chose to use a red cable to connect to negative on the Electroblok and a black cable to connect to positive.

..that's because black live matters.... ;-)

Tee hee!

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I appreciated the humour.

 

Mike,

 

Take solace, the technicians at Travel World, who should have known better, were probably misled by the continental penchant for using blue for 12V +ve, and brown for -ve.

 

Matching red to brown and black to blue makes some sense to most of us.

 

It is probable that having discovered their mistake, the technician then made the reversal at the easiest place, in doing so they left the trap open for you to fall into.

 

I am not supporting your application for the cretin of the year award.

 

Being fastidious, I also would be niggled by the present use of colours, and applaud your resolution to correct it.

 

Alan

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