hoyden
Lady Bug
Okay, so if I plan to put a 100w portable at some point, I'd want the midrange 100/15 controller, yes?pvstoy said:https://www.victronenergy.com/solar-charge-controllers
Here is a link to Victron page. I would look at the Smart Solar controller MPPT. The first number is how many volts open circuit from the panel. Second number is how many amps. Your 160 watt panel is under 30 volts? and around 5 amps. So you don't need a expensive one, but if you did add a second panel you need to buy now for that addition in the future. It could be plugged into the rear solar port on the camper.
If you added a same panel and wired it in series then you would look at the first number and be around 50 volts ( add voltage of the two panels together) and the second number in amps around 5 amps.
If you added a same panel and you wired in parallel (Like your two batteries are wired together) then you would add the amps, so looking at the second number on the MPPT would be around 10 to 12 amps and voltage around 30 or less.
So a Smart Solar MPPT could be a 75/15 , 100/15 or 100/20. What fits your price range. The 100/30 unit gets much bigger in size. If you never added a second panel then the 75/10 would work with the existing panel just fine.
https://www.victronenergy.com/battery-monitors/bmv-712-smart
The Victron BMV-712 smart battery monitor is Bluetooth and works well.
I haven't had my coffee yet, so just to be clear:
This is a monitor: https://www.victronenergy.com/battery-monitors/bmv-712-smart#pd-nav-image
and this is the controller: https://www.victronenergy.com/solar-charge-controllers
and how do I hook them together? (well, how does my friend hook them together? and where does one mount the controller?)
and I think we need a wiring schematic.