Renogy Wanderer 10A PWM Solar Charge Controller 12/24V for Solar Panels

Far better than any of the cheap junk off brand PWM controllers I've used that break and don't work correctly. This Renogy PWM controller works flawlessly compared to the tons of junk PWM controllers on the market. It is actually a 10 Amp controller, and actually charges and floats batteries correctly. And actually has a website and support and a real company that provides documentation. It properly uses solar panel power to charge flooded lead acid batteries up to 13.8V, and floats them at 13.8V. At high noon it regulates my 21v solar input perfectly. The voltage display is accurate enough, plus or minus a tenth or two of a volt. Only downside/drawback is the battery low voltage cutoff for the load connection. It's set to 10.8V and can't be changed. Which is far too low for flooded lead acid batteries. Draining a lead acid battery all the way down to 10.8v can damage it. If you don't have a separate low voltage disconnect or accidentally let a lead acid battery drain that far down, it might damage the battery. If you use a lithium battery that has a built in BMS you should not have to worry about that. I went through two cheap no brand $10 PWM controllers that were very inaccurate and quickly broke before buying this controller that actually works correctly.

I recently purchased the Renogy Wanderer 10A PWM solar charge controller for my off-grid setup, and so far, I'm very happy with its performance. It's a great piece of equipment that offers a lot of value for its compact size and price. Connectivity (and Bluetooth): One of the standout features is its connectivity. The controller has an RS232 port, which allows you to connect a BT-1 Bluetooth module (sold separately). This is a game-changer because it enables real-time monitoring of your system right from your phone using the Renogy DC Home app. I love being able to check the battery voltage, power input, and charging status without having to physically be next to the controller. The controller also has a handy 5V 2A USB port for charging small devices, which is a great bonus. Temperature and Voltage Control: The controller uses smart 4-stage PWM charging (Bulk, Boost, Float, and Equalization) to optimize battery health. It also includes temperature compensation to automatically adjust charging parameters based on the ambient temperature. This is a crucial feature for extending the lifespan of your batteries. It's designed to work with both 12V and 24V systems and automatically detects the voltage, which simplifies the setup process. Power and Brightness: This 10A controller is rated for a maximum PV input of 130W for a 12V system and 260W for a 24V system. It's perfect for a small-scale solar project, like powering lights or charging devices in a cabin or RV. The integrated backlit LCD screen is bright and easy to read, clearly displaying important information like voltage, charging current, and load status. The display provides a constant, real-time look at how your system is performing. Overall Impression: The Renogy Wanderer 10A is a solid, reliable charge controller. It's well-built and includes a variety of electronic protections to prevent damage from overcharging, short-circuits, and reverse polarity. Its user-friendly interface and the option for remote monitoring via the Bluetooth module make it an excellent choice for both beginners and those with more experience. I highly recommend it for anyone building a small, efficient solar power system.

These are manufactured cheaply and you get what you pay for. I wasn't expecting anything substantial either. It proved to be useful for my project and that's what it counts. I have used Renogy products before and while they are cheap they are little bit better compared to other Chinese knock offs (Even I am certain this too is made in China) but the quality is slightly more tolerable for the price you pay. This is clearly evident when you open the unit and find that there is no heat-sinks for the Mosfets. But I guess 10A PWM switching does not dissipate that much heat and they have gone away by replacing the back plate with an ALL-Plastic construction while they have redesigned the PCB with more substantial copper and tiny holes for air to circulate allowing the passive cooling of the Mosfets without using any heat-sink whatsoever. Anyways, this is a Pulse width modulated (PWM) based Solar charge controller that is capable for charging Lithium Ion batteries (The main reason for choosing this over others) and I found that you can select "Max" battery charging voltage in the 12vDC and 24vDC ranges and allow further selections in small steps like 12.0, 12.2, 12.4, 12.6 etc for keeping the Lithium battery topped off by using solar panels as your primary source of power. This Renogy Wanderer 10 Amp 12V/24V PWM Negative Ground Solar Charge Controller Regulator can accept wide range of DC voltage inputs (max - 50vDC) and will bulk charge your battery (as much as your solar panel can deliver) and pump all that power in AMPs directly into your battery and as the battery voltage reaches critical value (settable by user for Li-Ion) it starts to reduce the AMPs and slowly and safely reaching the specified value set by the user. Once the battery voltage is reached it will totally stop charging it even if the solar panel is delivering full power on sunny days. PS: Depending on the battery types the float charging and bulk charging algorithms change which is good to know. The manual has the full details on types of batteries that it supports (Including lithium Ion) and good old Flooded Lead Acid 12/24 and GEL type etc. Rating the product with four stars!

I installed this unit with Harbor Freight panels which charges two scooter batteries to power a campsite. I used 12V tiki torches to light the edges of the campsite and have a USB/Ciggerette lighter near the campfire to charge cellphones and power a 120V inverter to run a spit. This unit is nice as it displays battery voltage as well as charging amps. That way I can estimate the remaining sunlight I need to fully charge the batteries during the day. It works great because it detects many conditions that would simply fry other units. However that is also a double-edged sword... It has many safety features, one of which is annoying. The short circuit detection is way too sensitive so while lights work fine, things such as a 120 volt inverter will shut this unit off the moment you plug a device in (Really, the moment you plug the inverter in even under zero load). Its an easy fix (and the smarter way to do it), I simply put the AC inverter directly to the battery. Basically, your load needs to be constant to avoid this issue. Other than that, it works great.

I've had 4 of these 10 amp ones now for several different solar panels. These things work great for the price. Used for a couple years now and no problems with any of them, I have one for a small panel I use to charge lead acid, and another 2 of them in my RV which is LiFePO4. You can adjust the charging profile and voltage depending on which type of battery you intend to charge. Cheap and efficient, just how I like things. I also have Renogy 20 and 30 amp models and they work great also.

This controller did not even last one month. I started to get E01 and E08 error codes after 2 weeks usage on my lead acid batteries. Sometimes I would get an error code as soon as I hooked it up, and sometimes it would give me the error code after a few hours. I get these errors on three different battery banks that I have on my RV. I have installed this on my original solar suitcase (not my Eclipse model), replacing my 5 year old Viewstar controller. I called Renogy and they told me to check the battery voltage and voltage at the controller terminals. I did previously and both were at 12.4 volts, which should be fine. So I guess this controller just does not work for me and I have to purchase another now, and reinstall it to my suitcase. Of course I will use a different model. I actually again checked the voltage after the Renogy tech person seem to really question the voltage at the controller. I disconnected my Battery Tender, and the battery read 13.03 volts after settling down a few minutes, and it registered 12.94 at the controller terminals. So I am pretty sure my connection and wires are ok. By the way, now I am getting more error codes today, EO and EO2, the controller is going crazy with error codes, then it connects and seems to work after a while. Seems to connect and disconnect at random. On a side note, the manual is somewhat vague, on page 14 it says to set the ‘charge voltage’ for a lithium battery (LiFepo4), but makes no mention of what voltage to set it at. There are about 21 different choices with no direction on what they mean or what to use. It goes from 12 volts up to 16 volts in .2 amounts of progression. On page 21, it talks about ‘Boost Voltage’, I have never heard of this, I know the 4 stages of charging a lead acid battery, but what is boost voltage? I guess I need to read up on this. I have had many questions on my reviews for other Renogy products, and I have recently purchased several items; the 100aH LiFePO4 battery, a DC to DC charger (wait till I review the manual on this thing!), several PWM controllers, and several other smaller items. I am also trying to update my current review of the Eclipse suitcase with a major edit concerning the ‘plastic blocks’ that connect the legs to the frame but been have a little technical difficulty with the website. I decided to install another solar controller due to all the problems with this one. I installed the Renogy Voyager 20A Waterproof Solar Controller, and so far it works perfect, no error codes. It also has a better manual and it at least tell me that the ‘charging voltage’ for lithium batteries is set at a default amount of 14.2 volts. Bummer, my first negative review of a Renogy product, but it just did not work well.

UPDATE: So after an entire summer of operation, this controller has worked exceptionally well. My single concern of it being in an enclosure that got too hot in the summer sun was eradicated. I never had to turn the little cooling fan that I installed in the box on. As far as I know, it never shut down due to heat. It did, however, save my 12V battery when I left the pump on all night. It cut the power after it got to somewhere around 10-11 volts (the limit is in the manual) and resumed operation when the solar panel charged it to the proper threshold. Great value in this tiny controller. After reading others' reviews, I don't know what some people expect from this unit. It is ridiculously cheap and works exactly as advertised. I have it connected to a 12v battery running a DIY solar water setup for my stock tank pool, and it is EXCELLENT! It works just as well as another solar controller I have for a larger setup, but is exceptionally small. It is perfect for my needs, as I have it installed in a clear faced junction box. My only concern is the temperature rating, which the spec states is up to 130 degrees F...if I remember correctly. During summer, this may be an issue. I tried to keep it in the shade and installed a small fan to assist in cooling on hot, sunny days. Time will tell if it has any issues in the middle of summer, but that is a chance I was willing to take with such a good, cheap unit. Either way I would definitely recommend this controller for smaller projects...(10 amp limit of course).

I built a small, off-grid solar system for my shed to power LED lights and a small ventilation fan that consisted of a 50W 12V-class panel (open circuit voltage around 20V), a 10 amp-hour LiFePo4 battery, and this charge controller. In that setup, it's worked great. It's a basic, workaday PWM charge controller that had worked great in my shed for several years until I decided to upgrade the system and added more panels and put in an MPPT controller. Pros: - Small size. - Reasonable price. - Terminals hold wires firmly and are easy to loosen and tighten. (Tip: crimp ferrules onto the ends of stranded wire rather and insert them into the terminals. Clamping stranded wire into the terminals is a bit harder, messier, and more prone to error.) - Backlit screen. - Easy to configure for flooded, AGM, and gel lead-acid batteries, as well as for LiFePo4 batteries. - Charging voltage is configurable for LiFePo4 batteries (in case you want to stop charging at, say, 14.4V rather than 14.6V). - USB ports are handy for charging phones or powering other devices. - It has options for turning the load on and off at and for various times. For example, the load can be turned on all the time, toggled with the push of a button, or when the sun sets (either until morning, or for various periods of time after sunset). - It supports -- but does not include -- a Renogy Bluetooth module that allows for remotely changing settings, seeing the current status, etc. from the Renogy app. - Manual is clearly written in English and explains all settings and options clearly. Cons: - This is a PWM controller which, while simpler, inherently limits its efficiency and requires a bit more planning relative to an MPPT controller. For example, connecting multiple 12V-class panels in series (or using one with a nominal open-circuit voltage greater than about 20V) provides no benefit. They need to be connected in parallel, and then one must make sure not to exceed the 10A current rating of the controller (it does not have any current limiting capability). - Turning on the load also enables the USB ports, which consume about 100mA of current when idle. With the load off, the current consumed by the controller itself is negligible. Still, it'd be nice to have the load on and disable the USB ports. - The on-device settings for having the load switched on or off at various times of day are unclear and require consulting the manual to know what the various codes mean. - The Bluetooth module is very basic and neither it nor the Wanderer 10 have any sort of data logging. You can see the current status and change settings, but no historical data is available. You apparently need some other Renogy device to accomplish that. - The Renogy app has many features, such as social features, promotions, etc. that distract from the core functionality of managing the controller. - Although the controller is reasonably priced, but the Bluetooth module is costly. Combined, their cost exceeds that of a reputable competitor's MPPT controller with built-in Bluetooth, data logging, a better app, and better integration with other devices and remote monitoring. In short, it's an inexpensive, simple PWM charge controller. If that's what you need, it'll do the job quietly and without complaint for years. However, if you want to use the Bluetooth module with this controller, you're limited to live monitoring and changing of settings only. No data logging or historical data is available. For less money than the controller + Bluetooth module, you can get a comparable-power-limit MPPT controller from a major competitor that includes better monitoring, data logging, and higher efficiency.

Son cargadores solares de excelente calidad y modernos, vienen hasta con número de serie, funcionan muy bien con batería LiFePO4 y además vienen con la función de TIMER, los recomiendo ampliamente para cualquier tipo de proyecto fotovoltaico de iluminación.

Display packed up after less than a year. I only used it once.

I've ordered a few controllers before this, but this was the only one that came with an actually understandable and detailed manual; it's like a little book. And the controller works well, has a good number of functions, and it just appears like it was properly made. Maybe be the company is competent and cares about the product or something... What a shock... Of course, this cost a lot more than the others that I've bought, but no regrets!

Quick delivery. Efficient solar controller.

Used to build a 12v lithium power bank. Easy and cheap way to add solar charging capability and monitiring to a big 12V battery