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.

Easy to install, smaller than I had expected. my 12g wires had no problem fitting in the slots. Seems pretty accurate as to the amount of energy coming in and the charge of my battery. LIthium compatible is a big plus.

I gave this device four out of five stars, not because it's likely the best charge controller, but because I paid about $15 for it and it did what it's supposed to do. In today's world, that's pretty big. My one major issue with this device is that the electrical connections aren't big enough for the solar panel cables that Renogy sells to use with their own products, meaning you have to cut about half the strands off the end of your new Renogy panel cables in order for them to fit in the controller. They also slip out super, super easily. If it weren't for that, and the fact that the voltage and current of charge are not available on the screen at one time, this would be a five star review. I bought a different controller this week, the EEEkit controller, which I assumed would be very similar to this. The biggest drawback, despite having wonderfully sized electrical connections, is that the EEEkit unit doesnt show current at all, has no information in the manual for setting up the battery type, has the battery drain limit and the other protection settings horribly skewed to the point they are not usable, and it doesn't show me panel voltage so I have no idea if my panel is working well, or the battery is shot, or what. For the slight price difference, get the Renogy unit and modify your charge cables a little.

Worked great. Good price

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.

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.

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.

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.

Has been working perfectly for several months now and have no complaints. Seller service is excellent and delivery is quick

Quick delivery. Efficient solar controller.

The unit looks clean and charge is my batteries but when I turn the load on from the unit it goes through a strange on off cycle for 30 seconds before full power is initiated The unit looks clean and charge is my batteries but when I turn the load on from the unit it goes through a strange on off cycle for 30 seconds before full power is initiate. I also doesn’t like the immediate hydra from my diesel heater it thinks it short circuits and has a little freak out this is extremely problematic and all other solar chargers worked fine