Add Voltmeter to Solar Charge Controller

This video is about how to add a Mini DC Voltmeter to an inexpensive Solar Charge Controller

I purchased this solar charge controller from Amazon mostly because it was the least expensive one that I thought would do the job.

When checking it out I discovered that the ‘charging LED’ would light up whenever voltage was applied to the terminals regardless of whether the voltage was too low to actually charge the batter.

I decided I needed a way to monitor the voltage coming from the solar panel to be sure it was actually enough.

I had a mini DC voltmeter and decided to see if I could figure out a way to use it to measure the solar panel voltage. I open the case on the charge controller and found I could fit the the meter inside the case.

It was a simple matter to scribe and then cut the opening with a sharp knife. I used hot melt glue on the inside to secure the voltmeter in place. Then soldered the to meter leads to the underside of the circuit board.

Obviously you can get charge controllers that have a voltmeter built in for not much more money and if I had to do it again I would spend the few extra dollars.

But it was a quick, easy and fun project and now I can see when my solar panel is actually charging.

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