PS100

12 Vdc Power Supply with Rechargeable Battery

Frequently Asked Questions: PS100

Can I buy a replacement battery for my PS100?
Yes, simply specify model LA on your order.
I have a PS100 with a charging regulator inside my enclosure. I would like to charge it with 110 VAac power at my site. I want to run my 110-V power cable directly into the enclosure, and not use a wall-mount style transformer/charger. Do you sell an ac transformer that will go inside my enclosure or should I buy one locally? Also, what is the preferred transformer voltage for the PS100?
Most would terminate the ac line in an ordinary duplex receptacle box inside the enclosure. It is not recommended that you use the same conduit access hole that your signal leads are fed through, as that may induce unwanted noise in your signals. Then, simply connect the 9591 wall transformer from the receptacle to the PS100 charge terminals. The PS100 (or CH100) expects either 18 Vac or 18 Vdc that's limited to no more than 1.2 amps.
We have problems with your voltage regulators: after usage of less than one year, two of your regulators broke [one did not send energy from the battery and solar panel to the logger (only 1 V); the other did not get any energy from the solar panels (voltage of input when connected was 9 V, direct measurment was 18-20 V)]. What can be the reason for this? How can I avoid this malfunction? is it normal that they only work such a short time (in this case they are much to expensive!) or is there an
Premature failures of the PS100/CH100 charging regulator are not common. And yes, it's warrantied for a full year after purchase against defects in materials or workmanship. You did not specify the nature of the failure; that may have been determined once it was repaired by our tech team, but it's likely that you are blowing the 3-amp thermal fuse in the unit. We'd want you to examine all current sinks, and determine if any are shorting to ground.
How many solar panels can I connect to the CH100 regulator. I have one 60-W solar panel and two of 20 W each. Can all of these connect to the same regulator?
The PS100 (and CH100) are limited to 1.2 amp of input. Since the SP20, 20-W solar panel generates 1.17 amp, that single panel represents a practical limitation to the input. For panels that generate more current than 1.2 amps, consider the Morning Star SunSaver regulator. Sold under part number 18529, it is capable of accepting 10 amp input.

Generally it is not recommended to connect more than one panel at a time. Differential shading can cause problems--where the shaded panel can actually act as a current sink.
I have the CH12R (12V charger/regulator). I am trying to connect it to a 17.5-V, 290-mA, 5.1-W solar panel, to keep a 12-V battery charged. I just wanted to know how to go about doing this.
Plug the solar panel leads into the CHG terminals, without regard to polarity. If using a 12-V battery that was obtained from Campbell Scientific, it has a molex connector that can be connected directly to the INT terminal on the regulator. For other batteries consider purchasing the external battery cable (part number 6186) that has a 10-ft lead that terminates in the molex connector.
What kind of a regulator would you recommend if I want to set up a manually-powered generator to charge a 12-V gel battery? I have access to a 24 volt generator, but would that be too much do you think?
The PS100/CH100 can accept up to 28 V direct current. Current must be limited to 1.2 amp.