Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

True, and I also have to think about the real purpose of this, and that is to take the aquaponics system off grid. But the epic adventure is becoming more important every day as my stress levels increase with all this solar stuff

Here in the states we have devices called Linear Current Boosters that sound similar to the maximizers. Probably a different name for the same thing, they give more current to motors at reduced voltage so they run longer.

Hey BullwinkleII, I hear that the latest issue of ReNew, published by ATA, has an article about solar powered boats! I haven't seen it, but it may be worth a look.

Just looking at one now, and the blurb seems to be saying the same thing as MPPT charge controllers. The price also indicates they are MPPT.

Cool. I like it when they get mainstream press.

There are a few interesting videos on youtube as well. Some look like they charge all day for a 10 minute run, but others look real.

So eventually the seller on ebay admitted that the device didn't do what they advertised, but still advertise the same shit on their ebay listing.

They asked me a few times to close the conflict and they would send me money to buy an adapter to make the device work.

I asked how much money, and what kind of adapter.

They stalled for a few weeks until just before the deadline where I had to escalate the complaint to call it unresolvable.

I escalated it to a paypal refund claim

So paypal tells me the seller is in the wrong, and I should send it back and they will give me refund.

Paypal mentions I need to post it back in a way that means I can get tracking info to show paypal where the package is.

I go to my local post office and tell them I want to send the thing back to china.

They say sure, that will be 20(ish) dollars.

I say "Will that have tracking, I need parcel tracking so paypal is happy.

They say ok, we will refund your credit card and put it through again as $34 registered mail with tracking.

Sounds a bit shit I say, because now I'm looking at only getting half my money back on a product that was advertised fraudulently, but what else can I do.

So I send it registered post.

Paypal sends me a msg saying "we cant track the parcel with the tracking barcode australia post provided

Paypal asks for a photocopy of the details of the postal documents.

We send them a copy, and we also ring Australia post, and are told there was a failed attempt to deliver the parcel in china (ie the person wasnt home or whatever) We tell paypal the time and date australia posts says they tracked the fauiled delivery

Paypal refuses the refund, and closes the claim. It's final.

Read that last line again.

Paypal closes the dispute and says the seller and the buyer will have a record of the shitty transaction in their history.


There doesn't appear to be anything else we can do.


It's just over.


There are instructions in the help file on paypal help to challenge a decision , but the links it mentions dont exist.

The seller gets our purchase money.

Paypal tells us to return the product and we will get a refund.

We return the product at our own cost.

The seller gets the product back.

We are out 100$ and get nothing but a black mark on our paypal record.

We did what paypal said, and as a result lost everything.

The seller got our money AND their product back.


I cant help thinking that there is something slightly wrong with the way that has all panned out.

That's the risk of dealing with dodgy people selling cheap crap from overseas, even with those that are selling it from Australia... it just is not worth the hassle or expense, and if something goes wrong there is a good chance you will lose your money.

I don't know about AUS laws, but if the PayPal payment was put on your credit/debit card you can still chargeback through your CC company/bank.
If it was paid from your PayPal balance or echeck not much you can do.

Failed delivery just means it goes to the local postoffice or their equivalent for pickup. Worse case it's supposed to come back to you if never picked up. I've found paypal to be quite helpful in the past so you must have been unlucky in the person dealing with.

I think I would be sending a complaint through at the minimum.

That sux man, sorry to hear about this crappy situation.
Whenever I am not happy with a product, or it doesn't arrive I either get a refund after I send a message to the seller, or if that doesn't work I just give bad feedback. Bad feedback is the worst thing for most of those high volume sellers and they can't afford it, so they just give a full refund.
Works every single time for me. but usually I am happy with the product.

Latest news as of today, paypal says they are going to give our money back, so I'll only be out $34 for return postage.

They said that once before, so I'll start smiling again when I see the deposit.

It goes into a paypal account, not back into the visa

And the item is still being advertised fraudulently.

I'll get onto that after I see the deposit.

I just received the solar charge controller back from china.

They didn't collect it from their post office.

AAAGGGHHH!!!


On the back of my solar panel there is a little project box with 4 contacts, and a diode between each.

In full sun, when I put a multimeter to the pins on the back of my solar panel, I get...

11.6v between pins 1 & 2

11.6v between pins 2 & 3

11.2v between pins 3 & 4 (there's some damage to the panel)



What would happen if I just connected them in parallel directly to my trolling motor?


In the past where I would charge the 12v deep cycle lead acid battery, I would run it down to 11v or so and the motor still worked quite well. If I just leave out the battery, and connect the motor, will that 11.2v section just be wasted?

I recall you asked the same question some months ago- it wont work!


You cant parallel 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4, you'll just end up with a short circuit, as those terminals are the ends of 3 strings of cells in the panel. It is wired like below- terminals 2 and 3 are both positive and negative if you try to parallel the strings. You'd have to smash the panel in order to get into the conductors and separate the + and - on #2 and #3.

- +- +- +
1 2 3 4


You're going to have to face facts soon, that panel will only satisfactorily operate a 12V motor via a suitable maximiser, or MPPT charge controller with battery!

Sorry. I actually went back and re-read the entire thread because I thought I had already asked it

I must have missed a page