Technical Bulletin B-105: SpeedCheck Battery Charge Controller Update

Product Applicability

This bulletin applies to the follow products:

• SPEEDCHECK-15/18 radar speed signs, solar-powered only

Starting 2019 Q1, these products received the Morningstar SunSaver (SS-10L-12V) as an updated battery charge controller. There is also a replacement kit available with this update that is compatible with the legacy Information Display Company solar cabinet and the current Carmanah solar cabinet .

Background

Carmanah acquired Information Display Company in October 2018. With the transition of the SpeedCheck product line and manufacturing into Carmanah’s portfolio, we  changed from the previous charge controller (ASC by Specialty Concepts) to the Morningstar SunSaver (SS-10L-12V). With our experience using this charge controller in other Carmanah products, this change offers familiarity and reliability to customers with the added benefit of low voltage disconnect (LVD) protection for the battery. If the battery voltage drops below 11.7 vdc, the SunSaver will no longer send battery voltage to the radar sign, thus preventing further discharge of the battery. With the previous ASC charge controller this feature was not present and it was possible for the battery to completely drain and become damaged.

Procedure

No actions are required by the end user with regard to this technical bulletin. It is for informational purposes only. If you are installing the SunSaver as a replacement charge controller, or performing a new installation, ensure the SpeedCheck display is connected to terminals 5 and 6 (load) on the SunSaver. This will ensure the radar sign will take advantage of the low voltage protection. For installations into legacy systems, you may need to remove a large capacitor – see bulletin B-104 – SpeedCheck Capacitor Removal.

Have questions? Our customer support team is always available to help.