Repairing my MPPT controller

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I'm in the process of repairing a Microcare MPPT controller. I decided to do it myself because 1) I was at the point of just chucking it on the scrap heap and 2) I have dreams of building my own some day. Because others might find this insightful, here's my latest post, complete with some horrible-SA-accent video :-)

 

http://izak.github.io/2015/08/27/repairing-the-mppt-2/

[Guest]

I once had a Phocos 100/30 MPPT controller ... it worked beautifully.

 

Then, one day after the warranty expired, it stopped working.

 

Turns out:

a) I overworked it.

So it overheated - apparently a known issue on them back then, the overheating.

 

Since then, I made friends with Morningstar.

 

Ps. I hear that Microcare seems to be having problems with supply and after-sales service the last few months.

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It's not a bad product. A bit unrefined, in places it looks a bit like some of my high school projects, I hear reports of people shaking the last of the loose solder out of the case before they mount them, one installer told me about 2 out of 10 fail within warranty. But it's not badly designed... well MAYBE that DC-DC converter bit was a bit cheap, I can't say, I don't know enough.

[Guest]

Interesting.

 

Few CPT installers have stopped selling Microcare. When I tried them a few years ago, email, phone, I gave up.