Powmr MPPT

[tricky74]

I am looking at getting a Powmr 60a mppt controller for an camping area I am setting up.
It may also get used elsewhere so that is why I want a bigger one.
I could buy a quality one but I am hoping it will not get stolen being cheap as the area is not locked but weatherproof.
I did read the firmware was a copy of something outdated a while back.
Any idea what firmware a new controller should be running?
Is the firmware user upgradable in the future?

 

[gnubie]

If you are in the market for this sort of thing buy a MakeSkyBlue from the official store. Don't buy the PowMr, they are a rip off of the MSB. At the moment they run firmware 1.13 (this might change in the near future, will be interesting to see how MSB reacts). Even if the version reported is later, it's currently 113, they just hex edited the image to say what ever they like.

 

[tricky74]

I see the msb available for about $30 more.
And the firmware is 1.19
I was looking at the Powmr as the shop selling them is not too far away so I can pickup.
Very wary of buying if the warehouse is a long way away.

 

[Forbisher]

I see the msb available for about $30 more.
And the firmware is 1.19

I thought version 1.19 was the WiFi model and 1.18 was the latest updated non WiFi controller.

So how much are You paying for a Powmr 60A??

 

[tricky74]

Yes I see the wifi is 1.19.
It is $149 for the powmr 60a close to me.
I can't find any msb ones in stock in Australia.
But I am not in a hurry.

Even if the version reported is later, it's currently 113, they just hex edited the image to say what ever they like

Guess that can be tested by the settings menu changes.
They do state you can update firmware.

 

[tricky74]

This is why I am worried about importing rather than buying from a shop in Australia.
The shipping back to usa would be killer.
From the MSB forum

So it has become evident that there is an error in the software in some V118 and V119 controllers that go into a Rebooting mode. for the last 2 months I have been trying to identify what triggers this issue with out any success. We are leaning on improper grounding of systems. We don't know exactly why it triggers but we do know that it triggered and goes into the protection mode. The symptoms will be this. When the controller reaches 500 watts of power it will reboot and go to the initialization screen. it then will start charging again until it hits 500 watts. and repeats the cycle. you will hear the fan constantly cycling if you have more than 500 watts of power. These controllers need to be sent back to us and I can update the firmware to correct this issue. A few folks have had this issue including myself, the new software corrects this problem. Postage shall be paid by owner to us and well pay the postage back to you.

Thank you in advance

Call or text me and get confirmation of shipping

Return shipping address:

MakeSkyBlueUSA

Sean Buckner

107360 S 4650 Rd

Sallisaw OK, 74955

918-315-6128

 

[gnubie]

Yes, that's more or less the same experience I had. The USA support person is quite responsive but ultimately unless you are in the USA he might as well be selling chocolate teapots (arguably he is ).

Honestly unless you are hell bent on this bottom shelf stuff, pay a little more and get a decent controller. Leave the MakeSkyBlue and the copies on the bottom shelf where, IMO, they should remain. On the shelf. If you do buy one, or IMO worse the PowMr copy, consider it a disposable item.

 

[tricky74]

Yeah I am just not willing to leave a decent setup out where it can be easily stolen.
Nobody wants to steal cheap chinese gear.
If I used a Victron or similar I would expect it to be stolen.
So I need something that works reasonable for a fairly low price.
No name brand unit will offer that.

 

[DavidAnderman]

I have purchased 3 MakeSkyBlue controllers, 2 have failed.

i bought 1 PowMr, it works fine.

 

[Metalophile]

Banggood has PowMR 60A on special for the next few days at $72.99. I'm trying to figure out whether this will work for my 24V LiFePO4 battery and 4x 260W panel array. I currently have a pair of very cheap PWM controllers that seem to work OK and I consider disposable.

 

[gnubie]

Seriously, why do people keep buying this crap? Even lemmings don't actually throw themselves off a cliff.

*edit, yes another!*

You have a nice expensive lifepo4 battery there. Spend a little more money and buy a decent controller. Reduce the risk of a known junk grade controller damaging your nice expensive battery. You don't buy a Ferrari then hop on ebay and buy the cheapest nastiest direct-from-china brake pads, hopefully.

 

[Metalophile]

Seriously, why do people keep buying this crap? Even lemmings don't actually throw themselves off a cliff.

*edit, yes another!*

You have a nice expensive lifepo4 battery there. Spend a little more money and buy a decent controller. Reduce the risk of a known junk grade controller damaging your nice expensive battery. You don't buy a Ferrari then hop on ebay and buy the cheapest nastiest direct-from-china brake pads, hopefully.

My panels are 60-cell panels, and I have a decent BMS protecting my batteries. A cheap PWM isn't going to damage my batteries because even if it fails in the worst way there isn't enough overvoltage to seriously damage my LiFePO4 battery.

 

[gnubie]

Does your BMS count amp hours / watt hours? If not, sure you won't get over voltage but you can still get over charging.

Answer these questions.

i) At what current flow does the PowMR exit absorption stage charging and go to float mode?
ii) How do you configure the current at which this transition happens?
iii) What is the maximum time limit the controller will stay in absorption mode?
iv) How is the maximum time limit configured?
v) If you take their advice, at least makeskyblue's advice I'm assuming being a cheap rip off of an already poor design, PowMR simply copied the MakeSkyBleu uh, 'manual' in this regard, and set absorption and float as the same voltage, is your setting high enough to allow the BMS to perform cell balancing and is that threshold high enough, which it usually is since that is where you do balancing typically, that if left there continuously it will result in your battery being over charged?

If I just bought a $400+ battery I'm not so sure I'd then go out and buy essentially the cheapest nastiest piece of junk charger I could get my hands on.

 

[MrNatural22]

My panels are 60-cell panels, and I have a decent BMS protecting my batteries. A cheap PWM isn't going to damage my batteries because even if it fails in the worst way there isn't enough overvoltage to seriously damage my LiFePO4 battery.

MPPT v PWM Reasoning explained ?

 

[dehv]

Does your BMS count amp hours / watt hours? If not, sure you won't get over voltage but you can still get over charging.

Answer these questions.

i) At what current flow does the PowMR exit absorption stage charging and go to float mode?
ii) How do you configure the current at which this transition happens?
iii) What is the maximum time limit the controller will stay in absorption mode?
iv) How is the maximum time limit configured?
v) If you take their advice, at least makeskyblue's advice I'm assuming being a cheap rip off of an already poor design, PowMR simply copied the MakeSkyBleu uh, 'manual' in this regard, and set absorption and float as the same voltage, is your setting high enough to allow the BMS to perform cell balancing and is that threshold high enough, which it usually is since that is where you do balancing typically, that if left there continuously it will result in your battery being over charged?

If I just bought a $400+ battery I'm not so sure I'd then go out and buy essentially the cheapest nastiest piece of junk charger I could get my hands on.

Yes, they seem to lack a true EQ mode, just absorb then float on my v113 POWMR. Other cons are the fans do not have any speed control, they are either on or off, and the voltage accuracy is questionable on mine between 0.2 and 0.4v.

The one thing advantage in the POWMR over the MSB are the quality of components - they may be a copy but they seem to have improved and used much better quality caps for example. Theres a youtube going over the internals of the two compared, but I can't find right now.

 

[gnubie]

Unless the youtuber was an industrial chemist and did a full pull apart and analysis of the capacitors, sorry but the youtube clip means nothing. It's trivial to have what ever you like on the sleeving to make junk seem to be of a higher quality. In the short term ESR etc may well appear to be reasonable but checking months down the track of normal use reveals the truth. If you do eventually find the clip please post it.

As a side note, there has been some interesting developments in the MakeSkyBlue world but I'll leave that for later.

 

[diysolaremi]

Banggood has PowMR 60A on special for the next few days at $72.99. I'm trying to figure out whether this will work for my 24V LiFePO4 battery and 4x 260W panel array. I currently have a pair of very cheap PWM controllers that seem to work OK and I consider disposable.

They work well, but Just get a BMS, they might act funny sometimes

 

[tricky74]

Mine does work quite well. The temperature is not accurate as there is no battery temp sensor.
But it does use the sensor for the unit temp fan control.
In my use the temp it reads is about 10 degrees higher than battery temp.
But I have noticed it seems to ignore the temp voltage compensation. As in it always charges at the voltage in the setting not the calculated voltage of -.03v per cell per degree or whatever it is.
This does not worry me as my temps are fairly stable and I have changed the settings to reflect what I want.
I did wonder about the cooling and pulled the unit apart. It has a 1/4'' or 6mm aluminium plate screwed inside.
Removed the plate and added thermal transfer paste from a pc cpu.
It seems better but was never really hot anyway.
Frequently brings up code 65 even though voltage is correct.
Sometimes the battery voltage on screen goes from say 14v to 12v odd for a second but the actual voltage stays solid.
Just a few silly bugs you can ignore.
The unit will be a great thing for cloudy days etc and I intend to run something with actual battery temp
monitoring as the primary unit at a later date.

 

[Shotgun]

For you guys using the PwrMr,
- do you have any monitoring software that will work with it?
- does the current from the panels seem to indicate double of what it can reasonably be based on current going into the battery and out the inverter?
- my setting 04 (Battery power to utility setpoint) is stuck at 21.6V, and I can't move it to 24.2. Does anyone know how to do a factory reset?

@gnubie has a point. I should have left this one on the shelf, but now that I have it, I want to make it work if I can. I know I ain't getting my money back.

 

[tricky74]

1 No
2 I only have the 60A MPPT charge controller. Panel input wattage seems about 10% high.
The output current appears calculated at zero loss from input watts. However I do not care.
3 No idea