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EG4 48v 25a Battery Charger Update

Hi Richard,

I received an email offering a partial refund or return, stating 25A units are not available.

Are the 25A units gone forever, or will there be a 25A unit available later?

I'd rather wait if possible, instead of a partial refund or a return to re-start the shopping process - I bought the 25A for a reason.
 
ArkRob said:
Hi Richard,

I received an email offering a partial refund or return, stating 25A units are not available.

Are the 25A units gone forever, or will there be a 25A unit available later?

I'd rather wait if possible, instead of a partial refund or a return to re-start the shopping process - I bought the 25A for a reason.
Click to expand...
I am under the impression we have a shipment coming in March but will need to check. I’ll find out tomorrow.
 
Bigblockcutlass123 said:
Lot of ways to look at it. Signature solar's profit margin isn't enough to have that great customer service. If they had the customer service to pay for everybody's chargers to be shipped back to them and then ship them new proper chargers. Could break the company. If we all paid 20% more for our products they probably could afford to offer some awesome customer service. This would include paying and keeping qualified tech support people.
And another note the company signature solar bought the chargers from is at fault. But they're in China what you going to do about it. By the time somebody catches the problem. There's already a whole shipping container over here of defective parts. We have nobody over there watching them to make sure they're doing what they're supposed to do. The automotive market has this problem all the time. Trying to assemble cars and then find out they have nothing but bad parts from China. So they put them on the cars anyways because they're not going to stop the line.
Click to expand...
Dealing with Signature Solar has had a couple small bumps for me but other then that so far I’m pretty satisfied.
1. there was a bit of a mess up with shipping where the web site over charged me about $375.00 shipping. this issue was resolved. They gave me a credit and I used it to purchase a 12k mini split.
2. The charger isn’t what was advertised and I think mines got a real problem because at times it just won’t turn on. It draws 350w from the generator but nothings going to the batteries. They are working on this still.

For me at least they are trying. Before I ordered from them I tried to work with 3 other solar suppliers. They all just jerked me around and wasted my time. One told me they didn’t have time to even deal with me.

But I to agree there are a few things they can work on between this thread and a couple others. Like where I use to work. LACK OF Communication!
 
I almost bought one of those SS chargers but opted for Meanwell Instead since it's a company I dealt with as an EE for commercial grade equipment. They make top notch stuff that is very good.

You can try this one, Pretty much the same price as SS. EG4
Meanwell 1600

Just buy some new Jumper cables and two nuts & bolts + Crimp connectors and wire on 6ft of one end of the jumper cable and it's good to go for about 46A @ 48V-58V adjustable with 3 stage charging. You might want to add a 30 Amps fuse into the wiring although I think the Mean-well will shutdown if there is a short.
 
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Jack Rabbit Off Grid said:
Dealing with Signature Solar has had a couple small bumps for me but other then that so far I’m pretty satisfied.
1. there was a bit of a mess up with shipping where the web site over charged me about $375.00 shipping. this issue was resolved. They gave me a credit and I used it to purchase a 12k mini split.
2. The charger isn’t what was advertised and I think mines got a real problem because at times it just won’t turn on. It draws 350w from the generator but nothings going to the batteries. They are working on this still.

For me at least they are trying. Before I ordered from them I tried to work with 3 other solar suppliers. They all just jerked me around and wasted my time. One told me they didn’t have time to even deal with me.

But I to agree there are a few things they can work on between this thread and a couple others. Like where I use to work. LACK OF Communication!
Click to expand...
Ditto for me and for the most part happy with most items but this has been my honest experience:

Most issues were conflicting information on various things - examples are incorrect info on the correct battery communication port to use on the Growatt 5000es inverter - spent days trying to make it work with the BMS port when the RS485 was the correct one.

Proper address to use for master battery (one that communicates to inverter) for their different battery types - LiFepower 4 is different than the LL version - this is OK but there is conflicting info in various documentation or their various youtube videos.

LL version uses the RS485 port on the battery to communicate to inverter, LiFepower4 uses battery comm ports to communicate to inverter - this is ok to but I assumed the same ports would be used on the LL batttery because I didn't find specific instructions for the LL version stating to use the RS485 port.

I'm not entirely sure the LL version and Lifepower4 batteries are compatible in regards to BMS communications - so far my experience says they are not. Should have stuck with one version but when you need a battery and the availability is what it is-

The solar edge Autotransformer from them blew circuit breakers from day one - their tech support blamed everything else including my wiring job when I insisted it had an internal short to case from day one - I later proved it by opening the transformer and finding the winding shorted to the back of the case and clearly shows a winding high spot that pushed right through the insulation. I made it work by adding a sheet of silicon rubber to insulate the short. Being a brand new unit I asked for a warranty replacement a couple times - still have not seen that replacement and am still using the faulty one. I see now they sell a different auto transformer.

Tech support has been OK on easy issues - on more difficult issues I have waited days to weeks to get responses and I feel like the tech is learning stuff as we go.

My hunch is some of these issues are new batches of product comes in from china and it's a new revision where things have been changed - however tech documentation on the website is for older versions.

I've spent a bunch of money there - 2-5000es inverters, 38- 395w & 450W panels, 9 - 48v 5.12kwh batteries, 2 - 6 slot battery racks, bunch of other stuff to make it all work..
 
3fordasho said:
Ditto for me and for the most part happy with most items but this has been my honest experience:

Most issues were conflicting information on various things - examples are incorrect info on the correct battery communication port to use on the Growatt 5000es inverter - spent days trying to make it work with the BMS port when the RS485 was the correct one.

Proper address to use for master battery (one that communicates to inverter) for their different battery types - LiFepower 4 is different than the LL version - this is OK but there is conflicting info in various documentation or their various youtube videos.

LL version uses the RS485 port on the battery to communicate to inverter, LiFepower4 uses battery comm ports to communicate to inverter - this is ok to but I assumed the same ports would be used on the LL batttery because I didn't find specific instructions for the LL version stating to use the RS485 port.

I'm not entirely sure the LL version and Lifepower4 batteries are compatible in regards to BMS communications - so far my experience says they are not. Should have stuck with one version but when you need a battery and the availability is what it is-

The solar edge Autotransformer from them blew circuit breakers from day one - their tech support blamed everything else including my wiring job when I insisted it had an internal short to case from day one - I later proved it by opening the transformer and finding the winding shorted to the back of the case and clearly shows a winding high spot that pushed right through the insulation. I made it work by adding a sheet of silicon rubber to insulate the short. Being a brand new unit I asked for a warranty replacement a couple times - still have not seen that replacement and am still using the faulty one. I see now they sell a different auto transformer.

Tech support has been OK on easy issues - on more difficult issues I have waited days to weeks to get responses and I feel like the tech is learning stuff as we go.

My hunch is some of these issues are new batches of product comes in from china and it's a new revision where things have been changed - however tech documentation on the website is for older versions.

I've spent a bunch of money there - 2-5000es inverters, 38- 395w & 450W panels, 9 - 48v 5.12kwh batteries, 2 - 6 slot battery racks, bunch of other stuff to make it all work..
Click to expand...
Awesome. Ya, we have grown quite a bit over the last 6 months so our team is training and learning fast - myself included. That being said, we are getting better every day.
 
I really dont like bashing a company for much, but I would like to add this;

I almost bought one of these chargers a few months ago, but after being passed back and forth with several different employees on the phone and over email to answer a simple question, "What is the max charge voltage it will go to? Your website says 58.4v, which is much too high for me", they finally got someone to try and tell me that it's not too high. After explaining that it would definitely cause a runaway cell, unless you have perfectly balanced to .001v, then it is TOO HIGH. They just repeated themselves and told me that it wasn't too high, and then wouldn't respond to any more of my emails. I'm sure the actual charge voltage is much lower, in the 56v range maybe? But nobody could tell me that.

I found better customer service on Alibaba with broken english and bought one of theirs. It looks like an exact replica, for a fraction of the cost, and actually outputs its rated current.

EDIT: I see on their website, the 18a model says this: "This 48V 18A charger will provide 1200W per hour of charging capacity per hour." Is this direct google translated from Chinese? Even 58.4v X 18a doesnt equal anything close to 1200w either. Is this for-real?
 
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ArkRob said:
Did you find anything out?
Click to expand...
At this point, we are still attempting to work with the original manufacturer, but we are exploring our options. The shipment I believe we had for March was cancelled because we were worried about the quality, and we don't want to carry it if we are worried about the quality.
 
Lt.Dan said:
I really dont like bashing a company for much, but I would like to add this;

I almost bought one of these chargers a few months ago, but after being passed back and forth with several different employees on the phone and over email to answer a simple question, "What is the max charge voltage it will go to? Your website says 58.4v, which is much too high for me", they finally got someone to try and tell me that it's not too high. After explaining that it would definitely cause a runaway cell, unless you have perfectly balanced to .001v, then it is TOO HIGH. They just repeated themselves and told me that it wasn't too high, and then wouldn't respond to any more of my emails. I'm sure the actual charge voltage is much lower, in the 56v range maybe? But nobody could tell me that.

I found better customer service on Alibaba with broken english and bought one of theirs. It looks like an exact replica, for a fraction of the cost, and actually outputs its rated current.
Click to expand...
I'll be 100% transparent - if you called us a few months ago, there is a good chance you experienced poor customer service. We grew extremely fast, and had a lot of training happening. Message me directly if you need anything, most anyone here can tell you I tend to get things done in a timely manner when I'm not held up by others.
 
RichardfromSignatureSolar said:
I'll be 100% transparent - if you called us a few months ago, there is a good chance you experienced poor customer service. We grew extremely fast, and had a lot of training happening. Message me directly if you need anything, most anyone here can tell you I tend to get things done in a timely manner when I'm not held up by others.
Click to expand...
I was Speaking with John Showalter back in august (a little more than a few months, my mistake) at the end who really didnt seem to care that I had a question, but I appreciate you attempting to make this right, even in the face of everybody who is upset, and not disappearing and hoping the problem goes away on its own.

Good on you (y)
 
Lt.Dan said:
I really dont like bashing a company for much, but I would like to add this;

I almost bought one of these chargers a few months ago, but after being passed back and forth with several different employees on the phone and over email to answer a simple question, "What is the max charge voltage it will go to? Your website says 58.4v, which is much too high for me", they finally got someone to try and tell me that it's not too high. After explaining that it would definitely cause a runaway cell, unless you have perfectly balanced to .001v, then it is TOO HIGH. They just repeated themselves and told me that it wasn't too high, and then wouldn't respond to any more of my emails. I'm sure the actual charge voltage is much lower, in the 56v range maybe? But nobody could tell me that.

I found better customer service on Alibaba with broken english and bought one of theirs. It looks like an exact replica, for a fraction of the cost, and actually outputs its rated current.

EDIT: I see on their website, the 18a model says this: "This 48V 18A charger will provide 1200W per hour of charging capacity per hour." Is this direct google translated from Chinese? Even 58.4v X 18a doesnt equal anything close to 1200w either. Is this for-real?
Click to expand...
The best I’ve seen from my charger has been 54.4v flashes the green light for a bit then shuts off.
 
@RichardfromSignatureSolar, I know everyone seems to be pointing out some of shortcomings of SS we’ve experienced, I want to says thanks for coming on here and being willing to take some heat. I also have had a positive experience with SS customer service this last week. I called Alexis and explained to her that neither of my 5000es units came with parallel cables and I just discovered this as I’m trying to finalize my install. She said they were back ordered on a slow boat from China, but took the time to walk around the shop and swipe a pair from your test bench and send them to me!! I am very grateful for that kind of effort after spending 17k. Thanks
 
Averageaviator said:
@RichardfromSignatureSolar, I know everyone seems to be pointing out some of shortcomings of SS we’ve experienced, I want to says thanks for coming on here and being willing to take some heat. I also have had a positive experience with SS customer service this last week. I called Alexis and explained to her that neither of my 5000es units came with parallel cables and I just discovered this as I’m trying to finalize my install. She said they were back ordered on a slow boat from China, but took the time to walk around the shop and swipe a pair from your test bench and send them to me!! I am very grateful for that kind of effort after spending 17k. Thanks
Click to expand...
Glad to hear it, Alexus is great. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything from me.
 
TEV said:
Unfortunately, the Customer Service at SS is singing a different tune:
"Due to miscommunication between the manufacturer and us we will no longer carry the 48V 25A chargers. I do apologize for this inconvenience.
With that said, we have 2 solutions you can choose from.
1) Keep the 48V 18A chargers, we will issue you a refund for the price difference.(48V25A$259.99 - 48V18A$199=$60.99) On top of that we will issue you a $50 credit to use on a future purchase.
2) Return the chargers and receive a full refund less the shipping cost to you."
@RichardfromSignatureSolar
Click to expand...
Update to this: Today was my first day back at the office, and I've talked with my support team. There were a few people who submitted the refund request and an employee had misread the statement. She was corrected later, but a few people only received partial refunds. I personally have verified @TEV will receive the correct refund amount and anyone else who didn't receive the correct amount back. If you feel that you did not receive the correct fix on this, please PM me directly and I will handle it. Thanks!
 
Just to clarify, because my customer service team has been getting some emails from people regarding this. We currently only have 2 solutions to this issue, as we have not been able to guarantee a suitable 100% replacement with a unit that outputs 25a.
1. You can keep the charger that you have that is only outputting 17-18a and get a PARTIAL REFUND for the difference in the cost of the unit.
2. You can return the charger, and receive a 100% refund INCLUDING RETURN SHIPPING of the unit.
 
RichardfromSignatureSolar said:
Just to clarify, because my customer service team has been getting some emails from people regarding this. We currently only have 2 solutions to this issue, as we have not been able to guarantee a suitable 100% replacement with a unit that outputs 25a.
1. You can keep the charger that you have that is only outputting 17-18a and get a PARTIAL REFUND for the difference in the cost of the unit.
2. You can return the charger, and receive a 100% refund INCLUDING RETURN SHIPPING of the unit.
Click to expand...
can I wait until you can verify there will be no 25amp replacements? I would really like one but if it isn’t going to work then so be it. Also I think my charger may actually be defective. Sometimes it won’t turn on For up to 30 min. it Also shuts off at 54.4v. So if I am unable to replace it with a 25amp I may have to exchange it for another of the same And a credit.
 
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Jack Rabbit Off Grid said:
can I wait until you can verify there will be no 25amp replacements? I would really like one but if it isn’t going to work then so be it. Also I think my charger may actually be defective. Sometimes it won’t turn on For up to 30 min. it Also shits off at 54.4v. So if I am unable to replace it with a 25amp I may have to exchange it for another of the same And a credit.
Click to expand...
There is no time limit (to my knowledge) for this process at this time as we are still trying to make sure everyone has a chance to make a decision that works best for them - and we might have a replacement at some point in the near future - but currently we don't have one lined up so I am hesitant to say we will for sure have a 1:1 replacement without knowing for sure.
 
I purchased my 25 amp charger early November 2021. It was an 17 amp charger from the beginning. Glad the company is stepping up, I'm going to keep mine, probably won't even deal with getting a partial refund. All this depends on the warranty situation for those who choose to keep them. It sounds like if a failure happens we would be SOL. What is the companies preference, everybody return them for refunds or deal with potiential warranty hassles for 5 years for a discontinued product?
 
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This explains why I am only seeing 927 watts on my Victron shunt. I am not that upset, as it charges very well, I just wish I could have had full power, especially now that my system will be 36kWh. Do these parallel well? I may be interested in simply receiving a discount to buy an additional 25a model when they become available if so.
 
Rustic said:
I purchased my 25 amp charger early November 2021. It was an 17 amp charger from the beginning. Glad the company is stepping up, I'm going to keep mine, probably won't even deal with getting a partial refund. All this depends on the warranty situation for those who choose to keep them. It sounds like if a failure happens we would be SOL. What is the companies preference, everybody return them for refunds or deal with potiential warranty hassles for 5 years for a discontinued product?
Click to expand...
It'll probably be a case by case review in the end after some period of time. I think that timeframe will be fairly long, and in the end everyone will likely qualify for the partial refund at the least. To my knowledge the warranty period is unaffected by this.
 
Roger Harding said:
This explains why I am only seeing 927 watts on my Victron shunt. I am not that upset, as it charges very well, I just wish I could have had full power, especially now that my system will be 36kWh. Do these parallel well? I may be interested in simply receiving a discount to buy an additional 25a model when they become available if so.
Click to expand...
Yep, no issue with paralleling these to my knowledge. We are still working with the manufacturer and others to try and get the 25a version, but at this time we don't have a solid import date.
 
Roger Harding said:
This explains why I am only seeing 927 watts on my Victron shunt. I am not that upset, as it charges very well, I just wish I could have had full power, especially now that my system will be 36kWh. Do these parallel well? I may be interested in simply receiving a discount to buy an additional 25a model when they become available if so.
Click to expand...
I feel the same, this is a backup to my Growatt paired with another inverter. 2 is one, 1 is none
 
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