Fangpusun 80a mppt?

[underdog5004]

I've been using Outback FM 80 charge controllers for several years now. They seem to be Bulletproof. However I see that Fangpusun is copying the FM 80 along with a victron charge controller. Apparently it's the same Hardware and software, but produced at a lower price. I've tried to find any information about the copied FM 80 from Fangpusun, but all the experience information and reviews have been about the victron copy not the Outback copy.

Does anyone have any experience with the fangpusun outback charge controller?

 

[ricardocello]

Victron is aggressively trying to kill those.

Search results for query: fangpusun

diysolarforum.com

Here is a post on the FM80:

Post in thread 'Fangpusun makes counterfeit Victron, Outback & others'

May 29, 2024

I found this in the Midnite AIO post by Robin Gudel at Midnite about Fangpusun in reference to the Outback Flexmax MPPT. I thought it was interesting considering the source:

"The Chinese Fang Pu Sung or whatever they call it is not a knock off. It is the real deal. They made a minor modification to the casting tooling that I designed in 2000 when the work went to India. They removed the embossed “Outback” and put their name on it. The LCD still shows up Outback as they cannot change the code."

• seneysolar

• 

 

[underdog5004]

Victron is aggressively trying to kill those.

Search results for query: fangpusun

diysolarforum.com

Probably the victron clone, but what about the Outback fm80 clone? There's precious little info out there, but as far as I know it seems to be like for like, clone to original.

 

[ricardocello]

Probably the victron clone, but what about the Outback fm80 clone? There's precious little info out there, but as far as I know it seems to be like for like, clone to original.

updated post above

 

[underdog5004]

Victron is aggressively trying to kill those.

Search results for query: fangpusun

diysolarforum.com

Here is a post on the FM80:

Post in thread 'Fangpusun makes counterfeit Victron, Outback & others'

May 29, 2024

I found this in the Midnite AIO post by Robin Gudel at Midnite about Fangpusun in reference to the Outback Flexmax MPPT. I thought it was interesting considering the source:

"The Chinese Fang Pu Sung or whatever they call it is not a knock off. It is the real deal. They made a minor modification to the casting tooling that I designed in 2000 when the work went to India. They removed the embossed “Outback” and put their name on it. The LCD still shows up Outback as they cannot change the code."

• seneysolar

• 

Yes, I found that too, and a few other fangpusun oriented threads. No teardown or side by side comparisons, I'm thinking about getting one and checking it out...

 

[ricardocello]

Are these really Outback? - OutBack Power Technologies User Forum

forum.outbackpower.com

 

[underdog5004]

Are these really Outback? - OutBack Power Technologies User Forum

forum.outbackpower.com

I don't see anything fact-based in those posts, just tribal Warfare against the evil Chinese charge controllers.

 

[ricardocello]

I don't see anything fact-based in those posts, just tribal Warfare against the evil Chinese charge controllers.

Yeah I was looking for a teardown, but didn't find any.
The FM80 was/is a great SCC. If you get the fangpusun copy, very likely it will work the same.
Not clear if the firmware can be updated or not.

 

[underdog5004]

Well, got a quote, $240 including shipping. I've put a question to seller about firmware version, but I don't know if I really care. Gonna buy it once my pickles and dimes add up, I just blew $3k on 2x Schneider xw pro 6848s, so it might be a little while until i can get a new toy haha

 

[seneysolar]

They were the original manufacturer that Outback contracted to build them. When Outback switched manufacturers fangpusun kept making them... i guess id probably consider it "old stock" and dont expect it to communicate with other Outback stuff.
Its not a copycat if they were the ones building the real deal. This is just the risk you take when you sub out manufacturing to china, they dont stop!

 

[underdog5004]

They were the original manufacturer that Outback contracted to build them. When Outback switched manufacturers fangpusun kept making them... i guess id probably consider it "old stock" and dont expect it to communicate with other Outback stuff.
Its not a copycat if they were the ones building the real deal. This is just the risk you take when you sub out manufacturing to china, they dont stop!

True that. I have no other outback gear besides fm80s, so comms isn't an issue.

 

[sun walker]

I looked at both these a while back, I think ytube may have a teardown/repair, not sure if the parts would be great.
Biggest issue with the V. clone was NEVER allow it to update, V. updates seem to have a kill, understandable, may be the same issue for both.

 

[SeaGal]

I've been using Outback FM 80 charge controllers for several years now. They seem to be Bulletproof. However I see that Fangpusun is copying the FM 80 along with a victron charge controller. Apparently it's the same Hardware and software, but produced at a lower price.

If it is, then they've stolen Outback's IP from reverse engineering or a rogue employee passing confidential information on, or stealing the design they were manufacturing on contract.

For that reason, personally I would not purchase from Fangpusun ever - you're just giving money to thieves and encouraging black markets to continue their illegal practices.

If it is not the same hardware and software then it's a completely different product and you'll probably get what you pay for (=inferior product). But again, I would not want to give money to a company that is trying to clone someone else's product and benefit from their reputation by making theirs "look and feel" like something it is not.

Utter crooks IMHO.

 

[underdog5004]

I looked at both these a while back, I think ytube may have a teardown/repair, not sure if the parts would be great.
Biggest issue with the V. clone was NEVER allow it to update, V. updates seem to have a kill, understandable, may be the same issue for both.

Again, I'm looking at the Outback flexmax clone, not the victron clone. I've seen no teardown of the flexmax clone.

BTW seller says their flexmax is on firmware 002.001, I've done some googling but haven't found any killer bugs talk3d about in this firmware version. Anyone know what changes were made between 002.001 and present firmware 003.003?

 

[underdog5004]

If it is, then they've stolen Outback's IP from reverse engineering or a rogue employee passing confidential information on, or stealing the design they were manufacturing on contract.

For that reason, personally I would not purchase from Fangpusun ever - you're just giving money to thieves and encouraging black markets to continue their illegal practices.

If it is not the same hardware and software then it's a completely different product and you'll probably get what you pay for (=inferior product). But again, I would not want to give money to a company that is trying to clone someone else's product and benefit from their reputation by making theirs "look and feel" like something it is not.

Utter crooks IMHO.

Idk what the story is. I've read speculation that fangpusunnhad a contract to build/sell X amount of lroduct for victron, outback, etc, with a right to sell the product themselves in case buyers did not meet purchase quotas. At 1/3rd the price, I'm interested. Especially since outback is a dead company, and firmware 003.003 came out in 2018 and no updates since then.