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diy solar

Fangpusun makes counterfeit Victron, Outback & others

I didn't go searching for it or anything.. I think it was in the "New Posts" link.. you know, where the website shows all the latest post we haven't seen?

But after scrolling back, I see the time stamps make it look like I dug it up.. I hadn't looked at the time and thought it was a new post.
There was another thread about similar subject where @MurphyGuy replied that got deleted by a moderator. Even an account was deleted.
 
I think its because they're made to look the same but inside is maybe a lower quality to facilitate profit? Just a guess.


I didn't go searching for it or anything.. I think it was in the "New Posts" link.. you know, where the website shows all the latest post we haven't seen?

But after scrolling back, I see the time stamps make it look like I dug it up.. I hadn't looked at the time and thought it was a new post.

There was another thread about similar subject where @MurphyGuy replied that got deleted by a moderator. Even an account was deleted.
Must be this.
 
Do they work? Actual copies or just a shell over a crappy pwm controller? I want to build a diy generator like David poz but I don’t want to spend 200-300 dollars and possibly fry an expensive victron.
 
They do work very well! Just don't update.
On another forum I read they are similar even down to the Gerber-file. (Victron: "designed in the Netherlands, made in India" on a SmartSolar 100/50). I use both brands, first model was a 75/15 which works as it should, a 100/30 is in service too and a 100/50 Victron original.
The fangpusun cannot be opened easily except when using a dremel, the fuse is reachable though by digging decently into the blue case.

Main user problem is the stolen software running on them , "not allowed update" states Wenzhou Xihe on an extra label. This implies also not being able to use the wonderful "VictronConnect" app which updates its devices mandatorily unless it is an old² version.
Well, I updated mine and connected it some months later to the VRM cloud, which coincided with its complete malfunction after a few days. Soft kill, caused probably by its blacklisted serial number.
Conclusion: useful in digital island mode together with the additional "mppt control" display to set all parameters. Not recommended in VenusOS environments.
 
I have both the Victron 100/50 and the Fangpusun 100/50, each on a separate string.

I monitor the Victron via the app and the Fangpusun via the separate display/control unit.

Both are comparable in performance and when the sun is high (middayish) each will generate more or less equal KW's.

My strings face, 1 east and the other west. But for those few hours when the sun is near zenith, equal.

I do plan on a adding a third string and a another MPPT, which one, I haven't decided yet.
 
I despise people that lack the drive to create their own widget and simply copy one

Agreed, except it doesn't sound like an actual copy beyond what you can see on the outside and without "Victron" on it:

What is inside the box varies from item to item (really). It's often not even an attempt to clone the original product beyond the shell.

Now if they actually did copy the internal workings to the same degree of manufacture but sold it for 1/3 the price of genuine Victron, then they'd have a real copy. As it stands, anyone who buys this deserves the pure junk they get...maybe the "nuke" will be on them when their house burns down. I hope to God that no one actually experiences that, but that's a risk one would take. If it sounds too good to be true...
 
I'm sorry but if Nike, Gucci, Luis Viton, and Rolex can't stop fakes do you think Victron has any chance at all?
 
Agreed, except it doesn't sound like an actual copy beyond what you can see on the outside and without "Victron" on it:



Now if they actually did copy the internal workings to the same degree of manufacture but sold it for 1/3 the price of genuine Victron, then they'd have a real copy. As it stands, anyone who buys this deserves the pure junk they get...maybe the "nuke" will be on them when their house burns down. I hope to God that no one actually experiences that, but that's a risk one would take. If it sounds too good to be true...
They manufacture for Victron.

That have resell rights under their own brand when Victron’rs demand falls short of contractual terms.

Victron attempts to limit the impact by only updating recognized Victron serial numbers.

It’s not rocket-science.
 
The irony of all this, the Chinese consumer is very very discerning and critical. I retired from an auto OEM, and to sell in China, required higher quality than the typical US consumer. They even have service lifts in the showroom to show off the pretty underside too. A spot of rust on a bolt head, forget it.

So all the junk gets sold to USA, second from the bottom to Europe and the best stuff saved for China themselves? Haha, jokes on us! Everyone in the States complains about how poor quality Chinese-made junk is, but in reality they're doing it on purpose?! If that's the truth, that is just hilarious. Because Americans are just eating it up. Don't like it? Shut yer mouth and DON'T BUY IT. Buy Made in the USA - for 3 to 20x the price. I know it's more complicated than that, but more than half the problem is greed. People want a good deal and stopped buying American-made, because it was cheaper to buy Chinese. Imagine if Walmart went 100% American-made? They'd be out of business in less than a week...maybe.
 
They manufacture for Victron.

That have resell rights under their own brand when Victron’rs demand falls short of contractual terms.

Do tell. Where can I verify this? Or how did you come to learn of this?
 
ok something to remember, when a company has their products made in china they are making a deal with the devil , meaning China will make your stuff then copy it and start to compete against you. Everyone should know China does not care about copyrighted items... this should come as no surprise
They originate nothing.

All they know how to Do is copy and make junk unless the partner company enforces QA and IP theft.
 
Do tell. Where can I verify this? Or how did you come to learn of this?
Look back at post #30:

‘Main user problem is the stolen software running on them , "not allowed update" states Wenzhou Xihe on an extra label. This implies also not being able to use the wonderful "VictronConnect" app which updates its devices mandatorily unless it is an old² version.
Well, I updated mine and connected it some months later to the VRM cloud, which coincided with its complete malfunction after a few days. Soft kill, caused probably by its blacklisted serial number.’

If the software ‘ecosystem’ functions correctly but disables unauthorized units, that’s only possible with the same actual design with the same actual firmware - only ‘serial number’ / licensing separates ‘genuine’ / licensed units from clone / unlicensed units.

When the customer (Victron) purchases fewer units than forecasted, this allows the Chinese / Indian manufacturer to recover material cost without forcing the customer (Victron) to pick up the tab.

These kinds of contractual terms exist all the time.

Pictures of the actual underlying boards wound provide definitive proof, but the fact that you can apparently update but brick unauthorized / licensed ‘clone’ units is nearly as good (99% proof).

No amount of reverse-engineering can get you to that degree of matching ecosystem compatability…
 
When the customer (Victron) purchases fewer units than forecasted, this allows the Chinese / Indian manufacturer to recover material cost without forcing the customer (Victron) to pick up the tab.

Ah, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for taking the time to explain it. Weird but makes sense.
 
Not gonna lie, if they are internally the same then I’m not beyond saving money.
Companies profit heavily off of consumers. I don’t care where something is made. The USA abandoned us long ago, me buying something here won’t save it

I’ll probably never know if the internals are identical or not. But that’s definitely a rub. When tier 1 companies are twice the cost it sometimes makes one wonder is it twice the quality, or are they banking on name only.
Terrible example, but my wife has gotten items from Temu that were Pennie’s on the dollar to the “real” stuff. And there was absolutely zero discernible difference
 
Not gonna lie, if they are internally the same then I’m not beyond saving money.

I might agree with you, but since I now own and use two genuine Victron products, nearly half the value of a Victron is in the app. To be able to see what the device is doing in real-time is priceless (well you do have to pay for it…the app is free, no monthly charges, you pay for it in the cost of the higher price of the device itself) and some devices have a history tab, too. To me, this is a huge advantage over just about anything else out there, for 12v/24v or even 48v systems. For the price, features and quality, there’s not much competition. Samlex makes good inverters, but for the same features and price, I don’t believe you get an app to access live or historical data.

And the Victron Connect app is free. Even better, and part of what sold me on my gateway Victron device (a 12v 30A charger), is the demo mode. You can install the app on your phone and select from the demo library, any compatible Victron device and go through the available settings and data screens to see what it might look like for real.

If you don’t want the app, then saving some money for what is hopefully a well built device would make more sense. But then there’s other options out there that might be a better buy due to getting real warranty support or features a Victron knock-off doesn’t have.
 
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."
 
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 LCD still shows up Outback as they cannot change the code."

Robin would likely call that stolen intellectual property instead of a knockoff 😎.

If they had paid for rights to produce it they could have the screen name changed.
 

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