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New product - Epever Tracer CPN 30A - waterproof, Bluetooth

ianganderton

Auckland, NZ
Joined
Nov 8, 2019
Messages
771
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Had an email from Epever detailing their new solar charge controller
42CFCDA2-0CF6-4687-855F-80116350E653.jpeg


Looks interesting. Solid aluminium case with lots of heat dissipation fins. Waterproof and Bluetooth for control

Epever have fulfilled the solidly good enough and cost effective catagory. The tracer AN and BN series is popular and proven reliable.

This looks like it will be a robust user configurable device that will appeal to those who need less expensive, robust & quiet for small solar arrays. Going head to head with Victron in the campervan, RV, boat market.

Shame it’s only currently available in 20A & 30A. That range will probably need to increase but 390W 12V solar is probably pretty good for the majority of the recreational market
 
Yes I had this email as well but I understand that it is possible to over panel these devices and indeed Epever emailed me that 30% over is acceptable. My panels are 10 years old and produce about 30 amps at nominal 24v as the most I have seen at midday therefore I would be happy to use a 30A device on that limited information, BUT 2 of my 3 Epever charge controllers have failed, 1 year old MPPT Triron 4210N (40A) and a 2 year old PWM VS6024AN (60A), both operating within their specification at 1kw 24v therefore I question the reliability of the Epever range.

Customer support from Epever was quite good but two failures out of three is not good.

I currently have one of those small cheep Chinese 50A PWM devices from eBay (AU$15) running in place of one of the Epever VS6024AN to get me out of a spot and it has been performing OK for months despite its apparent overloading. PWM device maximum input voltage 50v but my 1kw system has a solar open circuit voltage of approx 75v and dropping to 35v whilst working. It does not even get warm.

My third Epever controller is a 4210AN which is quite new and is operating quite satisfactorily. I need at some time, when the low cost Chinese PWM fails, to get two more better quality devices but until I regain confidence in the Epever devices I shall not be getting one. Let's face it I can get 8 of the cheep units for the cost of 1 Epever device.

Alan
 
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