Tag Archives: Product Reviews|Tricks

TRAP: Solar – More Growatt Problems

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 I have previously written about Growatt issues before, and I am not a fan of the company…at all. I have worked directly with some of their company folks and I don’t like what I see in the way they conduct business and how they react when confronted with problems regarding their products. So here are two more additional problems.

One of those problems is their ethics in how they conduct business, the other problem is dangerous to US customers.

First, let me explain something…when you see most of the YouTube video reviews of solar equipment you are watching a money making machine. Most companies whose products are being reviewed pay to have those products reviewed by the person doing the video…not all, but most. And each time the video is watched the person who made the video is paid as well. I am not opposed to people making money by providing information on products.

However, some companies whose products are reviewed are quite demanding of the reviewers…such as Growatt. They have a very strict and company-friendly contract. In the case of Growatt the contract requires a pro-Growatt outcome of the review as well as extensive control of the content of the video…almost a script approved by Growatt. And do you think that would influence the person producing the review? Yeah, either its a favorable review or you don’t get paid.

The next issue is with the Growatt 5000ES inverter/charger. In simple terms…it is unsafe. There are two version of the 5000ES; 1) is sold in the overseas market, 2) the other is for the US market. Problem is with the different electrical standards between the US and overseas countries…and it is a potentially deadly difference.

The problem revolves around 120vAC vs 230vAC and the potential of the ground in the US version being energized with 120v and possibly 230v. Ah yeah, the ground being energized…and potentially without a person knowing it until they touch it!

So the same exact model label, the same exact model identifier, and the potential to cause serious problems.

For the most part Signature Solar sells the 5000ES that is safe to use in the United States…but I can’t confirm that 100%. The 5000ES overseas version is mostly sold via eBay from what I can tell. Again, I am not 100% sure that all eBay sellers are selling the overseas version here in the US…or that there are not other Growatt dealers selling the overseas version as well.

And here is the biggest problem with this issue…from what I can see Growatt hasn’t done anything to correct the situation. It would be as simple as redesignating the US version as 5000US or 5000ES-US and put the correct label on the box with the corrected manual inside.

Be very, very careful with Growatt products…if they are this negligent with something this obvious and simple…then what other problems are there with their equipment? And if they are so worried about negative reviews that they have to bribe some reviewer…then who else do they bribe and what reviews of their equipment are legitimate?

For you…who are looking to purchase equipment…is it worth the risk to deal with equipment from Growatt when there are lots of companies out their that you don’t have to really worry about?

note: No company pays me to review, comment on, or discuss their products or the company itself.

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MFJ 4230MV Compact 25a Power Supply

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MFJ-4230MV COMPACT SWITCHarticle first appeared in June 2016

I love mobile radios! So far I have –

  • Yaseu FT-8800R
  • Yaesu FT-8900R
  • Yaesu FT-897D
  • Yaesu FT-2900R

Told you I like mobile radios! And yes…I like Yaesu brand mobile radios the most.

But, having all these mobile radios I need to be able to power them when I am outside of the truck. And the only commonsense way to do that is with stable and readily available AC power from the utility company. But, a little tiny bit of a problem…the radios all run off of 12vDC power.

OK, so it is really no problem at all…you just use a power supply. Technically it is a “transformer” if my memory serves me right. You are taking 120vAC voltage -and through the magic of electronics- transforming it into 12vDC power. And that DC power can be used to run your mobile radios without a vehicle battery.

As always…my mission statement –

“Provide clean, stable, reliable DC power from an AC power source to run one or more mobile radios.”

Requirements and Restrictions –

  • Must not induce “noise” into the radio on any band above an acceptable (minimal) level.
  • Must be able to work continuously for years at a time without being turned off.
  • Should generate minimal heat when in stand-by mode.
  • Should generate manageable heat when being used continuously.

Well, here is the deal…I had already been using an MFJ SWR meter and I liked it a lot. My first power supply was from Radio Shack and it performed really well and I had no complaints. However, it just didn’t push enough amps (power) for my new usage requirements. So I naturally looked to MFJ for a power supply option. I did my research and the 4230MV unit appeared to meet all my needs/demands. Then it was time to do my research.

I carefully read all the reviews I could get my hands on. I really dug into it. What became obvious to me from the beginning was a couple things:

  1. The overall price point was excellent. Same could be said for the “price to amp” cost.
  2. Users were reporting no real “noise” on the HF or any other bands.
  3. It was one of the most compact units on the market.

Here is some technical information –

  • 30 Amps Surge (up to 5 minutes), 25 Amps Continuous.
  • 4 to 16 VDC adjustable output, detent at 13.8VDC.
  • Light weight, only 3.4 lbs/1.35kg
  • Compact, only 5″ x 2 ½” x 6″ (W x H x D).
  • Backlit meter that displays amps or volts.
  • Five-Way binding post for high current radios
  • Over Voltage protection.
  • Over Current protection with “FAULT” LED.
  • QUIET Internal Cooling Fan with “FAN” LED
  • Super Regulation, works with AC input from 85 to 135 VAC (115VAC model) or from 170 to 260 VAC (230VAC model), 47-63Hz
  • Noise <100mV. AC Line Fuse( 6.3 Amps)

Findings –

I purchased my first unit several years ago and began my testing. Let’s not make this difficult…it performed exactly as it was advertised and met 110% of my expectations. Yup…a great little unit. But, let me give you a few more details –

  1. The unit will warm up a bit when using it continuously. There is a cooling fan that will spin up initially when you turn on the unit, then shut-down. Then it will come back on at about 70 degrees. It seems to spin faster as the temp rises. There was minimal sound from the fan, no problem at all.
  2. I could detect no noise on the HF side or any other band.
  3. While the unit is rated at 25amp, it can handle 30amp surges with no problem. But, it won’t operate continuously at 30amp.
  4. I’ve seen folks who have been running this unit for 3 – 4 years with ZERO problems.
  5. I like the adjustable vDC output, gives you some nice operating capability options.
  6. I really like the clean face of the unit. It may sound silly, but it looks very professional. And I like that look sitting there on the shelf while it is working away for me.

Summary –

A great power supply unit!!

Yeah, there are some folks who like to poke fun at MFJ from time-to-time…but don’t buy into that. MFJ has a 1-year “no matter what” warranty. And that is very reassuring and tells you how confident they are in their equipment. Think about it…if a piece of electronic equipment it going to breakdown to poor quality it will probably do so in the first 30 days, undoubtedly within the first 120 days. MFJ has your back!