Well it is a project I am going to use to further my skills. I am a tinker by nature and if I can get a new Pot on there which allows a 13.0 to 15.3v range, I will be satisfied. I'd really prefer to do it myself, I have successfully reattached power leads onto a CREE driver circuit board before, and the magnifying glass and helping hand's combo was great for that.
This light has gotten about 6 hours of use each night for nearly a year now.
The fan will be replaced no matter what, perhaps not right away though. I will likely use this most, as an overnight power supply/floater at 13.06 or 13.6 depending on which battery I am floating, more than a top charger, and noise is a big consideration, so I will not be seeking Mex's shrunken raisin case route with a super powerful fan.
But I might increase the size of the fan and open up the case hole somewhat to accommodate it. I'll see what is possible after it arrives and I test the unit to see if it needs to go back before I open the case. I have a nice quiet Noctua 60MM fan on my Schumacher already that I can use, and swap the clone's fan onto that and return the Schumacher to portable duty as designed, if it is indeed 60MM. I also already have a 80MM Noctua fan exhausting my electric cabinet I can retask too. But these Noctuas are not powerful but they do have high static pressure ratings considering their lower cfm ratings, so when scavenging and pushing air through restrictions they should perform well.
Judging by the limited surface area on case's fan exhaust itself, they would need to use a much more powerful and louder fan to force the air though the small openings. Opening this exhaust up and using a quieter fan should allow the same or perhaps more airflow with a less powerful fan.
The MW clone, for me, is more an experiment than out of absolute necessity as I can set my solar voltages to anything I want for top charging/EQ cycle, but I do want a Overnight floater for wintertime when I do have grid power available, and this should easily accomplish that desired task, even without modification.
I just do not want a one size fits all converter at 5 times the price which does not allow me the option of choosing what voltage I want and when. If I have to step up to a Meanwell, so be it. $22.59 is not going to break my bank if this project is ultimately a failure.
I've backed off adding a voltmeter/ammeter and shunt directly to it, but will use my GT power RC meter. I plan on putting two outputs with 45 amp power pole connectors on it. The GT power voltage is accurate with no load or small loads so I can just plug it in and not have current running through it for the voltage, or just get to know how much higher it will read than actual and adjust accordingly when I do want it to count current.
Right now I have 3 powerpole connectors going to my batteries for the Schumacher. 2 of them bypass my shunt
I only have the 30 amp powerpoles on it right now. It , the GTpower meter, has a short length of 14 awg aluminum wire though i guess it could be tinned copper. I thought it was a hall effect meter but the negative wire flows through a small internal shunt, and getting new fatter wire directly onto the circuit board negative ain't happening. Ideally I'd like some 8 awg, but will likely just attach the 45 amp andersons directly onto the 14awg aluminum and hope for the best.
Mail does not come till late afternoon. Hope to have a report and some Pics tonight for you all.
