Rogue MPPT, 490W and charging mysteries
Now that we were finally all in one place - me, Rogue 3048 and my rig - it was time to have some fun. 1)Battery: old starter, tested beyond dead, plates above the water. No wonder, 8 months in Mex...
Forum Discussion
Salvo wrote:
You also need to stay competitive. Many don't have a need for a display.
I totally agree with the need to stay competitive. It's the most difficult part of the business. The Chinese are churning out cheap stuff by the millions, paying people $1-$2 per hour to build it. Obviously a comparable US-built product isn't going to be able to compete with that. That's why Morningstar makes their controllers overseas, and part of the reason they're so successful. But it's a dead-end trying to compete with the Chinese companies. I make a ridiculously small amount of money on my products as it is. When/if it gets to the point that Chinese are offering the same quality, customer support, and warranty as American companies, all for $25, then it will be time to reassess the market.
The display actually doesn't add that much cost. A little over $20, I believe. Since no other 30A controller to my knowledge has a display that's this comprehensive, I see no reason to eliminate it. It also allows a user to change setpoints right from the front panel of the controller, without using DIP switches and pots, so that has been a big selling point.
