Solar Controllers--Don't be a Sucker! :(
Just got to say it again, how it is we are sitting here for five months off grid on solar with no problems at all (third season on solar like this), using the non-programmable, non-MPPT, solar control...
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Solar controller pricing is a total racket. Save your money for something worth while and don't be a sucker is the big lesson IMO.
Can't say for sure about other manufacturers, but pricing on the Rogue MPPT controllers is not anywhere near a racket. With the newer MPPT's you're basically paying for a small computer (the new Rogue has dual microprocessors), a high-power power supply (or two or three in some cases), communication interfaces, displays, conformal coatings, higher quality components, etc., and in some cases you're paying more for manufacturing labor to have it made in the US. Not to mention many hundreds of hours worth of engineering and software development time, plus a lot of programming and features that the PWM controllers don't even begin to touch. And a warranty.
If you want to spend $49 on a Chinese controller, and if that works for you, great! Your application may not need everything the more expensive one has to offer. But that's a totally different market - and product - than a $400+ controller.
