I didn't know MidNite was building new inverters the "DIY Series", why is there no discussion about them? I have looked all over the forum, am I missing something?
Hi Fred,
Reply #1, here:
http://midniteftp.com/forum/index.php?topic=5126.msg47911#msg47911
Vic
We just received our first shipment of the diy series. They are pretty impressive. I have the 48 volt unit on my coffee table to aid me in designing an epanel for it. Someone asked if they could have first dibs on one. We are just now setting up distribution. More on this soon.
Ryan unboxed one
https://youtu.be/SdxMSUDnvqk
Quote from: ClassicCrazy on May 31, 2021, 02:15:07 PM
Ryan unboxed one
https://youtu.be/SdxMSUDnvqk
Larry !!
Thank you very much for Posting the link to this video -- had not seen it. Thanks, too, Ryan and Sue for producing it. Had not checked in on their youtube channel for a few days.
Sounds like the DIY product line will have some useful products. Looking forward to finding out more about them, and seeing them in action, soon.
(73) Thanks again, Vic
We plan to put the MPPT in the chicken coop tomorrow, Will for sure video that. Got to carve out a couple hours to hang the innverter on the wall and sort out the MPPT side of it. Some one wired my array for 148v but it is supposed to be in the 90s so it may just be ok
I was going to ask if these can be stacked for split phase 240V, but in the video Ryan said there would be a 240V version coming soon so I assume not... Couldn't find anything in the manual about it. Any idea when the 240V version will make its appearance?
Quote from: Robin on May 31, 2021, 12:07:56 PM
We just received our first shipment of the diy series. They are pretty impressive. I have the 48 volt unit on my coffee table to aid me in designing an epanel for it. Someone asked if they could have first dibs on one. We are just now setting up distribution. More on this soon.
Kinda sucks that midnite solar had to go off shore for these. I understand the real world and how things workâ€"especially when it comes to USA labor costs vs Chinese labor.
Mike
Quote from: qrper on June 01, 2021, 01:54:59 PM
Quote from: Robin on May 31, 2021, 12:07:56 PM
We just received our first shipment of the diy series. They are pretty impressive. I have the 48 volt unit on my coffee table to aid me in designing an epanel for it. Someone asked if they could have first dibs on one. We are just now setting up distribution. More on this soon.
Kinda sucks that midnite solar had to go off shore for these. I understand the real world and how things workâ€"especially when it comes to USA labor costs vs Chinese labor.
Mike
Yep. That's just the way of the world now. An alternative to Made in the USA stuff ! Actually, some stuff made in China ain't half bad.
We're still forging ahead for the Cadillac of inverters !
Yup!
I'm still running my Trace SW5548 which is 19 years old.. I know one of these days it's going to up and quit. I hope it last long enough so I can get a midnite inverter, you build a fire under the design team. Like I've always said, "Sometimes you have to shoot the engineers to get the project done."
However, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy said it best, "I know engineers. They love to change things."
The Chinese can and do build great products. My Apple iPhone has an amazing build quality. Most of the solar equipment i've seen come in my shop.... not so much so.
Prices for the DYI series?
mike wb8vge
48V 3.5kW one has a bigger charge controller than the 24V
http://www.midnitesolar.com/productPhoto.php?product_ID=706&productCatName=Inverters%20-%20DIY%20Series&productCat_ID=57&sortOrder=1&act=pc
24V 3kW inverter/charger
http://www.midnitesolar.com/productPhoto.php?product_ID=705&productCatName=Inverters%20-%20DIY%20Series&productCat_ID=57&sortOrder=1&act=pc
MNMPPT60DIY DIY Charge Controller
http://www.midnitesolar.com/productPhoto.php?product_ID=708&productCatName=Charge%20Controllers%20-%20DIY%20Series&productCat_ID=56&sortOrder=1&act=pc
Things are really bad in the electronics industry right now. We are seeing 60+ week delivery schedules for parts that just a few months ago were 4 weeks! How is anyone to survive this? Well, we are doing everything we can to get parts, that is for sure, but we are finding that you have to be very creative and adaptive.
As far as the DIY series, we were going to start this two years ago, but held off in order to insure we would have funds for all our own development projects. Time marches on and we decided to go ahead anyway. We cannot build the DIY type of products at the same price they can, so this is a case of if you can't beat them, join them. These are very high quality products that are made just for MidNite. There will be a split phase 3548 inverter on our next order and possibly a 5000 watt all in one too. Reasons that things cost more over here are not just the labor. It is a combination of everything. I don't understand why the American companies are so bad at competing with foreign products? Take a look at the pictures attached here. There are pictures of a Hawke's Bay and its circuit breaker box with a Styrofoam end cap. We went round and round with our box supplier on Hawke's Bay packaging. We have been using them for many years and they provide great boxes, packing and service. The price to pack up a Hawke's Bay from them is $15.00. I have a big problem with that price. I still remember what boxes and end caps cost 30 or 40 years ago and want those prices. Well that just wasn't going to happen. I checked into making our own Styrofoam and found that the machines are just not available and Styrofoam will be phased out during the next ten years or so. I asked for a quote to have them made in the USA. Found a place in Delaware! $20,000 tooling and 20,000 minimum purchase. Heck, the shipping alone from Delaware for a container of foam would be prohibitive.
So I sent my Styrofoam end cap design that would work on both ends of these two products to our casting manufacturer in China and asked for a quote for 400 sample parts. Boxes too. His price including duties and shipping was $5.00. I think it is really sad that we feel forced to go to China to have this type of thing made. Every single year there is a price increase from the cardboard manufacturers in the US. They think they have us by the balls, so we have little choice but to get creative. Sad but true.
The other picture is a Barcelona undergoing full power testing. The airflow is what we are messing with at the moment. The unit in the picture was outputting 180 amps at 58V with a 450V input. Next week I think it will be getting close to 200 amps! This by the way is the fun part. Everything else is just hard work. We are pretty happy with how the Barcelona and Hawke's Bay are progressing. The Rosie is also moving ahead faster than anyone expected. It may even beat the B17, but Bob and about 8 other engineers are doing great. The B17 is much more than just an inverter and just takes a long time to get all the pieces working together, but it is coming along great.
Feel free to ask questions about all this development.