Midnite Solar gives amazing customer service!

[Sabatical]

I've been using two Midnite Solar Kid charge controllers for about a year and have really liked them. I have one Whiz Bang Jr battery monitor accessory. In order to get the best performance from the system in the fall and winter, I have been trying to use them in sync mode. It has been problematic and I have made several calls for tech support to discuss problems. The other day the tech gal said that we had reached the limit of her ability to help and she would need to kick me up the line to her supervisor. She has been very patient with all of my questions and I expressed my thankfulness for thier willingness to help me get the most from the system.
Shortly after our conversation I got an email saying that I wasn't the only person experiencing problems with sync mode and that I should not continue trying to use that feature. In addition, they would like to offer me a new Classic 150 charge controller in exchange for the two Kid's. I was floored by thier willingness to accept responsibilty for the issue and go out of thier way to make it right.
The Classic is a far superior charge controller. It's max input is 150 volts and max output is 96 amps. The Kid's max out at 30 amps. The cost is also 3+ times that of a Kid. I gladly excepted, but let them know that I snowbird for 3 months and wouldn't be able to make the switch until early April. I figured this could be thier out, but it wasn't a problem.
Making this switch will also allow me to add another panel to our array, which I was hoping to do next year, without having to add a third Kid to the system.
I can't think of another instance in my past where a company was willing to step up for the benefit of the customer. The Kid is a great product and they could've just as easily told me to wait for a firmware revision to address the issue, but instead they offered to take a loss to fix the issue now.
In my mind, Midnite Solar is an amazing company and I will tell everybody about this great experience.
Is this out of the ordinary or have others here had amazing customer service as well, maybe from a different company that you'd like to share?
Thanks for reading and sharing a positive story.
Scott

 

[highdesertranger]

thank you Sabatical, info like this is invaluable. highdesertranger

 

[WriterMs]

It is GREAT to hear good news about products and companies. We hear from those who are dissatisfied or treated poorly all the time, of course. Human nature.

So thanks for sharing a positive experience. I think it raises all of our hopes to know of stand-up companies.

 

[MrNoodly]

The customer service I like the best is the kind I never need to use because there's never a problem.

 

[Sabatical]

The customer service I like the best is the kind I never need to use because there's never a problem.

I agree. I usually hope not to have problems with stuff, but it's comforting to know that when something that requires an engineer to fix goes batty that the folks on the other end of the line are good people.

 

[Seeker]

Sabatical, I have the Kid and Whiz Bang monitor also.

Wandering if you could help with the following.

1.  The display always stays on and never dims.

2.  I have never changed any settings for the battery monitor since it was 1st setup.  Should it be reset at times so the amp hours available are more accurate?

A SEEKER

 

[Sabatical]

Sabatical, I have the Kid and Whiz Bang monitor also.

Wandering if you could help with the following.

1.  The display always stays on and never dims.

2.  I have never changed any settings for the battery monitor since it was 1st setup.  Should it be reset at times so the amp hours available are more accurate?

A SEEKER

You can change the LED & LCD settings in the MISC menu. In there you will be able to have the screen backlight go out after a few minutes and also disable the scrolling if desired.
I have noticed that when I have factory reset the controller that the WBJR readout changed showing an increase in amp hours. I have not calibrated the unit because I don't have a good meter (not overly trusting of the accuracy of my $15 model), but if you had a good one and where so inclined, you could verify that what you're seeing on the readout is accurate.
When I check specific gravity I get a sense for whether the readout is correct and so far I believe it is as close as I need it to be.
Hope this helps answer your questions. The manual is pretty good, but I have learned alot from Midnite's Youtube channel also.

 

[Seeker]

You can change the LED & LCD settings in the MISC menu. In there you will be able to have the screen backlight go out after a few minutes and also disable the scrolling if desired.
I have noticed that when I have factory reset the controller that the WBJR readout changed showing an increase in amp hours. I have not calibrated the unit because I don't have a good meter (not overly trusting of the accuracy of my $15 model), but if you had a good one and where so inclined, you could verify that what you're seeing on the readout is accurate.
When I check specific gravity I get a sense for whether the readout is correct and so far I believe it is as close as I need it to be.
Hope this helps answer your questions. The manual is pretty good, but I have learned alot from Midnite's Youtube channel also.

I stopped the scrolling but do not see any settings for backlight.

Also have AGM batteries so no specific gravity readings available.

 

[Sabatical]

Try switching to "eco" mode.

 

[Sabatical]

The asterisk is probably next to "normal" which keeps it lit. Let it sit for 5 minutes after switching to "eco" and see if the light goes out.

 

[Seeker]

The asterisk is probably next to "normal" which keeps it lit. Let it sit for 5 minutes after switching to "eco" and see if the light goes out.

I tried eco and did not go out.

 

[Sabatical]

It should after a period of innactivity. I have one that i keep lit (in normal setting) and one that i keep dim (in eco setting). Just checked to confirm settings.

 

[Seeker]

It should after a period of innactivity. I have one that i keep lit (in normal setting) and one that i keep dim (in eco setting). Just checked to confirm settings.

Do I have to unhook the solar panel and battery connection for it to take the setting?

If the battery is disconnected do you loose the monitor settings?

 

[Sabatical]

You don't have to disconnect power. Any saved settings will still be there when it reboots. The save button is in the top right corner of the key pad. Try selecting eco and hitting the save button. Then hit the status button which takes you to the home screen. Wait 5 minutes and the light should go out. I forgot to suggest the save button...sorry.
Do you know what your firmware version is? The most current is 1811. If you haven't updated this, it might not be a bad idea to do so.

 

[Seeker]

You don't have to disconnect power. Any saved settings will still be there when it reboots. The save button is in the top right corner of the key pad. Try selecting eco and hitting the save button. Then hit the status button which takes you to the home screen. Wait 5 minutes and the light should go out. I forgot to suggest the save button...sorry.
Do you know what your firmware version is? The most current is 1811. If you haven't updated this, it might not be a bad idea to do so.

yes I did save settings and still did not work.  I think firmware will be next.

To clarify though if I disconnect battery will the battery monitor settings for whiz bang and amp hours be lost?

 

[Sabatical]

All saved settings should remain unless a factory reset is done.
When you do the firmware update though you will need to input your settings, so it's a good idea to write them down ahead of time. I like to make notes in the manual.

 

[Seeker]

I set up all the monitor settings when my AGM batteries were brand new and fully charged so the 100% charge shown was I guess pretty close.

The problem I have now is when I occasionally run the batteries down to at least 50% and recharge with my Black and Decker smart charger.

When the smart charger turns off and shows full and I reconnect the solar panel the monitor thinks the battery is not fully charged and float charges for a good while longer.

The smart charger is not smart enough to charge the AGM's correctly so the whiz bang will be hard to set back to a correct fully charged status shown.

 

[Sabatical]

You should trust the WBJR far more than the smart charger. The WBJR is wired to a shunt and gives accurate state of charge (I am able to use specific gravity readings to confirm that). With an AGM, you don't have that option. The smart charger is most likely not getting the batteries anywhere near full.
I was sold a smart charger with my system and thought I could use it to equalize my batteries (again, not applicable to your AGM). With no manual adjustments to do this I was figuring I could trick it into doing an equalize charge. When I got a hold of the tech folks for the charger, they said i'd have to leave it plugged in for five days and only then would it take the batteries to 15v for 30 minutes. I knew this was definitley not going to cut it and asked the tech if he felt it was addquate. He said "nobody has complained that it isn't". I believe that a manual charger is the only way to get a truly sufficient charge on your batteries and that trusting a smart charger, at least the ones i've used, to do a complete job is a recipe for short battery life.
The Go Power 45 amp "smart charger" that I have will only charge my bank to about 94%. This is what I use during a stretch of cloudy days and then get a full charge the next time the sun is shining. I would like to see a full charge daily, but accept that it's not always possible in the real world.
My best advice for you would be to read through posts by SternWake and follow his advice for charging your AGM battery. He goes into great detail backed by years of real world experience and suggests which chargers will do what you need. You could spend many hours reading up on batteries and still be foggy on what will work best for you, but SW has done the homework and has had great success. You can choose to apply some or all of his suggestions based on your available resources and level of concern for battery longevity.
As for your Kid CC setup, watch some youtube videos on thier channel and get to know your controller better. Do the firmware update when you can. If you still have questions, you can read through thier forum or call the tech folks. Raechel (Midnite Solar tech) has been a wealth of knowledge for me.
The dealer that sold me the system that we use in our tiny house gave me the manual and said read it to learn how to use it. He had no knowledge of how to use it himself. I was a bit disappointed by that, but it was probably the best thing he could have done for me. These systems aren't a set it and forget it kind of thing. To get the most out of them, and your batteries, you should know how they work.
Best of luck!
Scott

 

[Seeker]

Thanks for all the advice and yes I read and appreciate all SternWakes advice also.

When my AGM batteries decide they are not happy with how I treated them i will go to the 6 volt golf cart's unless LiFePO's are a little cheaper by then.

Again thanks for everyone's help on this forum.

 

[Sabatical]

Anytime my friend. Best of luck.