Magnum Energy PT-100 MPPT Charge Controller

[Chad Heiser]

I was recently made aware that Magnum Energy had come out with a solar charger controller. It is the PT-100. I currently have all Magnum products in my 5th wheel and will have all Magnum products in my soon to be new 5th wheel as well. I am very intrigued by this controller. It is made to integrate with other Magnum components and can be controlled from the same ME-ARC remote control that I use to control my inverter and other components.

 

Here is some basic information I pulled from the web about it:

 

"Magnum-Dimensions has been well known for their power inverters for years. They have just released a new solar charge controller that is the first 100 amp (A) charge controller in the industry.

 

The PT100 can be used with 12, 24, or 48 volt (V) DC battery systems with automatic detection of system voltage. Because the 100A rating of the charge controller is for both the input and the output, you need to calculate what the current out will be to determine what size solar array you can put in. For example, for a 24V battery bank, 100A output would allow you to put as much as 2400 watts (W) into the charge controller. For a 12V battery bank, you can put up to 1200W in.

 

Its High Efficiency provides higher than 99% conversion efficiency and uses less than two watts of power in nighttime mode. It’s got a lot of safety features built in, including GFDI, which is an Integrated PV Ground-Fault Detection and Interruption/Indication. It also has AFCI: An integrated PV Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter that detects, indicates, and extinguishes series arcs. It has Extensive Electronic Protection including Over-temperature protection, power derating when temperature is high, PV short circuit and high PV input shutdown, output overcurrent protection and night-time back-feed (reverse current) protection.

 

The optional ME-ARC50 Remote works with internal data-logging functionality that keeps energy harvest information and battery Amp-Hour and Watt-Hour data for up to 255 days."

 

I was wondering if anyone was familiar with this new controller or if anyone had any experience with it. I am seriously considering using this controller on my new 5th wheel with about 1000 watts of solar. Does anyone see any issues or have any feedback about going down this road?

[Jack Mayer]

I've had some second hand experience with it. But not enough to give you any detailed "inside" info. And I have not personally installed one.

 

If I was building a Magnum-based system today that is what I would use. It will easily handle your 1000 watts. There are advantages to having the combined system, since it manages multiple charge sources. I don't know of any big issues with it. So as I said, I'd use it if I was going Magnum.

 

My next "personal" system will likely be Victron-based, though.

[Chad Heiser]

My next "personal" system will likely be Victron-based, though.

 

I would love to do a Victron based system as well and if I ever go to a full custom trailer like a New Horizon, I probably will. For right now though, my new DRV I am ordering is all Magnum components (MHS3012, ME-ARC, ME-BMK, ME-AGN-S, etc) so I figured this would go nicely with that.

[Itinerant1]

We had Starlight Solar install our solar in the spring.

 

500AH GBS LFMP
PT-100 controller
Magnum Hybrid 3000W inverter (MSH3012H), ME-ARC
8 panels, CTI 160 (1,280 watts)

 

It has been running quite nicely. Amazing that you can be sitting in the middle of nowhere and still have all the conveniences of being plugged in.

[hemsteadc]

Excellent choice. And if you go series it will handle lots of voltage. I have a 48v battery bank with 835w PV array @ 100vdc.

[Chad Heiser]

We had Starlight Solar install our solar in the spring.

 

500AH GBS LFMP

PT-100 controller

Magnum Hybrid 3000W inverter (MSH3012H), ME-ARC

8 panels, CTI 160 (1,280 watts)

 

It has been running quite nicely. Amazing that you can be sitting in the middle of nowhere and still have all the conveniences of being plugged in.

Nice set up. I will have very similar components in my new set up, but I will have AGM batteries instead of lithium, 1040 amp hours total. Glad to hear you are happy with the PT-100.

[Smitty77_7]

We missed the MSH3000 by about 4-5 months, came out just after we bought and installed our MS2812 system.

 

If the PT-100 controller had been available then, yes, I would have gone with it too. We run with the MidNite Classic 150, which we like and it performs well. I've added the WhzBngJr to the MidNite too.

 

My primary reason for having wanted the PT-100, is now we have two SOC readings. And as true quite often in cases when two different measurements are available - they do not always match each other:)! Sometimes they can be as far as 5% off.

 

Best to all,

Smitty

[Chad Heiser]

Thanks for the input. As I figured it would be, it seems to be a "no brainer" to go with the PT-100 when all my other components are also from Magnum.

[Jack Mayer]

Thanks for the input. As I figured it would be, it seems to be a "no brainer" to go with the PT-100 when all my other components are also from Magnum.

Yup.