Review on MidNite Solar Classic Charge Controller by Richard Puckett

After a power outage last spring I decided to build a backup power system. I bought four used Evergreen Solar 210W panels through an online ad and the seller recommended a Midnite Solar controller. I bought this Midnite Solar 200 controller at the end of June, however the piecemeal assembly of the solar array is no trivial task and due to lack of vacation I didn't finish the array until the end of August. Installing the Classic is very easy once all other system wiring is in place. The Classic has an Ethernet RJ45 connection and allows remote monitoring from any PC on the local network. Although the Classic was only a few months old, the firmware is outdated. The latest firmware is available from Midnite Solar's website and is easy to download and then update the Classic using the USB cable provided. The Midnite Solar website forums are very helpful and their user support is great. There was a small issue running the LAN monitoring app and they were very helpful in fixing what turned out to be operator error configuring the LAN app. All the different models are the same except for the maximum input voltages, 150, 200, 250, but as the maximum rated voltage increases, the maximum output current decreases. .User manual is available online and contains all specifications for different models.