Morningstar Tristar 60A MPPT Solar Charge Controller (TS-MPPT-60) - Solar Panel Regulator for 12/24/36/48V LA/Li Batteries, 99% Efficiency, FCC Compliant, Data/Comms, 5 Yr. WTY, Designed in USA

UPDATE 08/20/2017: This Morningstar TS-45 TriStar charge controller has been operating nonstop since its installation in late December of 2016 - logging over 5000 hours of uninterrupted use. It has worked flawlessly. My battery bank has been kept at a consistent charge, ready for the periodic power outages we have here on the island. The software that allows it to communicate to the computer is easy to use, and full of important diagnostic and statistical information. An all around excellent piece of professional quality equipment. Absolutely recommended! UPDATE 12/13: The best solution to the serial cable problem was actually pretty simple: a male to female *internal* serial extension/jumper cable. (See pic below) I ordered this here on Amazon as well, and the sticker with product data is in the pic. It's just small enough to allow for the cover to be completely closed and screwed down while the serial cable remains connected, allowing the Serial-to-USB to be connected on its other end, fed through one of the conduit ports, and out to the computer for monitoring. *************** I only just received this today, so it hasn't been installed yet. I did, however, quickly wire it up in place of my existing controller to verify that it was working. My first impression is that it's extremely well built, with a nice powder-coated metal case, heavy metal heat sink, and industrial quality connectors on the board inside. Once connected, I tried connecting the serial port to my computer via a generic DB9 serial-to-usb cable which I ordered (Thank you, James H.) along with the TS-45. I opened up Morningstar's MSView program, searched for device, and... Nothing.* *NOTE: Install drivers for serial DB9 to USB before expecting connection between computer and controller. In Windows, Device Manager will show a flag if drivers need to be installed. (Who knew cables needed drivers?!? LOL) Once I installed the drivers for the cable, MSView instantly recognized my TS-45 on the other end, and within a few clicks, had some preliminary data about my system. Awesome! One of the main reasons why I wanted this Morningstar controller. NOTE: The serial connector on the board is in a snug spot between the heat sink and the LEDs. I had to shave down the plastic casing of the plug on my cable to get it to fit properly inside. And there's no way there's enough space with it plugged in to put the cover of the controller back on because the standard plug is too tall. A little serial jumper/extension plug might need to be bought/made to rectify this - shouldn't be expensive or hard, and should allow for a permanent connection to the cable inside the case with the cover installed. I will post a pic of the solution to this once I figure it out myself. (SEE UPDATE ABOVE AND PIC) The 60 page instruction manual, which is also available as a PDF download on their website, is very well written and explains setup/features/settings in good detail. It'll probably be a few days before it's completely wired-up and installed, so I'll update my review when it's all set up. But as of right now, everything looks to be top-notch.

I see many people giving this product poor reviews, and even more people rating those reviews as "Helpful". Let me just say, they are wrong! DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH! This is the most reliable, long lasting solar controller on the market. If you are not technically inclined, this product is NOT for you. I purchased a 60 Amp PWM model with display from Amazon Warehouse in March 2021 (17 Months ago), and I LOVE IT! This is a true workhorse, it will make reliable power for many, many years. If you configure it CORRECTLY! The display will only get you so far programing the settings. If you want to maximize your array production, or use it to charge a Lithium battery bank, you will REQUIRE an RSC 1, RS-232 adapter, I bought a cheap serial to USB, and modified it slightly to fit. You will also need a computer with Windows, and Internet access, so you can UPDATE THE SOFTWARE/FIRMWARE ON THE CONTROLLER! Some of these units may have been on the shelf for a while, so if you want the latest features, you will need the latest Firmware version. Spend the extra cash for the display. Even if you plan to monitor the system via network, the display is still very useful during initial set-up, and troubleshooting. Do NOT expect it to work out of the box, unless your system as primitive, and rudimentary. If you decide to forgo the Com adapter and display options, you will have problems. If you neglect to update the Firmware, you will most likely have problems. If you are thinking about purchasing this incredible product, but lack the simple technical skills to configure it, you should look elsewhere, and probably just stick to Grid Power. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! DO NOT BLAME THIS AMAZING PRODUCT FOR YOUR OWN IGNORANCE!!!

Bought this used through Amazon because my Prostate 30A had a stripped battery plug and I had wanted to get one of the Tristars for some time now. Sure, someone had already punched out a few of the case cover holes but other than that I got a good deal on a great PWM charge controller. It is hooked up to my 200W array with 2x 125A/Hr AGM batteries in parallel on my RV. It took 2 hours to charge the batteries from 50% to 90% once I figured out my negative wire end had corroded. This made our boondocking experiment a complete success. I have been monitoring the batteries regularly since we have returned from the trip and most of the time the TriStar is in floating mode. This saves me from having to lug 150 lbs of batteries out of the RV to my garage just to keep them from depleting from the standby load of the RV. Morningstar products are top of the shelf when it comes to charge controllers. I have performed several solar installations for both personal and public use and am an Electrical Engineer. This doesn't mean I know everything there is to know about solar but designing solar systems is easier than getting them to work optimally which means you have to do your homework when it comes to selecting your components. A cheap charge controller won't charge your battery at the right voltages which means you are always running a partially depleted bank which significantly reduces battery life. The solar batteries I have state they should be charged to 14.5V so I set the TriStar for 14.6V since the other option was 14.4V. Better a touch over than under since most manufacturers will be conservative. Every 28 days the TriStar will balance the individual cells in the batteries automatically to keep them healthy and when I hook up the RTS it will monitor the temperature and charge the batteries at the right voltages. If you want to really get into the details you can even hook up a computer to the TriStar and tweak the features, record the history, etc through their software. This is a complete package and well worth the money invested. The difference is replacing batteries every couple of years to every decade. Considering just one of my batteries costs $260 the thought of quadrupling the run time seems a no brainer to me.

It works as advertised.

Buen producto, me funciono bien.

Works as it should

very easy to install and operate works like a charm

Habe bisher den ProStar Controller 20 amps at 12/24volts or 48 volts als Regler genutzt. Da ich die Solaranlage erweitert habe und der alte Regler an seine Belastungsgrenze stößt,kaufte ich den Tri Star 45 amps Regler mit der Version: TS-M-2.Also legte ich die Anschlüsse wie Beschrieben auf den Tri Star um.Alles war ok,bis ich die Solarzellen anschließen wollte, da ging der Regler von grün auf rot blinkend.Anzeige Fehler Laist. Konnte den Fehler nicht finden und habe den alten Regler wieder angeschlossen und alles ist wieder in Ordnung.Ich habe nun einen Regler der wohl nicht in Ordnung ist,denn für Solar gibt es nur + und - Klemmen.Ich kann nicht verstehen das bei 20 Regler die Solarzellen in Ordnung sind und bei dem 45 Regler die Solarzellen nicht mehr in Ordnung sind.Die Anlage ist auch Ordnungsgemäß geerdet und es sind keine Dioden verbaut. Bin sehr enttäuscht.

Works very well but you should add a digital meter to see what is actually going on with your system