Buyer Beware, Not a fair eBay seller.

[Shrew]

Technically, this isn't really eBay. He is referencing a legitimate vendor with a legitimate website, and a legitimate customer service dept. Dragging eBay into this discussion is like blaming Google, the TV network, or the magazine where you saw the commercial.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Sailorman Ed

Ramblinrod - installing 100w solar panels is super simple, someone would have to work very, very hard to be able to destroy the boat, never mind destroying a marina. Killing people??

Well if you did have a complete idiot doing the installation. If connecting the panels to charge the batteries without fusing at the battery a short in the wire from the panel could start a fire and there you go. But that is a 12V 101 level detail.

[sailon46]

After having experienced similar issue with $1.25 / watt solar panels I became smart and bought solbians at $8.00/ watt on 100 watt panels. Guess what a big difference in charging efficiency and resilience in the harsh Caribbean Sunshine for more than a year now and counting.
Ernie on the Mary Jane

[ramblinrod]

Originally Posted by Sailorman Ed

Good to Go,
Not enough information to fully review but
I looked at the web site and based on the wording and grammar, I would suspect these are cheap low grade chinese panels. It also looks like each panel comes with its own controller. You may have almost got what you paid for, they only had a 1 year warranty. Your own grammar (up on the roof) makes me wonder if these are on a boat or a house?? You should have been monitoring your batteries. Did you have a battery monitoring system? Did you check and add water to the batteries as needed over the 12 mo? Was the battery bank sized properly?


Ramblinrod - installing 100w solar panels is super simple, someone would have to work very, very hard to be able to destroy the boat, never mind destroying a marina. Killing people??

Every marine electrical system is just waiting for someone to let the magic smoke out. AC or DC matters not.

Installing a solar charging system (or performing brain surgery, or rocket science, or any activity for that matter) CORRECTLY is only simple for the people who really do know what they are doing.

About 10% of the folks who think they know what they are doing, actually do know what they are doing.

I have seen several boats burned, marina docks and fuel pumps damaged, and people hurt by incorrect marine electrical wiring.

Of the marine electrical systems I inspect, that have been modified by non-certified people, only about 10% are completed in compliance with marine standards, and at least 10% are patently unsafe (1 easily plausible condition, yet to be encountered, away from burning).

To put it in reality, 1 in 10 could catch fire any moment.

This is not an exaggeration; just because somebody has connected something to their boat, and it seems to work, does not necessarily constitute a correct and safe installation. Not by a long shot.

Most non pro installations place the owner, crew, family, and marina at unnecessary risk.

I know this because I inspect, consult, design, build, troubleshoot, repair, and install marine electrical systems, professionally.

Ask any honest, association certified, marine surveyor, how safe the average boat electrical system is?

You'll be shocked. (Har)

And yet every DIYer insists their boat is safe.

I start out my marine electrical system seminars like this:

"1. Show of hands, how many boaters here perform their own boat electrical system maintenance, repairs, and new installations."

(Typically about 50% of the audience hands go up, but I know it is more like 90%.)

"2. Show of hands, How many believe the work they have done is safe?"

(Typically all the hands stay up.)

"3. Show of hands, How many will invite me to inspect you boat's electrical system, free of charge if no issue found, $200 if I find one issue that is unsafe and needlessly risks "critical to safety" equipment failure or fire?"

(Typically all the hands go down).

4. Then I present all of the common wiring deficiencies I encounter and what can happen as a result.

5. After the seminar, about 10% walk up, hand me $200 and schedule an appointment. Until now they didn't know their boat was unsafe.

There is likely another 80% of the audience who has an unsafe boat but is not willing to spend $200 to find out.

That's right, not willing to spend $200 to help ensure their boat won't burn to the waterline tomorrow and possibly kill someone.

I would lose my shirt on these inspections, which generally consume about $500 in billable hours each, if I didn't make it back on the repairs I'm hired to perform following.

To date, the best report I have prepared had 3 faults, each of which could result in fire, explosion or electrocution. 2 were related to the AC system and 1 to the DC system.

In summary, one doesn't know what they don't know until they do and approximately 90% of boaters are in a state of blissful ignorance that their boat electrical system is safe and reliable.

I recommend:

1. Every boater learn as much as they can about their electrical system and be capable of performing emergency repairs.

2. After doing so, have these repairs inspected by a marine electrical professional at the earliest convenience.

As part of our "Boating Community Service Program", if I'm walking through a yard on other business, and someone asks me to look at something, 15 minutes is free.

If I can't ascertain it is safe and reliable within 15 minutes (which usually means it isn't), I recommend a thorough electrical system inspection (at my normal hourly rate). If they decline, they only have themselves to blame.

[hellosailor]

Sounds like "Bought cheap, paid dearly".

When you deal with an unknown vendor and apparently no warranty or knowledge of whether there are statutory warranties, you're shooting craps.

When a vendor of technical products makes a curious and contrary warning, like the red one about not wiring in normal ways, that's a red flag that there is something wrong about this product.

All in all...

Sounds like someone ignored all the warning signs and threw their money away.

Don't complain here, go find out what your local warranty regulations are, whether you voided them, and whether you can enforce them against the vendor.

And next time, if you can't afford a quality product from a reputable source, don't take out your wallet.

[Hickers]

I feel your pain, I purchased 3 180 watt flex panels which were mounted on the flat flybridge roof of our boat by a qualified marine electrician. These panels yellowed, started peeling and eventually developed hot spots.

I first noted the problem at just over 12 months after purchase and the seller, camp sales.au based in Sydney refused to deal with me or discuss the issue as the 12 month warranty had expired.

Replaced them with 2 fixed sunpower panels and in peak sun time we see 50 amps flowing into tbe batteries.


Learnt my lesson, never again will I buy unbranded equipment.

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by Good To Go

...After endless photos and correspondence, (sorry you cannot speak to owner Mr Fei Dai, he’s out of the country) told SORRY WE CANNOT HELP YOU. ...

Thanks for sharing, as this part is what gets me riled: "Sorry, he's not here, sorry cannot help..." Unfortunately it's an every-day occurrence if you buy on-line from unknown (to you) supplier. In Oz you may be able to nail them through the consumer guarantees act (or whatever you call it over there) but of course you never recoup all your costs.

I guess batteries went flat 'cos panels died, maybe???

[handmer]

As others have said it is worth noting that in Australia we have quite good consumer protections.

No matter what warranty the sellers offers (or doesn't), products have to last a reasonable time.

Of course that varies from product to product, but it is reasonable that solar panels last longer than a year.

For the rare times a company does not make it right themselves when you point out the consumer guarantee, putting in an official complaint via the ACCC or your appropriate Fair Trading organisation usually gets it sorted.

[MarkusK]

Originally Posted by ramblinrod

I start out my marine electrical system seminars like this:

"1. Show of hands, how many boaters here perform their own boat electrical system maintenance, repairs, and new installations."

(Typically about 50% of the audience hands go up, but I know it is more like 90%.)

"2. Show of hands, How many believe the work they have done is safe?"

(Typically all the hands stay up.)

"3. Show of hands, How many will invite me to inspect you boat's electrical system, free of charge if no issue found, $200 if I find one issue that is unsafe and needlessly risks "critical to safety" equipment failure or fire?"

(Typically all the hands go down).

4. Then I present all of the common wiring deficiencies I encounter and what can happen as a result.

5. After the seminar, about 10% walk up, hand me $200 and schedule an appointment. Until now they didn't know their boat was unsafe.

There is likely another 80% of the audience who has an unsafe boat but is not willing to spend $200 to find out.

That's right, not willing to spend $200 to help ensure their boat won't burn to the waterline tomorrow and possibly kill someone.

I would lose my shirt on these inspections, which generally consume about $500 in billable hours each, if I didn't make it back on the repairs I'm hired to perform following.

To date, the best report I have prepared had 3 faults, each of which could result in fire, explosion or electrocution. 2 were related to the AC system and 1 to the DC system.

In summary, one doesn't know what they don't know until they do and approximately 90% of boaters are in a state of blissful ignorance that their boat electrical system is safe and reliable.

I recommend:

1. Every boater learn as much as they can about their electrical system and be capable of performing emergency repairs.

2. After doing so, have these repairs inspected by a marine electrical professional at the earliest convenience.

As part of our "Boating Community Service Program", if I'm walking through a yard on other business, and someone asks me to look at something, 15 minutes is free.

If I can't ascertain it is safe and reliable within 15 minutes (which usually means it isn't), I recommend a thorough electrical system inspection (at my normal hourly rate). If they decline, they only have themselves to blame.

I respect your approach.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Shrew

I love it when folks become members to use CF like Yelp. First post and it is to bash a vendor with ridiculously insufficient facts.

Way to contribute.

We should have a policy against this nonsense.

First post - after 4 years as a member

[Meacenas]

Hmm, first post is a vendor slam? Anyways, these days with the newfangled tool call the internet at your fingertips, all you have to do is google the item or the vendor, or both, look at a few sites, ( including e-bay) and read a bunch of reviews about both product and vendor. In the last three months we have bought a wide variety of electronic gear, always looking at reviews before the purchase. We did the same for our used car. These reviews have changed the way we buy any big ticket item. Heck, we just reviewed a half dozen small grills and picked the one that was best reviewed, even if it was a few bucks more. So far, all the items we bought have performed......as reviewed.

[ramblinrod]

Originally Posted by Meacenas

Hmm, first post is a vendor slam? Anyways, these days with the newfangled tool call the internet at your fingertips, all you have to do is google the item or the vendor, or both, look at a few sites, ( including e-bay) and read a bunch of reviews about both product and vendor. In the last three months we have bought a wide variety of electronic gear, always looking at reviews before the purchase. We did the same for our used car. These reviews have changed the way we buy any big ticket item. Heck, we just reviewed a half dozen small grills and picked the one that was best reviewed, even if it was a few bucks more. So far, all the items we bought have performed......as reviewed.

Your approach is better than none, but be careful.

There are a lot of "rewarded" reviewers and forum posters on the interweb.

[smac999]

Originally Posted by ramblinrod

1. Verify the "electrician" you hired is a "certified marine electrician".

what's you definition of this? I think the only course in north america is the ABYC electrical and it's a 2 day classroom course.... I don't think we even touched a wire. but it was years ago. hardly makes anyone a professional.

I'm not aware of anything else.

I think Australia or NZ actually has a marine trade school. and legally requires this to work on boats. unlike here were nothing is required to do work. (unlike houses)

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by StuM

First post - after 4 years as a member

Won't be holding my breath for a reply then

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

Sounds like classic case of the blind leading the blind. Why would you not start with a qualified marine electrician, ask and follow her advice?

We have actually evolved to the point that the assumption is that an electrician would most likely be female?

I havn't read that is the new norm but if it is, is it progress?

It seems like it would be even better if we got to the point that ccupational gender is irrelevant?