MX 60 history?

westbranch

Does anyone know of a location outling the history of the MX 60's development? One that does not have a lot of sales hype that is. :-o

I have read several post that imply the MX 60 is still under improvement and there are 'upgrades' that may be needed if one were to buy one over Ebay or a used one ( if it could be found).

thanks
Eric

niel

Re: MX 60 history?

outside of boB or robin gudgel saying it all, the best place would be on outback's forum. for the record, both boB and robin do post here on this forum.
http://www.outbackpower.com/
i don't know if they give the complete history there or not, but in the forum you could post many of your mx60 questions. many of your questions may already be answered in the forum as well. do know that boB made that controller and with his brother robin they originally formed outback power. i don't know the complete lowdown on what happened, but they aren't at outback anymore and there may be some annimosities between the gudgels and the former company people. this may have been more than need be said, for if you want to know more of the product then go there. i also don't think that many improvements will occur with the mx60 being its inventor is no longer there, but it is still a very good product and the company does back up the product very well. many of the problems listed in the forum there have been solved and it is a living testament of the controller's evolution. we are still long awaiting the release of boB's lastest controller, the classic, through midnight solar.
http://www.midnitesolar.com/MidNite-1.htm

Vic

Re: MX 60 history?

Hi Eric,

The MX-60, like any combo of hardware/firmware evolves and gets updated based on user feedback, warranty/ service history etc. So, yes, it is evolving. There have been a number of firmware updates and quite possibly some hardware tweaks and improvements.

The firmware is not loadable via a port, but rather requires a controller board change or a trip back to the factory, so this is a bit of a disadvantage regarding an older unit. Am sure that all MX's shipped work well (unless broken), but you might benefit from upgrades avail in a fresh new unit.

Believe the Midnite Classic charge controller will be upgradable via a com port. Some MX's have had fan reliability problems, but OB is very customer friendly. You cannot beat the service from OutBack. I know of no history avail. on the MX. Vic

crewzer

Re: MX 60 history?

Eric,

The MX60 has indeed seen many operational improvements since its introduction in 2002. My recollection is that there were hardware changes starting with s/n 500, and there have been several software revision releases.

In other words, I wouldn’t recommend buying a used MX60 controller with a serial number lower than 500. Also, the cooling fan seems to be problematic, so it’s probably a good idea to keep a spare handy.

The latest software version is rev. 5.11. Its operational features are described in this latest version of the user manual. The previous software rev. was “4.19.5.4”. I believe that decodes to something like “April 19, 2005, build #4”. Its features are described in this older manual. There are functional differences between the two software versions.

As best I can reconstruct, the manual rev, software rev, and applicable serial number history looks something like this:

MX manual Rev 7.0: SW rev 5.10 and 5.11, MX s/n ??
MX manual Rev 6.2: SW rev 4.19.5.4, MX s/n 5500+
MX manual Rev 5.00: SW rev mm.dd.yy.n, MX s/n 2000+
MX manual Rev 4.2: SW rev mm.dd.yy.n, MX s/n 1000+
MX manual Rev 3.22: SW rev mm.dd.yy.n, MX s/n 500+
MX manual Rev 5.2: SW rev mm.dd.yy.n, MX s/n 1-499

The software load version in MX controllers can be viewed by pressing the #1 soft key on the STATUS screen, releasing the key, and then pressing and holding the key a second time.

As noted, the software can be field upgraded by replacing the internal controller board. Here’s a link to the instructions. My MX60 is s/n 03970 and I’ve done the software upgrade twice: once to rev 4.19.5.4, and once to rev 5.10.

Finally, there's lots of info and discussion about the MX60 controller over on the OutBack forum.

HTH,
Jim / crewzer

westbranch

Re: MX 60 history?

thanks guys, I will look into the links you have included.

from what I have read the MX 60 seems to be one of the top runners in the controller field and I have noted one for sale on Ebay for a reasonable price. Would have to factor in exchange and shipping to be able to compare to a local supplier.. Just needed to know the current status etc. before jumping in.

crewzer

Re: MX 60 history?

OK.

Here's a link this forum sponsor's on-line store. Their price for a new MX60 is always competitive, and the 5% discount through July 5 looks pretty good as well!

HTH,
Jim / crewzer

niel

Re: MX 60 history?

westbranch wrote:

thanks guys, I will look into the links you have included. 

from what I have read the MX 60 seems to be one of the top runners in the controller field and I have noted one for sale on Ebay for a reasonable price. Would have to factor in exchange and shipping to be able to compare to a local supplier..  Just needed to know the current status etc. before jumping in.

see if that seller is willing to reveal the serial numbers so you could know if it has been upgraded or if it can be upgraded. older models you'd have to wait for the upgrade to be obtained from outback. as said before the really old ones may not be upgradable. also, be sure that outback will not charge in the case of an older serial number as it would be out of warranty. all in all, it's better to buy a new one imho unless it's sold dirt cheaply and then i'd wonder if it is in working condition.