AC200 MAX - Getting bad readings on screen

I just bought an AC200 MAX three days ago I am not sure if I got a bad one or not.

I’m in the UK and charging the AC200 MAX using my ECOFLOW 215 Watt panel. Today has been the hottest day on record (the sun is really bright) but the AC200 MAX doesn’t always show that it’s charging. The AC200 MAX does show that there is 20 volts coming in from the Ecoflow panel and the dots are moving on the screen to show that it is charging, but it says it is getting zero watts. If I turn the AC200 MAX off for 20 mins and back on, sometimes it starts charging…sometimes not. When it is charging, it is showing 160 watts coming into it from the Ecoflow panel.

I have a similar issue when using the AC200 MAX purely as an output. I’ve unplugged my solar panel and turned on the AC invertor so that I can use the AC200 as a battery back to drive a fan and my laptops. My AC Clamp meter shows that the AC200 is giving me around 65 watts but the screen on the AC200 shows me that I am drawing zero watts. It does have the dots moving across the screen to show that power is being drawn but shows zero watts being used. Clearly it is giving me watts as my laptop and fan are working fine…but the Bluetti just doesn’t seem to realise it.

Is this normal? Does it need a bigger current draw before it can accurately register wattage?

(I got it from Amazon, so can still send it back if it’s faulty).

Thanks!

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I cannot comment too much on the solar, but for the output I find that any output under ~75W tends to register zero on the display.

Thanks. I had wondered whether different types of load (inductive for example) would confuse the readings.

Apart from these two anomalies - the AC200MAX does seem to be working OK.

Hi @Maxik ,
When charging the AC200MAX with a solar panel, select PV mode first. The open circuit voltage needs to be in the range of 10V-145V. It is possible that the power of one solar panel cannot achieve the value of the AC200max solar input, and we suggest you add one more solar panel to try if this will still happen.
As for the output you can refer to @dr_torch . Thank you for explaining Dr.Torch :slight_smile:

Hi Admin.

Thanks for getting back to me.

I’d already measured the VOC on the solar panel and it was 20.8 volts. The AC200 MAX should work with just 10 volts, so I don’t think the panel is at fault.

I’d also measured the panel with another (not Bluetti) solar generator and it was measuring 165 watts. (At the times that the AC200 MAX was working - it was showing my panel was generating 168 watts…so I am confident that the panel is enough to drive the unit).

Right now, I have selected PV mode as the input, but every time I connect the panel, the main screen switches to show the car symbol (not the PV symbol) as an input and shows zero watts.

There seem to be too many bugs/issues with this device, so I suspect I got a bad one.
I’ll contact Bluetti and ask them for assistance and see if they offer advice. (I’ll share it here if they can). I had planned to travel with it this weekend, but I have no confidence in it at the moment.

Thanks all for your help! It was much appreciated. …and I’ll let you know if I find a resolution.

Just to add to the weirdness…I’ve just plugged the solar panel back into the AC200MAX and turned it on. The AC200MAX is now detecting the solar panel correctly (ie: Not confusing it with a car input) and is reading 12 watts from the panel…which does seem right as the sun has gone down here.

So the AC200 MAX was able to work with the panel when it was providing 12 watts, but not when it was providing 165 watts…

…and then…when I tried to turn off the AC200MAX…it refused to turn off…so…it’s just sitting in a corner slowly discharging.

I haven’t yet heard back from Bluetti but it’s clear that the unit is faulty.

Just a question to all…Are the Bluetti’s generally reliable?
(I’m wondering if I should get a different type of unit as a replacement).

Thanks again!

I’m only one sample but I do have about 10 Bluetti sogens of different sizes and all have been reliable out of the box so I haven’t had to deal with Bluetti service yet (knocking on wood). My 2 Ecoflow units were both defective out of the box and had to go back for replacement but their service was excellent so wouldn’t hesitate to go with them again.

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Thanks Eric.
I’ll wait to see if Bluetti come back to me in the next 48 hours. If not -I’ll send it back.

A pity though, as (if it worked OK) I think the size/performance meets all my needs.

Just for your last point - when the unit is connected to solar it will not shut off if there is any voltage coming in on the solar connection.

This is for it to turn on again in the morning to start charging.

Once it goes totally dark and there is 0v solar then it will turn off.

But your other issues seem like a defective unit to me.

Did you try a firmware update?

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Thanks Dr_Torch.

Molly from Bluetti is now in contact with me. Hopefully she can advise on whether a fix can be provided by firmware etc.

Molly did also confirm “AC200MAX can not read the load below 70W, but it can charge the devices below 70W normally.”

My new AC200max also show 0 Watts on the display under 100 Watts or so. At the first moment i thought it is defective. Thank you for posting the answer from bluetti. Now i know that is normal.

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What is the battery capacity at? I know I have gotten worked up only to discover the damn battery was full! Lol.

Hi,

I own an AC200P and an EB70 and they have worked reliably for months now.

My experience with one and only one “enjoy” 180w PV panel is that it will charge the EB70 at max 153w (because it is limited to 8A).
If I connect that panel alone to the AC200P I get zero watts, and it only reads that the panel is 24v.
But when I connected a second “enjoy” 180w PV panel in series with the first one (you will have to research about that on the web), then I get 260w into the A200P.
If I connect those two panels in series into the EB70 on the other hand I get zero watts because it is too much voltage into that little controller and it cuts the power from entering the EB70 at all.

If you don’t want the AC200 to discharge you simply have to turn “ECO MODE” to YES on the settings, this will cut the AC output when it is not needed and keep your AC200 from discharging.

When I want to turn off my AC200P I physically disconnect the PV cable and it will turn off when the power button is pressed, or wait for no entry of power from the PV (for instance at night) and turn it off then.
I reckon it is kinda weird, but it is great that when the sun comes up, it powers up and starts charging.
It would be nice if it’d simply charge without turning it “on”, same goes for power brick charging.

I like both units for different reasons and purposes, and have no complaints for reliability so far, and even less for the price I have gotten those units.

Good luck

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