Buddipole Power Mini 2 Solar Charge Controller

Versatile, Easy, Multi-Chemistry Solar Charge Controller/Watt Meter/Amp Meter. The BUDDIPOLE POWERmini 2 does it all. Let's deep dive into everything this Solar Charge Controller is about.
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#hamradio #buddipolepowermini2 #solar #k8mrd

[@pezz_pezzer]

YES THEY ARE BACK BOYS! Just got off the phone with Chris at Buddipole and they have the new boards back in stock so they are building units and shipping this week for all orders. Also heads up he feels like they will indeed sell out within this first week with this batch. Been using the product in the field and it is amazing. Super easy to setup and use. Highly recommended and their customer service is excellent. So get on the site and order away but warning the PayPal payment system is not responding so cards only it looked like.

[@hamradiotube]

Oh they're gonna sell out in a few days I would imagine. Great product. I absolutely love it.

[@hkmp5s]

Just picked up 2. As soon as I saw your video I thought they must be in stock. Thank you, been waiting a while.

[@hamradiotube]

Awesome. Good call.

[@Ammed_KN6STX]

Just ordered mine yesterday and its been shipped on its way to me. Great Service.

[@hamradiotube]

Awesome

[@W9HJBill]

I love my PowerMini 2 but wanted to get another "just in case" but it has been out of stock because a component in it was no longer available. I just ordered another when I saw this video. Two is One, One is None.

[@hamradiotube]

Awesome, glad you were able to get another.

[@chrissewell1608]

2 is 1.... 1 is none!

[@Marty48034]

So awesome that you color coordinated your battery with the battery jack color. That's professionalism there!! LOL

[@haroldskinner1783]

Great video, have you noticed any noise, is it creating any RF that your radio would pick up when using them simultaneously?

[@ahoward2kable]

Back in stock! FINALLY. Been trying to get one for months

[@hamradiotube]

Get 2! You never know when they will be back in stock again!

[@ahoward2kable]

@@hamradiotube unfortunately we are saving to buy a house so my radio budget is pared back. Saving up for a dx commander

[@rowdyron4111]

Great video Mike, thanks.

[@kabish0603]

I've heard nothing but good things about this solar charge controller. I don't even own a battery or panels to use this on, but I ordered the controller and it should be here Saturday! I figured they were always out of stock, and with this video they would prob go out of stock again. Now I just need to get my battery box project going for my X6100.

[@tron2132]

Thanks a bunch Mike! I bought one today. 73, Louis

[@hamradiotube]

Heck yeah buddy!

[@AndrewWells527]

Highly recommended!

[@kurt53641]

Worth the purchase

[@swenner64]

Love it!!!

[@polishpicl]

Best vid so far on controllers ty

[@hamradiotube]

Thank you so much.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

thanks great job Jaison you number uno

[@dougdaniels]

I've been checking availability on the PowerMini 2 daily since your earlier video on it. I'm using a Bioenno charge controller, which is a great product, but as you said, this is so much more. It would be nice if they're just waiting for version 3 to be ready.

[@0150r]

They have been out of stock until today, interesting timing

[@dougdaniels]

@@0150r Thanks for the heads up. I checked this morning and it was out of stock.

[@hamradiotube]

They are in stock now.

[@dougdaniels]

@@hamradiotube Grabbed one, and another Bioenno battery. Need to build a multi-park battery box (or solar generator as the cool kids call them).

[@k8drtqrp]

I talked with them several times over the last year. They lost availability of some parts and had to redesign the circuit with new ones. While I've been waiting patiently (checking their site at least weekly) I'm glad they took the time to test the new design to make sure everything was up to snuff.

[@Ghostbit]

Great, now these are going to be out of stock for 6 months... 😁 Really nice video. Seems to be one of the top options for a quality charge controller for HAM use.

[@hamradiotube]

They were going to be out of stock regardless. This will just speed that up.

[@barrybogart5436]

I know Budd and Chris and have their excellent antenna system. I am tempted by this, but can't justify the price right now. But I will get it when I am more seriously into solar. How do you like that Klein meter? I got an M700 and like it so much I just got a Klein CL390 clamp meter. It has almost the same capability plus AC and DC Amps to 400, great for solar work. And it is under $100. Great deal.

[@haramanggapuja]

Sold me, dude. I’ve been wondering what the batt/power supply voltages I’ve been running might be. (The meters on the two main radios are a bit jittery & the graph display on the ‘705 makes me nervous.) Plus wanting to solarize out at the beach/park. This looks like what I deff need. Thanks big time for this video! 73 de W8IJN

[@hamradiotube]

Awesome. You will enjoy it.

[@haramanggapuja]

@@hamradiotube The little Buddipole beast arrived. Hosed it up to my batt & radio & a power source. This thing is exactly what I've been needing for field ops. Thanks again for the excellent review & suggestion. 73 de W8IJN

[@thuff3207]

I have the original and I love mine. It just works.

[@chucksw1]

What's the difference from the original and the ver 2 ?.

[@thuff3207]

@@chucksw1 The primary difference is more current to the radio and usb ports.

[@gmanshackshack6822]

Would be great if they EVER had any in stock! I've instead gone with the Epic PwrGate. It of course does not have a display, but it has A LOT of other features that this doesn't.

[@hamradiotube]

They are in stock. That's why I posted the video.

[@gmanshackshack6822]

@@hamradiotube actually just looked yesterday & they weren't then.

[@kabish0603]

I looked the day he posted the video and was able to order one. Took a few days for them to ship, but I'll have it Saturday.

[@k6nvg541]

Mine popped and started smoking up the first time I used it in October 2022. Still waiting for a replacement after returning it.

[@lonnyhillin336]

Great video, very informative. I ordered one right after watching your video. I plan to use it with a 24 Amp Hour LiFePo4 battery. What solar panels can you recommend for Mini 2?

[@skipkazmarek6334]

Did you check it for RF noise? That's been my problem with MPPT controllers, which is why I'm (unfortunately) using PWM right now.

[@hamradiotube]

No RFI from this.

[@anthonygorrell1343]

Mppt or pwm?

[@the_mad_swimbaiter455]

I don't want to buy this, but I'm impressed

[@bpsengineer_AC7PB]

How do you set the charging current?

[@chrissewell1608]

When the power is cut off completely, do all your specific high & low settings get lost, too? Only to assume that it has default settings it will revert back to. If so, it does need some type of internal battery, to retain that in memory.

[@hamradiotube]

The only thing that gets lost are the important things, like amp hours in and out.

[@0150r]

Can you plug a regular battery charger into the solar charging port? This would make it an all-in-one solution for me. Wouldn't need to disconnect anything to charge up my battery.

[@hamradiotube]

You wouldn't plug it into the solar port as that is looking for a higher voltage. I have charged through the load port and it did back charge into the battery.

[@garyh8315]

This looks a great piece of kit, what price are these retailing for in the states? 73

[@hamradiotube]

$165

[@garyh8315]

@@hamradiotube Thankyou Mike. They are near to $200 over here!

[@TheFMusician]

This unit and an Bienno Battery... Using a Bienno 30Ah battery with the Buddipole Mini 2, if the Bienno Battery does not have a charging cable and you're not using solar but want to charge the battery, can you plug the DC connector of the Bienno Battery charger into the Solar port and charge the battery?

[@hamradiotube]

you sure can

[@TheFMusician]

@@hamradiotube many thanks!!

[@dansloss2566]

Works well but hard to read the screen in bright sunlight.

[@mikecase2638]

In stock as of Sept 28, 2022

[@hamradiotube]

Yes!

[@mikeharper4863]

Great Video, I just ordered mine. 73

[@hamradiotube]

Nice 👍

[@Scout75PortableRadio]

Probably a stupid question, but that hasn’t stopped me before.. Is it safe to connect a power source other than solar to the solar input? I have a POWERmini for a few years now that's been fantastic, and have thinking of upgrading to the POWERmini 2 for the better USB output. I have the idea of repurposing my current POWERmini as a distribution block in my Jeep for my VHF/ UHF rig and the 891 when I play POTA. Using a battery for radio play when the Jeep is turned off. Is this a good idea or am I going to release magic smoke?

[@swedesspeedshop2518]

Why would you ? Just run battery power to the unit at the correct input plug then make a distribution block or splitter out of the load side .

[@Scout75PortableRadio]

@@swedesspeedshop2518 so I can use the vehicle’s battery while it’s running for using the radios while driving, then have the portable battery for POTA, etc while parked. Then, when I go portable, I can unplug my always fully charge LiFePO and take it with me.

[@swedesspeedshop2518]

@@Scout75PortableRadio your vehicle probably has a lead acid battery to be safe I'd charge the lithium with a separate charger that could be plugged into a cigarette lighter or wired in correctly

[@AliReza-zx8km]

Nice............

[@hamradiotube]

So nice

[@chrisazure1624]

Does it have Bluetooth for remote checking?

[@hamradiotube]

Let me check...

[@CliveDrone]

What’s the diff between the original and the 2 ?

[@hamradiotube]

That I don't know.

[@Ammed_KN6STX]

Mike, do you know if its supports MPPT????

[@hamradiotube]

This is a PWM if I'm not mistaken.

[@barrybogart5436]

@@hamradiotube I am pretty sure it is MPPT. You do need that.

[@k4nyxradio485]

Ordered 2 because 1 is never enough 😂😂😂😂.

[@hamradiotube]

Awesome!

[@MichaelRandazzophotoguy]

But you still can't get them out of stock. Bummer.

[@hamradiotube]

Check now. They are in stock.

[@MichaelRandazzophotoguy]

@@hamradiotube Ordered one they say it shipped but nothing yet.

[@hamradiotube]

@@MichaelRandazzophotoguy Awesome. It'll come. We must be patient.

[@demorestautosport]

Good stuff Mike! Thanks for the excellent review 👍 KE8QPI

[@hamradiotube]

You bet!

[@walteredwards544]

Everytime I go to buy one, they're all sold out!

[@hamradiotube]

They are in stock now.

[@randyab9go188]

It's very disappointing that it loses all of the data gathered after a power failure. In that way it is no better than the cheap junkie Chinese made inaccurate crappy meters available for $15. Couldn't they have put a super cap or some other memory retention device maybe even flash memory to store the data?

[@hamradiotube]

I know, that's my only complaint. It is by far much better than the $15 meters that are out there though. Much better.

[@Tommyr]

This company is a joke. I went to order one and they were out. I emailed them and asked when they'd be back in stock months ago and never got a reply. Screw those guys.

[@paullinnell]

Why don’t you tell the price in the video??? I do not like to go looking for the price…not giving the price makes me feel like I’m watching a commercial. I mute all commercials on TV. Thanks. Just a suggestion.

[@hamradiotube]

So if I did say the price in the video, and then later the price changed, you would complain that I gave the wrong price. I’m glad you watched the video, but if you can’t be bothered to click the link to the product that I provided for you in the description, I don’t think there’s much hope for you.

[@paullinnell]

@@hamradiotube Do you think you could possibly remember to say, “ This device currently sells for XXX dollars!! If it’s a reasonable price, I’d check it out. If you can’t remember that, “I guess there’s no hope for you! (to quote you”!!

[@paullinnell]

@@hamradiotube just try and remember to say the current price is!!! Is that beyond your ability? You said no hope for me, feeling is mutual!