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Experience with Clipper Creek portable charger?

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My second UMC, in three years, is dying (every few days I get 4 flashing red lights and stops charging) so I'm thinking about replacing it with one of the clipper creek portable chargers. The HCS-40P looks good and at only $644 is less than half price of the Tesla UMC ($1,500)....anyone got experience with using one on a regular basis?

HCS-40P_NEMA-14-50-plug_v6-340x400.jpg


P.S. Most likely I will trade in my Roadster when Model X arrives next year so I don't want to install anything bigger or more permanent just yet.
 
My second UMC, in three years, is dying (every few days I get 4 flashing red lights and stops charging) so I'm thinking about replacing it with one of the clipper creek portable chargers. The HCS-40P looks good and at only $644 is less than half price of the Tesla UMC ($1,500)....anyone got experience with using one on a regular basis?

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P.S. Most likely I will trade in my Roadster when Model X arrives next year so I don't want to install anything bigger or more permanent just yet.


I use the hardwired version every day to charge my Focus Electric (I use the HCS-60 for the Model S). Works great even though it only puts out ~8kW. It is quite large though and is not a portable charger. It is 20" tall, 9" wide, and 5.5" deep. It is easy to mount to a flat surface. And looks plain but nice. The cord wraps around the unit very nicely for keeping the cord off the floor. The cord is pretty light and flexible. Handle looks solid and top button is easy to push. I would recommend getting a permanent J1772 adapter and leave it on there.

For high powered mobile charging I don't think you can beat the UMC. Perhaps a JuiceBox (~$525 for a semi-portable 10kW EVSE, and NEMA 14-50 plug), or LCS20 (low power).
 
My UMC also went flaky and I replaced it with a Clipper Creek HCS-60 that allows me to charge at 48amps. I use it with Henry's "can" J1772 adapter every day and have had no issues to date. The unit is fairly small and quiet (no loud contactor or continuous humming noises like I have on another EVSE brand, and not huge for no reason like some).
 
The HCS-60 has a much thicker cable, and a much bigger J1772 plug. Unless you really want the extra 16A I would stick to the HCS-40. It is much easier to deal with. Other than that they are the exact same housing and configuration.
 
I would recommend getting a permanent J1772 adapter and leave it on there.
If the UMC is flaky or not usable anyway, perhaps the cord could be salvaged and attached to the HCS-40 so that an adapter is not required. Though leaving it J1772 might be useful for charging other plug-ins. HCS-60 is nice in that you do get to charge at 48A instead of 30A of the HCS-40, though. Too bad they don't have a 40A HCS model as far as I can tell. Maybe they can turn down the pilot signal to 40A from 48A on the HCS-60 so you can use your existing 50A circuit.

Edit: On a similar vein, I wonder if the Roadster UMC cord could be adapted to the Model S UMC? This would probably require splicing/junction box where a regular EVSE could have the entire cable replaced.
 
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If the UMC is flaky or not usable anyway, perhaps the cord could be salvaged and attached to the HCS-40 so that an adapter is not required. Though leaving it J1772 might be useful for charging other plug-ins. HCS-60 is nice in that you do get to charge at 48A instead of 30A of the HCS-40, though. Too bad they don't have a 40A HCS model as far as I can tell. Maybe they can turn down the pilot signal to 40A from 48A on the HCS-60 so you can use your existing 50A circuit.

Edit: On a similar vein, I wonder if the Roadster UMC cord could be adapter to the Model S UMC?

Re-using the Roadster cable so you don't have to use an adapter is a good idea when you first start thinking about it. It's nice not to have to use an adapter for daily charging. The only problem would be how hard it is to attach the cable to the Clipper Creek unit. I don't know if it is potted or easy to take apart.
 
Warranty on the UMC was one year, Tesla replaced the first one for me FOC as it went bad after ~15 months; I doubt I'd get another new for free even though the second one has lasted only 2 years.

I want to avoid hard wiring as I'll almost certainly hard wire something for the X when that comes and the other side of my garage is occupied by the S right now with an HPWC. I have a couple of other spaces in my workshop and they are fitted with Nema 14-50s so what I meant by portable was the ability to move it around at home. In 3.5 years I've never used the UMC away from home (always used the J1772 adapter) so I'm not likely to need to actually drive anywhere with it now.
 
Clipper Creek made the initial HPC for the Roadster and I have one. It has worked perfectly and when I had to reprogram the pilot signal they were great to work with. So I am very pro Clipper Creek and would not have any hesitation in buying their products.
 
If the UMC is flaky or not usable anyway, perhaps the cord could be salvaged and attached to the HCS-40 so that an adapter is not required. Though leaving it J1772 might be useful for charging other plug-ins. HCS-60 is nice in that you do get to charge at 48A instead of 30A of the HCS-40, though. Too bad they don't have a 40A HCS model as far as I can tell. Maybe they can turn down the pilot signal to 40A from 48A on the HCS-60 so you can use your existing 50A circuit.

Edit: On a similar vein, I wonder if the Roadster UMC cord could be adapted to the Model S UMC? This would probably require splicing/junction box where a regular EVSE could have the entire cable replaced.

If you look at the HCS series user manual, there is a provision for a 40A pilot signal version, or a HCS-50. Clippercreek just hasn't released it yet. They started with the HCS-40 only, expanded to the HCS-60, and I can only assume they will next release the HCS-50.
 
+1 for sure...I had to replace both our Model S UMC & HWPC after about 15 months...my 2010 vintage Roadster Clipper Creek HPC & my UMC still going strong!

Clipper Creek made the initial HPC for the Roadster and I have one. It has worked perfectly and when I had to reprogram the pilot signal they were great to work with. So I am very pro Clipper Creek and would not have any hesitation in buying their products.
 
Back in August (see up-thread) my UMC started behaving itself again and I assumed the malfunctioning was heat related. Anyway, today (It's much cooler now at only 78F) I get a green light on the charger and a flashing red on the fault light which absolutely refuses to reset; oh well, just got off the phone with Clipper Creek and ordered their HCS-40P.