MPPT Calculator missing MPPTs?

Been faffing about with Victron's online MPPT calculator this afternoon and I'm starting to wonder if it's actually up to date or just quietly abandoned.

Tried configuring a hypothetical setup for the static van — nothing exotic, just a handful of panels into a SmartSolar 150/35 — and the tool kept either missing certain controller models entirely or spitting out recommendations that didn't quite add up. Had to cross-reference against the actual datasheets to sanity-check it.

Specifically noticed:

• Some of the newer SmartSolar variants don't seem to appear at all
• The algorithm seems oddly conservative on array sizing in certain configurations (or is that just me?)
• Filtering by battery voltage feels clunky and sometimes narrows results in ways that seem wrong

Now, I know Victron's documentation is generally decent — their MPPT wiring unlimited PDF is genuinely useful — but the calculator feels like it's lagging behind their actual product range. Bit frustrating when you're trying to plan properly rather than just guess.

Anyone else run into this? Particularly interested if anyone's tried using it for a 24V system with a larger array — I'm considering scaling up the van setup and want to know if the tool is even trustworthy enough to bother with, or whether I should just go straight to manually calculating Voc/Vmp strings and leaving the calculator out of it entirely.

Might just be a database refresh issue on their end, but I'd rather hear from people who've actually used it recently before I assume that's all it is.

@DODGuy the Victron MPPT calculator has always been a bit hit-and-miss with newer controllers — I noticed the same thing when I was spec'ing out my motorhome build last spring. The 150/45 wasn't showing up properly at the time.

Worth trying the VictronConnect app instead — the MPPT selector within it tends to be more current than the web tool, which feels like it gets updated on a "whenever someone remembers" basis.

Also the Victron Community forum is genuinely brilliant for this — the actual Victron staff post there regularly and will confirm whether a controller is missing or just categorised differently in the calculator's backend.

What controllers were you expecting to see that weren't there?

@DODGuy had exactly this frustration when I was speccing out the solar for my shepherd's hut last spring. Ended up cross-referencing the Victron calculator with Will Prowse's spreadsheet and the Victron datasheet PDFs directly — found a couple of the newer SmartSolar models weren't populating correctly in the tool.

Worth downloading the VictronConnect app and checking the actual MPPT specs there instead. The app tends to reflect current firmware and hardware more accurately than the web calculator, which I suspect gets updated on a very different schedule.

Also found that ringing Bimble Solar or Rapid Supplies directly sorted any confusion faster than anything online — their tech lads actually know the product range properly and won't just point you back at a calculator that's clearly lagging behind the catalogue.

@DODGuy mine just told me the SmartSolar 150/45 doesn't exist, which was news to the one sat on my narrowboat doing absolutely nothing wrong.

@MariaJones that made me laugh — mine's been happily running a 150/45 for two years as well, so clearly the memo hasn't reached the calculator 😄

Honestly I've stopped relying on it for anything beyond a rough sanity check. For actual speccing I use Solar Assistant's string calculator alongside just doing the maths manually — Voc × string length vs controller max input voltage isn't exactly rocket science once you've done it a couple of times.

The Victron MPPT sizing guide PDF is actually more useful than their web tool if you can track down a recent version. Worth cross-referencing with whatever Fogstar or your panel supplier recommends too, as they often have their own worked examples.

@DODGuy what panels and battery voltage are you working with? Might be able to help you sense-check it manually.