more BAD solarex modules, etc. [RE-wrenches]

[Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection]

<x-flowed>Jim,
Well said. I salute you.
I'm all for the therapeutic value of having a forum where we can all 
bitch with fellow travelers who will nod their collective heads and 
say, "Tsk,tsk, ain't it the truth." After all, WE are the ones that 
get hammered by manufacturers failures. Even if we are able to charge 
our clients for a warrantee service call (a rare thing), it's usually 
just a break even deal. The mail order and .coms get to just slide.
That being said, I think you are right on to suggest we have a list 
of problems and fixes. What it would take is someone to winnow out 
(or codify, as you suggest) the kernels from the grousing. A tough 
job to do without his/her favoritism shining through. Getting any of 
the manufacturers to participate would be key to having the list be a 
force of change. Frankly, that's where I'm cynical. No one admits 
fault these days without being forced to by legal means. Sad but 
true, the bean counters and lawyers rule. So while I suspect that if 
we went to the trouble of codifying an RERx, it would still be voices 
crying in the wilderness. After all, how many PV manufacturers, for 
example, have gotten off the ridiculous 25°C "industry standard" 
after EVERYONE complaining about it for lo these many years?
On the other hand, IF-I say again, IF- we could get a single PV and 
one inverter manu on board and cooperating with us on a real level, 
the heat would be on for the rest to put up or shut up.
Best, Bob-O


>There seems to be a pattern here in all these exchanges.  At least I see
>one, and an opportunity.  It would appear that we are seeing things
>and/or hearing things that require a more codified form of
>airing.  Manufacturers have problems.  That much is certain.  Sometimes
>they are open about these and sometimes they aren't.  In result we have
>problems and in turn so do our clients.  It's also true that
>manufacturers sometimes don't realize they have problems unless someone
>tells them somehow.  Maybe they respond and maybe they don't.  Or, maybe
>they can't for whatever reasons.  In any case the problem persists and
>may get even worse unless toes are held to the fire or until significant
>business losses wake them up.
>
>Lately we have had a number of complaints about this or that product's
>problematic aspects.  I arrived when Trace inverters were being
>critiqued pretty thoroughly [and still are].  I think this is good,
>actually.  Some of us have expressed some cycnicism about certain
>peculiarities of some Trace product and other products.
>I have participated even.  At the same time I wonder where we'd all be
>without these current generation products to work with.  I can recall
>from the "old days" having not many options to deal with in this matter
>of inverters.  Back then it was mostly that big red monster that Best
>Engineering had that was the mainstay of inverter technology.  Then this
>company Trace Engineering showed up as an alternative and it was a
>welcome thing to have to sell.  I probably sold almost five hundred
>first generation Trace inverters over the years up to when I took my
>leave of absence from PV.  Admittedly, the large majority were sold to
>just several large clients but they seemed pleased to have this new
>option.  So, whenever I take a shot at the manufacturer I do so
>understanding that they have contributed a lot to this industry whatever
>their ongoing "shortcomings" may be.
>The same goes for other companies who are still trying.
>
>I'm wondering if it isn't time to etablish a more codified document
>of archived information relating to our experiences of personal
>discovery, frustration and disaffection.  Perhaps this might be a
>dedicated website covering the various real world issues we encounter, a
>sort of ReRx thing equivalent to the Physician's Desk Reference. Among
>other things, this is where we could compile such things as the known
>serial numbering of failed Solarex modules and any other manufacturer's
>modules.  Put there whatever has value to doing a good job at what we
>try to do.  Access to information is empowering.  Manufacturer's may not
>always be aware of certain problems their products have or introduce in
>connection with other components.  When they are aware but don't talk,
>we can put their feet to the fire by revealing openly what these
>problems are.  This "information service" we could develop would do
>three primary things benefitting EVERYBODY in the loop - manufacturer's
>by contributing to the design of better products, us by making our work
>less troublesome and more satisfying, and the consumer by protecting him
>from needless headaches.  This "technical document" would clarify at the
>least [1] The Known Problems and [2] The Reasonable Fixes based on
>experience.
>
>I'm thinking that doing such a thing could be entirely or partly funded
>in some respect by the product manufacturers.  Since we and others would
>be assisting them in identifying issues which need their
>attention we would also be contributing to the long term success of
>their enterprise.  One might consider this as being a form of mini-UL
>certification.  We could call this process "The Wrench Ranking."  By
>doing such a thing we can better drive the scope, nature and quality of
>what occurs in our industry.  By extension, that makes us more powerful
>AND more profitable.
>
>Who does this compilation of technical remedies, I don't know.  It
>wouldn't be that hard to do and that's maybe not the point.  Who does it
>first, however, derives the credibiliy of having considered this to be
>important.  Judging from the flow of things here it must be important in
>principle so I suggest that it be considered in some respect.  I, for
>one, would consider making this type of informational archive a key
>linked element of my webpage.  Let it all hang out.  What do we have to
>lose?  If service is thought to be a critical part of what we will be
>doing down the road this could prove to be a godsend whenever we find
>ourselves in the midst of some dilemma.  Much of the possible content of
>such a document is already basically here in all these message
>exchanges.  Merely culling the specific hard core data from the
>extraneous chit chat is all that needs doing for a start.  Manufacturers
>seek certification from other entities.  Why not make them want ours?
>There's an apt military expression, mostly used by cadets at the Air
>Force Academy:  HUAH!
>Lets' get on with it.....
>Jim Hartley

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