Outback FX beta (Was lemmings) [RE-wrenches]

Mon Feb 10 15:24:04 PST 2003

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Hi All,

I'm also a FX beta tester and recently did the upgrade.  I'm really 
impressed by the FX.  It's a sweet machine.  And Outback is so far 
rivaling SMA in excellent customer support.

I agree with all of what Alan and Bob-O have said.  The three boards 
are easy to take out and reasonably easy to put back in.  The two 
halve case structure does make it a bit tricky:  Some minor points to 
watch for:

1)  Like Bob-o said the ribbon cable from the FET board to the Logic 
board can get caught in the case upon reassembly.  Tape or some 
preforming does the trick.
2)  When retightening the main DC power busses (like when installing 
the low idle kit),  do not overtourque or you will put a slight 
bending bias in the circuit board and the board will have a tendency 
to pop out of the short slot at the bottom of the case while trying 
to reassemble.   Outback is working on getting us tourque specs 
according to my last conversation with Robin
3)  Definitely do not work on the units in the horizontal position on 
the wall as Bob-O said.  Gravity is an essential tool here.
4) If you have a low serial number (up to 100, I believe) the logic 
card is a hassle to align correctly in the slots in the top half of 
the case as you put together.  Don't even try to force it one iota. 
If it's not in easy it's not in.  If you push down hoping it will 
fall into place then you have real problems as it'll get wedged in 
the top case and you can damage the board trying to lift the case 
back off.  This problem has been fixed with the new units now 
shipping.
5)The main AC wires coming from the FET board to the AC board are 
connected via spade connectors.  When reasemmbling you have to get 
those on first before putting the board in or after by using long 
needle nose.  If you have a problem with something else that has and 
you disconnecting and reconnecting these several times they can, like 
all spade connectors, become loose.  So you may have to recrimp them 
some.   I've never considered blue or yellow spade connectors to be 
the best 20 A solution.   They're fine when they're tight but be 
aware.  It's possible to switch polarity here!  Read the board 
(hot/neutral) before reconnecting!
6)  Make sure the Main O ring and the terminal O rings are in the 
slots while assembling.  They can expand and want to pop out if the 
temperature is right.

Other than those minor things to watch for the unit is a snap to 
service in the field.  The wave form is very sweet.  Goodbye buzz! 
It bolts to the wall easily in any orientation.  It's light and small 
enough to install alone if necessary.  You can replace a DR or SW 
without changing much in terms of DC or AC wiring.

Bravo Outback!!!!

Peace,

Jeff C.

>Alan,
>I've done a few FX upgrades myself. Here's what I've found.
>1)Buy a 4MM T handle Bondhus allen wrench with about a 6" length. 
>That is all the "special" tools you need. BTW, this is also the 
>perfect tool for replacing ES&D nozzles for you hydro guys. Yeah, 
>the DC cable studs are 13mm, but the 1/2" box wrench in my already 
>too heavy tool belt works just fine.
>2)Definitely take the machine off the wall and set it flat to work 
>on. Life is short. It's less than 60 lbs, so this is not much of a 
>hassle.
>3)It's pretty easy to mash the ribbon cable which connects the ac 
>board to the FET board between the case halves. Spare yourself the 
>grief by taping it to the relay on the ac board.
>4) If you buy the FXA kit, you get the ac box and the DC cable 
>covers you need to be NEC OK all in one heap at a discount over 
>buying the individual pieces.
>This thing is an offgrid installer's dream. Not too heavy to hold 
>and screw up at the same time and just one service call needed to 
>fix it should you get a rotter. Oh yeah....
>Best, bob-O
>
>>As planned, on Saturday we replaced the main control board and installed the
>>low-idle kit (which I believe is standard on production units) in the beta
>>FX2024. All went without a hitch, and worked as expected upon completion. A
>>few observations:
>>1. The design structure of allowing in-field internal component replacement
>>and upgrade is a major improvement over existing inverters, which must be
>>replaced and/or sent out for service/upgrades. This on-site approach, an
>>"authorized servicing installer" training program, and a small stock of
>>replacement parts will make our work much easier, imho.
>>2. The supplied instructions were clear. They were also funny at times,
>>which was welcome.
>>3. For the first time, we will need to carry some metric tools--hex keys,
>>sockets, etc.--and a few simple specialized tools. A benchtop power supply
>>is useful, too. Plan accordingly.
>>4. Plan to use the AC conduit box accessory. This beta unit doesn't have it,
>>and disconnecting/reconnecting AC wiring without it is pretty tight.
>>5. With the low-idle option installed, we measured idle current at .6A @25.5
>>VDC, or about 15 watts.
>>
>>Allan @Positive E
>
>--
>Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection
>PO Box 203, Hornbrook, CA 96044
>800.945.7587 or 530.475.3402
>fax 530-475-3401
>www.electronconnection.com
>
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