Outback Inverters [RE-wrenches]

Wed Apr 14 15:02:02 PDT 2004

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Did you change out the boards , or are you running on the original #00004 
stuff? Mine wouldn't search below 3/10s of an amp AC, so  I  couldn't 
really use it. (It took 4 compact fluorescent together to bring it out of 
search)  My other gripe with the FX is you have to get all those other 
adapters to do it right, while the SW+ butts right up to a PSDC and the AC 
side is the nicest of any inverter I have ever wired.
Your experience with the MX60 is similar to mine; they really max the array 
output. Twice now I have actually seen over the PV nameplate rating wattage 
being put into the batteries. That's with underrated Shell SP140s though.

I'm off to study for the NABCEP, have you taken it yet? I found 4 out of 74 
practice test questions that I thought were wrong and so did the other 
wrenches I showed them to. I hope the actual test doesn't have junk like 
that on it. I think its a good idea overall though. Kind of like Outback: 
they just have to work the bugs out and it will be a great program.

Ray

  At 02:24 PM 4/14/2004, you wrote:
>
>
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>  Ray
>
>  and all I thought I would just give you a heads up on my so far limited
>experience with the new Outback GVFX3648. I guess I feel lucky to have
>serial number 00004.
>
>
>
>Yesterday I fired it up for the first time in a less than ideal situation.
>
>
>
>I am testing this unit with a bank of ultracapacitors that hopefully will
>eliminate the need for batteries in grid tie with backup in full sun
>conditions or at the least supply heavy surge current when paralleled with a
>very small (26 amp hour battery bank).
>
>
>
>Here is what I found so far.
>
>Upon application of battery power it fired right up and went into grid sell
>mode.
>
>I had not looked at the utility meter first (which I should have) to verify
>that it in fact was running but as someone who is only familiar with the SW
>s I could not tell from the mate so I called Robin who passed me on to John
>who cleared it all up for me in spite of a bad cell phone connection.
>
>
>
>I had about 1200 watts of PV laying out in the parking lot that I hooked up
>to the MX60 and in full sun ran some initial tests.
>
>
>
>Without any changes in setup I was feeding about 800+ watts back to the grid
>  This is with a real mongrel arrangement of several different brands and
>types of modules on less than ideal cable sizing etc. Not bad.
>
>
>
>
>
>With a 500 watt flood light, about 300 watts of office lighting and a PC
>with monitor hooked up I shut down the grid connection and without so much
>as a light blink the FX picked up the load and ran fine. PC stayed on line.
>I then disconnected the batteries ( through a Kilovac contactor) and ran on
>only the caps (22 2700 Farad Maxwells in series). Again everything stayed on
>line.
>
>Then I left all these loads on and started a 1 hp air compressor with no
>problem even when the tank was at full pressure. So long as I had full sun I
>could run just about anything I wanted without the voltage sagging.
>Interestingly I shut down the PV and allowed the loads to run on only the
>caps.
>
>With about 280 watts of load I allowed the inverter to operate down to 30
>volts and still delivered 109 volts. This took about 9 minutes. Not a real
>world application but thought it was interesting.
>
>
>
>I still need to get more familiar with the new programming on the Mate ,run
>more tests, but this morning it all came back on line and it is still
>feeding the grid.
>
>I need to add more PV this week and run the MX60 at its limits and do some
>grid intertie efficiency tests.
>
>
>
>So far the FX does exactly what the SW's do and allot more without all the
>bad things the SW's do.
>
>I'll give additional updates as I learn more.
>
>
>
>BTW of all the FX's I have installed off grid I have never had so much as a
>hiccup except for  the real early betas.
>
>
>
>Larry Elliott
>
>
>
>
>
>Hi All;
>
>
>
>I really want to help Outback succeed, & I love the PSDC and the MX60 so
>
>far.., but my experience with the FX inverters has been less than stellar.
>
>We're looking at 8 months of downtime of 16 months of service. Some of it
>
>is our fault, I took serial # 00037 when I knew I should have waited. With
>
>this last failure, we could have been back up months ago, but the customer
>
>wants the new grid intertie capability. Every month I hear it will be ready
>
>next week. I do understand working the bugs out and I don't feel like
>
>driving six hours to reinstall the equipment until I can be assured it will
>
>last. When is a realistic ship date for the grid tie versions? Any wrenches
>
>out there have one of these babies?
>
>As with many of us in the industry, Outback is working hard to support
>
>their product, but may sometimes be a little over optimistic.
>
>I'm a flaming optimist myself....but for now I'm using the SW+ series for
>
>my offgrid projects.
>
>
>
>Ray
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>.
>
>===========================================================
>Bounces like rubber! Shatters like ceramic! Discover Crazy
>Aaron's Thinking Putty in grown up handfuls. It's the
>creativity unleashing, mood enhancing desk toy!
>http://click.topica.com/caab8Ldbz8QcsbeuiVOf/ Crazy Aaron Enterprises
>===========================================================
>
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