e-meters [RE-wrenches]

Todd Cory, Mt. Shasta Energy Services toddcory at finestplanet.com
Sat Nov 4 09:56:31 PST 2006


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I think the 50% discharge floor only effects the bar graph and 
percentage of charge displays.

The older e-meters (like more then 6 or 7 years old) did not have the 
"4P" option. They only had the time remaining display, which IMO was 
dumb and useless.

I also like the LOCK function... some customers like to play with the 
buttons and it is comforting to realize there is little they can do to 
mess with the programming as long as the lock remains on... also the 
"hidden" data screes are useful to see how the customer has been 
treating/abusing the batteries.

There is NO EXCUSE for manufacturers to make products that broadcast 
RFI. If I had radio gear that this unit caused harmful interference to, 
that alone would cause me to never use it. I had problems with one of 
Franks early MPPT500's, but after posting a note to the wrench list he 
contacted me, and after swapping out the unit, the noise is gone. (Yeah 
Frank!!)

Lets hope the folks at Xantrex will be as attentive to the wrenches out 
there wanting to use e-meters without RFI. I wonder if the newer ones 
still have this issue? Has anyone else found this problem? Does the 
wrench list Xantrex rep have a reply to this issue??

Todd

Dan Fink wrote:

>Hi Todd -- Great idea! I always made the assumption that setting the
>discharge floor at 50% would somehow mess with the E-meter's programming
>when it re-calculates efficiency (and battery health) every time it fills
>-- the Peukart math, etc. If my assumption was wrong, that's great news!
>
>My own E-meter is really old, I don't believe it can be set to display
>percentage, the manual doesn't mention it (but I'm going to dig it out
>and read it again now, just to be sure!). Guess I should have followed
>the product line evolution more carefully. Blanking the display does not
>cure the RFI, only pulling the fuse does it.
>
>The 'hidden' readings and 'lock' function saved my bacon once with an
>install for an irresponsible 23-year-old customer who insisted he had
>not abused his batteries and wanted a new set of 8 L-16s free of charge.
>I brought his accountant to the site, unlocked the meter and we read the
>ugly figures for deepest discharge and average depth of discharge. I was
>off the hook--though I personally thought the electric toaster oven, big
>screen TV, and Mr Coffee machine were dead giveaways for someone with
>only 300 watts of solar input.
>
>Thanks for the new E-meter info. 
>DAN
>


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