Outback and Xantrex VAPOR WARE [RE-wrenches]

[Ezra Auerbach, DragonSun Consulting]

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Hello Wrenches,

It would be good to remember that there are a few other domestic  
manufacturers making battery based with grid tie inverters. In recent  
years I've worked for both Beacon and now Alpha and they both offer  
system solution products which address most of the concerns expressed  
on this forum.

 From my recent experience working with Alpha I'm mostly amazed that  
so many Wrenches don't know about their Solaris XP product. Its  
continuous power ratings are taken at 50C and they support external  
AC and DC generators, offer optional string balancing technology (The  
telecom world has had stand-by batteries to maintain and monitor) for  
a very long time. I didn't even know that AC ripple onto batteries  
was an issue that inverter/charger manufacturers addressed until I  
started working with these folks.)

So have a look outside of the usual boxes and you might be pleasantly  
surprised at what's available.

Cheers,

Ezra

DragonSun Consulting
250 333 8650



On 29-Apr-07, at 6:56 AM, blair may wrote:

>
>
> Remember that when OB was just coming on line, the words "vapor  
> ware" were thrown about quite regularly when discussing other  
> product lines.
> We as installers are asked to install new products and live w/ the  
> vapor ware still today! Despite what it might seem, the  
> manufacturers ARE listening to our suggestions & responding. Lets  
> be positive but continue to pressure them to live up to their  
> promises and adapt to changes in the industry!
> Lets just say,  we as installers are out installing their ability  
> to refine their products! Good job ladies & gentlemen!
>
>
>> Then you might like the new Xantrex battery-based series that was  
>> going to be out 6 months ago! ;-) Or, you might like the Fronius  
>> battery-based units that should be out later this year (Really!),  
>> or - you might try the new Sunny Island system (if you don't mind  
>> having to spend considerable $$$). It's too bad that this  
>> discussion has to happen at all, considering what should be  
>> possible with OutBack.
>>
>> Matt T
>>
>> Jeff Yago wrote:
>>
>>> I really like Outback products and many of the "original" design  
>>> group, but maybe its time for some real competition for a change  
>>> to finally get us the hardware we need.
>>>
>>>
>>> We need equipment that is flexible and easy for non-technical  
>>> home-owner to operate, especially when it comes to battery  
>>> monitoring.  We find batteries for on-grid systems rarely get  
>>> proper maintenance, and batteries on grid-tie backup systems  
>>> almost never get cycled, so there needs to be better battery  
>>> monitoring built into inverters with easy to understand warning  
>>> lights or error messages you don't need a 60 page manual to  
>>> understand.  We need inverters that have both grid AC input and  
>>> generator AC input even if we only use one on some projects.  We  
>>> need hardware that does not loose 40 programmed setpoints every  
>>> time some idiot turns off the main DC cir. bkr. by mistake.  We  
>>> need products that can operate on different voltages by switching  
>>> a jumper, and not having to stock totally different models, and  
>>> finally, I want this stupid game we play with code officials and  
>>> utility companies related to these totally useless outside dis- 
>>> connects to end.  They can't even agree on where to l
>> ocate them or what kind of covers to have, let alone prove they  
>> will ever be used by the linemen!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> We need some new products, or old products with new features, or  
>>> maybe I'm just getting too old and cranky, and expecting way too  
>>> much from others?      Lets see, where did I put that Xantrex  
>>> catalog.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Jeff Yago
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>
>
>
>              Tump at hughes.net
>               www.SWNL.net
>    Serving Mid Coast Maine & Northern California
>      Me.# 207-832-7574  Cl.#  610-517-8401
>
>       ********  MAINE'S CHARTER ********
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>
>       ********  MAINE'S CHARTER ********
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>
>
> --
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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