[RE-wrenches] Magnum: meter won't reset; Internal Bridge error

[mick abraham]

boB asked:

"Does this customer have another charging source besides a generator, like PV?"

Mick says: No...that is unfortunate because the customer doesn't want to allow
the generator to grind away for the additional hours required for a full
recharge. They've been shutting the generator down when the Magnum display
shows 99%. If the client could win the lottery, renewables could be added but
job one has been to reduce their bill for diesel.

About the meter reset problem, boB says: "1) The return Amps must go below 2%
of the Amp-Hour setting for the battery bank (settings via the remote)." 

Mick says: The battery string is 400 amp hours, which also happens to be the
Magnum default. This setting pre-disposes the Magnum charger for a 120 minute
absorption period before shifting to float. 2% of 400 is only eight amps, so
I'll bet the Magnum unit is dropping into float before the DC amperage can
taper to the 2% level. I need to get my customer to confirm that as a possible
explanation why we're not getting the reset...if I can explain that in a fax.

Note 1 to the Magnum engineers: Isn't 5% return amps a more common determinant
of full charge instead of 2%? 

Note 2 to the Magnum engineers: If the charger drops into float how about
allowing that to trigger a reset on the ah meter? In this installation, one
Magnum hand seems to not know what the other Magnum hand is doing...that seems
a shame when the ah meter is networked in with the inverter/charger.

Note 3 to the Magnum engineers: "Shift to float" based on "return amps" seems
better than a shift based on minutes. I realize that not all inverter
customers buy the meter option, but for those who do...it seems that the
networked aspect could deliver another customer advantage if the amp meter
could report the return amps and the charger use this information to decide
when to shift to float. Just wondering...

Thank you, boB, for helping me cut through the customer support muddle. I had
once before tried to get help from Magnum via email and I got no reply.

Mick Abraham, Proprietor
www.abrahamsolar.com
Voice: 970-731-4675

P.S. I also think my customer has some problem in his fairly new battery
string. After pushing the Magnum charger all the way to float, the Magnum ah
meter clocked only 137 amp hours of DC delivery before the inverter shut down
due to low voltage. I think I'll loan the client a PakTrakr voltage monitor
which can connect to each 6v unit all the way up the battery string, and we'll
look for anomalies. Maybe we'll find one zombie...