[RE-wrenches] Magnum inverters (not really a power factor issue)

[Darryl Thayer]

The 120 leg to leg, that is strange.  Is it possible the Inverter has an output not split phase?  perhaps 2 phase or 4 phase? giving the phase to neutral a normal value and the phase to phase a weird value?  I do not think thy would build it this way.  

--- On Sat, 8/1/09, Matt Tritt <solarone at charter.net> wrote:

> From: Matt Tritt <solarone at charter.net>
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Magnum inverters (not really a power factor issue)
> To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
> Date: Saturday, August 1, 2009, 10:43 PM
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
>  
> The next time I'm up there I'll take another tech
> with me, plenty of
> meters and go through every DC and AC connection (they all
> looked good
> first time around) to try and get to the bottom of the
> problem prior to
> taking a harder look at Magnum. I have to say, though, that
> I have
> heard a couple of comments that tend to suggest that the
> inverter might
> turn out to be one logical place to look. I like these
> inverters a lot,
> and I really hope that we find some other issue. 
> 
> 
> 
> To replay the symptoms, there is no audible or visual (as
> in motor
> starter noises or dimming light) indication that the pump
> is attempting
> to do anything other than sit there when inverter voltage
> is connected
> to it. When the genny power is applied, there is a
> discernable working
> under a load sound from the engine, and the pump works. I
> only had the
> homeowner's lousy dime store anaglog meter to work
> with, but the
> voltage from the inverter was right on 120 volts per leg.
> When I
> checked phase to phase I also only got 120 - that's
> kind of weird, but
> it might simply be the meter. All the household loads run
> flawlessly
> (but this is a pretty fundamental cabin, so the TV and DVD
> player are
> the most exotic things plugged in. The run to the pump is
> adequately
> sized - - - - - in other words, it all seems run of the
> mill, except
> that the pump only ran successfully one time and not on any
> further
> attempts. Golly..
> 
> 
> 
> Matt
> 
> 
> 
> boB Gudgel wrote:
> Larry
> Crutcher, Starlight Solar wrote:
>   
> 
>   Hey Matt, 
> 
> I sure wish their techie's would get to the bottom of
> it. I am getting
> gun-shy about selling Magnum and they are about the best
> available for
> small 12 volt systems. I have spend hours trying to solve
> the problem.
> My customer is still not a happy camper.
>     
> 
>     
> 
> Larry Crutcher
>     
> 
> Starlight Solar
>     
> 
> (928) 941-1660
>     
> 
> Renewable Energy Products, Service and Installation
>     
> 
>   
>   
> 
> Can you get someone to look at the voltage and/or current
> going into
> that pump ??   Scope ?   Meter ? 
> Even a
>   
> 
> power factor meter would have both voltage and current
> measurements. 
> Some even have a mediocre scope built in.
>   
> 
> A scope AND a meter is best of course.
>   
> 
>   
> 
> Need  stats.  AC an DC side.  AC voltage at
> the pump and at the
> inverter.
>   
> 
>   
> 
> Must have more information.    Yes, it
> ~could~ be a Magnum inverter
> issue, but need more information other than "it
> doesn't work"
>   
> 
>   
> 
> Does the voltage dip when the pump tries to start ? 
> What is the
> maximum Ac and DC current ?  Most basic info for
> troubleshooting.
>   
> 
>   
> 
> The inverter manufacturer can probably help somewhat if
> they have this
> info.
>   
> 
>   
> 
> Just a suggestion here.
>   
> 
>   
> 
> boB
>   
> 
>   
> 
>   
> 
>   
> 
>   
> 
>   
> 
>     
> 
>     
> 
> On Aug 1, 2009, at 4:28 PM, Matt Tritt wrote:
>     
> 
>     
> 
>     I took boB's advice and
> talked to Magnum
> about the problem. Their take on it? "Hmmm, beats
> me!" I might be
> paraphrasing, but that's the drift. All in all, I'd
> say that the
> suggestions from the group are at least as good as the
> one's from the
> manufacturer.
>       
> 
>       
> 
> Matt T
>       
> 
>       
> 
> Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar wrote:
>       
> 
>       Don't forget, this is a
> Magnum inverter
> and Magnum has issues. I have  two customers with
> Magnum problems. One
> is a washer that will work  perfectly on a cheap
> import inverter; the
> other has a Vizio TV that  works fine on shore power
> and generator.
> Soooo...maybe there are pumps  and other items that
> are anti-Magnum.
>         
> 
>         
> 
>         
> 
> Larry Crutcher
>         
> 
> Starlight Solar
>         
> 
> (928) 941-1660
>         
> 
> Renewable Energy Products, Service and Installation
>         
> 
>         
> 
>       
>     
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