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

[boB Gudgel]

Darryl Thayer wrote:
> 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.  
>
>   
Matt said:
"When I checked phase to phase I also only got 120"

OK, Matt, that part passed right through me... Hmmmm....  (60 Hz 
Hmmmm... too)

boB



> --- 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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