[RE-wrenches] Outback FNDC relay, Flex Net Review

Nick Lucchese nickl at sierrasolar.com
Fri Oct 16 18:12:01 PDT 2009


> Anyone else have an opinion on the Flex net system?

Sorry for coming late to the discussion (again). The only issue I've  
seen with the FNDC so far was the early units that they swapped out.  
Even then the only issue it had was that 2 days of every 60 contained  
a day recorded as zeros. However I still use the AGS and FX Aux  
terminals for gen start. Personally I use the FNDC relay to control  
my pump during summer months. No problem to report there after two  
summers of operation however I am not using the SOC option. Those  
that say the screens are not friendly, what is not intuitive and  
friendly about the scrolling screens? The Trimetric is easier to  
understand than the FNDC? Really? 80% of my customers are not  
technical and are scared to navigate through any screens on the Mate  
(the same ones that always left the Trimetric on volts) but as long  
as I can get them to actually look at it scrolling it's become a very  
valuable tool for me and the customer. Now if I can only get them to  
turn the generator input breaker on before calling me with their  
"emergency" that the batteries won't charge. I find I can count on  
all the Outback products to perform as designed however the customers  
would still rather place the burden on me to interpret the manual and  
turn the magical breakers that they turned off back on. If the "AC  
IN" light is something they cannot grasp then yes the FNDC screens  
are pointless.

Nick A Lucchese



On Oct 14, 2009, at 12:54 PM, William Miller wrote:

> Kent:
>
> From the Flex Net DC manual, page 16:  "OutBack strongly recommends  
> using the AGS function of the MATE to control a generator."   I  
> assume from your post, you are using the Auto mode to have the  
> relay control a generator, a practice that the above quotation  
> recommends against.  This may relate directly to your problems.
>
> I have no experience with the Flex Net but I took this opportunity  
> to review the manual more thoroughly than I have previously.  My  
> conclusion is that the Flex Net is a great tool for the technically  
> inclined but offers a minimal convenience for the lay person.  The  
> State of Charge function may be a more realistic method of  
> determining actual state of charge, but if it operates at all like  
> the E-meter or the Tri-Metric, it is prone to inaccuracy.  The  
> variables associated with individual battery banks, particularly as  
> they age, make accurate calibration a moving target.  Overall, the  
> Flex net has the potential to increase customer confusion with a  
> proliferation of synoptic (overly succinct) menus.
>
> Again, I call on the technicians in the industry to create a user  
> interface with the lay person in mind.  See previous rant.
>
> I may find I recommend this system for remote locations so I can  
> poll statistics and interpret for the client, but I will not train  
> a client on the use of this unless he or she is particularly inclined.
>
> Anyone else have an opinion on the Flex net system?
>
> William Miller
>
>
>
> At 12:13 PM 10/14/2009, you wrote:
>> Has anyone besides me had problems using the relay in the Outback  
>> FNDC?  I've had three different customers report that their  
>> generators failed to turn off.
>>
>> -- 
>> Kent Osterberg
>> Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.
>> www.bluemountainsolar.com
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