[RE-wrenches] Late 2010 Report: Magnum Advanced Remote & Magnum Switchgear

[Brian Faley]

Thanks Mick for the post we always welcome feedback from installers
after all you guys are the experts! A couple of notes to clarify Mick's
observations.

Mick is correct, the version 2.1 of the ME-ARC release Feb 2010 did have
a software bug where the decimal point was in the wrong place in the
Amps IN/OUT meter. The calculation for the SOC meter was still correct
so the actual SOC displayed was correct but the individual meter was
wrong by a factor of 10. The bug was reported in May 2010 and the fix
(along with some new features) was released Nov 2010. We apologize for
the inconvenience this bug caused but we didn't recall the product as
the SOC was still correct, which is the most critical meter to determine
battery SOC. 

Again thanks for your insight on the MMP and MP panels. We use Torx
fasters not as a deterrent but because the sheet metal is "funnel
punched", which means when we receive it there are no threads for the
screws. We use a special thread forming screw (not to be confused with
self tapping screws, thread forming screws leave no metal shavings when
forming the threads) to drive into the sheet metal which takes some
force to achieve the threads. We use Torx instead of Phillips heads
because Phillips heads screws strip out to easily during the process of
using the thread forming screws. We have used Torx thread forming
fasteners in our products from the very inception of Magnum and you may
notice they hold the top covers and all the boards together in the
inverters.

The original MMP units did not have a charge controller bracket. It was
added later as were the PEM nuts for the mounting to the MMP, so there
are no holes to drill on the current MMP. The charger controller bracket
fits the right or left hand side and fits: MidNite, Outback and
Morningstar controllers. The controller is mounted with the nipple at
the bottom and the bracket holds the top of the controller from
"pivoting". For the Outback controllers there is also a hole in the MMP
if you want to take one of the controller cover screws out you can
reinsert the screw through the MMP into the controller.

The last item I will mention is the lack of a bracket to mount the
standard remote to the MP panels. The MP panels are designed for
multiple parallel inverter installations which a ME-RTR (we call it a
router, like a Hub and Mate in one unit) is required so you can parallel
two or more inverters. We do provide a router bracket since most likely
you would use an MMP for one inverter and the MP for multiple inverters.

Hope this helps, and again thanks Mick your insight.


Brian Faley
Chief Engineer
Magnum Energy
2111 W Casino Rd
Everett, WA 98204
425-353-8833
bfaley at magnumenergy.com



> Message: 8
> Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:02:44 -0700
> From: Mick Abraham <mick at abrahamsolar.com>
> To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
> Subject: [RE-wrenches] Late 2010 Report: Magnum Advanced Remote &
> 	Magnum	switchgear
> Message-ID:
> 	<AANLkTimEkFU25q5zbJeL-DE8Q6iLu_kOYP4Nhd1mhqP=@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> Greetings, Mechanix~
> 
> The ARC-50 product from Magnum Energy--the Advanced Remote--has some
> features not available on the regular RC-50--such as an internal clock
to
> manage things like generator quiet time. The ARC-50 is much less
navigable
> compared to the RC-50 but that's understandable.
> 
> Here's a warning about a "zero day defect" in the firmware on the
ARC-50.
> Version 2.1 is the first one that has been shipping and this version
will
> not play nice with the BMK Battery Monitoring Kit from the same
company.
> The
> glitch is subtle and not easily recognized but the "amp hours from
full"
> counter in the BMK counts incorrectly--by a factor of ten.
> 
> Version 2.2 is now available but I believe Magnum has not issued a
recall
> of
> the early version so some of the old firmware may be sitting on the
> shelves.
> I was not pleased to learn that Magnum had known about this
problem--and
> even had named it internally--but was continuing to ship product with
the
> buggy code. The company will upgrade the firmware for existing units
but
> they do not offer any hassle compensation for the installers.
> 
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 
> I have recently worked with the Magnum Mini Panel (R) and also with an
> MPSL-version (bigger) control box. Here's a report that some of the
> Mechanix
> may find useful. Disclosure: I gain nothing from the switchgear
choices
> which are made by my fellow installers, so this is unbiased feedback.
> 
> Both of these Magnum control boxes use Torx fasteners extensively so
just
> getting the front cover off requires a tool quest beforehand. At least
> they're not tamperproof Torx but one still must wonder why obstacles
must
> be
> erected. It's not like there are radioactive components inside.
> 
> Both of the above mentioned control boxes come with a charge
controller
> mounting bracket. That same part shows up on the Magnum website as if
one
> must purchase it separately but I found it included. This bracket is
much
> less robust--and more "floppy"--compared to what one would receive
with a
> Midnite E-Panel (R) or Outback (R) control box. On the Mini Panel the
> holes
> for mounting the bracket were, um, missing so I had to drill my own.
It
> was
> fairly simple to devise something better but in future I will be aware
> that
> the standard bracket needs help. In one case I backed up the charge
> controller with a block of wood to deal with the floppiness, but these
> power
> electronics should ideally be mounted on a non-combustible surface,
right?
> 
> The Mini Panel clearly competes directly with the Midnite E-Panel but
> instead of mounting the inverter to the "door" of an E-Panel, the
inverter
> and Mini Panel would both mount to the same vertical surface, over and
> under. Magnum also sells a steel back plate to create a gap between
the
> inverter and the wall behind it. All of the breaker toggles face
forward
> on
> the Magnum control boxes and a 500 amp shunt is pre-installed as we
might
> expect. The MMP has some creatively formed bus bars to route the DC
power
> and the inverter studs bolt to those. E series breakers will bolt in
for
> DC
> controls as with a PV controller. Those switches are robust except for
the
> flimsy mounting tab at top, but those switches are 1" wide apiece--a
> concern
> since every box seems too small and the Mini Panel is already the
"compact
> model". The MMP accepts either of the Magnum Remote Controls without a
> side-mount bracket. A rectangular plate can be removed from the front
> cover
> to accept the RC-50 or ARC-50; it looks nice that way. MMP can handle
a
> single inverter only.
> 
> The larger MPSL type control box can handle one inverter for starters
with
> room to add a second one in future. Other, bigger boxes can scale the
> system
> even larger. The Magnum brochure shows something which resembles the
RC-50
> hanging on a side mount bracket but no bracket for that purpose is
> supplied.
> That's a drawback, methinks. The photo actually shows the Magnum
"router"
> for which I have yet to find a sufficiently wealthy client. The
bracket
> comes along when one buys the router, I am told. MPSL does not use as
much
> in the way of creative metal bus bars but conservation of interior
space
> is
> slightly less critical. The unit I bought came with a 250 amp DC
breaker
> but
> the short DC cables to bolt onto the inverter studs are only 2/0. That
> surprised me; I called Magnum to ask if those should not be 4/0
instead
> but
> they're reply was, "Don't sweat it; the unit is ETL listed the way it
is
> built." I suppose since these jumpers are so short it's only a matter
of
> ampacity and not a voltage drop consideration.
> 
> Both boxes use the venerable Square D QOU unit mount breakers for AC.
> Maybe
> I'm sentimental, but I like those. MPSL creatively allows one to bolt
in a
> DIN rail or leave it out. The DC side of that box can therefore
> accommodate
> the Midnite gfi breaker set, 1/2" wide DIN rail breakers, E series one
> inchers, etc. QOU's would also fit but I decided to not use those for
DC.
> QOU's are 3/4" wide, of course, and this bigger box also wound up too
> crowded--it is ever thus.
> 
> I hope this report from the field will be helpful, and I thank all
List
> participants for their valuable assistance. The Wrench List is the
Bomb!
> 
> Mick Abraham, Proprietor
> www.abrahamsolar.com
> 
> Voice: 970-731-4675