[RE-wrenches] Instruction manual / User interface rant

[R Ray Walters]

For this and cost reasons ($295!) I almost never offer a MATE on my Outback systems. We just keep one on  the truck adjust everything, and then pull it.
I've waited for close to 10 years now for the computer interface, so you could pull everything up in a Windows screen, click on the particular parameter for more info and adjustment.
The Pentametric does that, and its nice except for the old serial connection.
William, I'd be interested in being on the manual review board. Do we get paid anything or is it sort of like all that unofficial product beta testing we've done......

R. Walters
ray at solarray.com
Solar Engineer




On Oct 17, 2011, at 10:25 PM, <mark at hurshtown.com> <mark at hurshtown.com> wrote:

> I am in full agreement.
> The Outback remote darn near needs a college degree to operate.
> The sensitive parameters you mentioned should be in the password protected area.
> 
> Mark
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [RE-wrenches] Instruction manual / User interface rant
> From: William Miller <william at millersolar.com>
> Date: Mon, October 17, 2011 7:49 pm
> To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
> 
> Friends:
> 
> I just returned home from a long drive to troubleshoot a problem with an Outback FX system.  I found that the customer, in the process of using a remote Mate to start the generator, had inadvertently turned the global charge control setting to "off".  This causes a problem that is very serious but hard to detect:  The generator will run but it will not charge the batteries.  No one can know how long ago this was done, but in the meantime the customers batteries were chronically undercharged.
> 
> Just a month ago I found another Outback system where the customer (or someone from another "solar" company) had selected the "drop" setting from the "use" menu.  Similar results to the previous case, but in this situation the customer had to use the bypass breakers to get power to the house while the batteries did not charge.
> 
> To my mind, this is one of the big problems with all manufacturers of technical equipment:  Poor user interface.  Who, in their right mind, would put controls to disable critical functions in the same menu tree as the control to do a common place, frequently used function such as starting a generator remotely?  And the screens are all almost identical.  This is extremely poor design.
> 
> On a similar subject, all off-grid inverter manuals are written very poorly.  For example, why put the installation instructions in the front of the manual?  You install a system once, but you operate it every day.  The installation instructions should be in the back and the operating instructions in the front (or better yet, in separate books).  Why are we trying to use the same manual for the installer as for the user?  A majority of users need a 4 page manual that includes:  1. how to turn the system on and off, 2. how to read and interpret a few critical meter functions, 3. how (and why) to equalize batteries and 4. what to do when your power goes out.  That's it.  For the few users that want to know more, they can wade through the installation / technical manual.
> 
> We provide our own checklists to all of our customers to perform the limited functions described above.  For a sample, see: file:///D:/William/Web/Dreamweaver/Miller%20Solar/MillerSolar/Services/Support/_support.htmll
> 
> We provide these instruction sets to our install clients and sell them to others, including other installers (off list, if you are interested).
> 
> I am volunteering to be on a peer review panel to critique users manuals for off-grid inverter manufacturer's.  Maybe if a few of us grey beards look over these manuals before they are printed, we can get them straightened out.  Anyone else on board?
> 
> Rant off.
> 
> William Miller
> 
> PS:  Any manual not pre-punched for a three hole binder is not worth the paper it is printed on.
> 
> Wm
> 
> William Miller 
> Miller Solar
> Voice :805-438-5600
> email: william at millersolar.com
> http://millersolar.com
> License No. C-10-773985
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