[RE-wrenches] Magnum problem

[Dan Fink]

I have had issues before with Magnum inverter/chargers not accepting AC
input from certain generators. In one case, it would not charge from a
Honda 3kw cube, but worked fine with camp’s Honda 2kw. Magnum said it was a
Honda problem, Honda said it was a Magnum problem. We ended up just
rearranging generators and inverters between camps. Weird, we never
detected anything odd in voltage or frequency from any of the generators.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
danbob88 at gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Tue, Oct 31, 2023 at 11:39 AM Ron Young via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hello Wrenches,
>
> I am completely stumped. I built a Magnum 4448 panel for a client and it
> was installed by an electrician. It was thoroughly tested before going out
> the door on all functions and pre-programmed for the off-grid site.
> Electrician just had to hang it on the wall and make 4 connections, AC IN,
> AC OUT, BATTERY, PV. Somehow the system wouldn’t go into charge mode. The
> site is a 3 hour trip each way. The electrician was baffled, he had
> experience installing solar but very limited so I went to the site to see
> what the problem was. After spending a day checking out the inverter with
> two different generators, checking all the connections, AC at the inputs at
> the inverter and at the outputs on the breakers, and even removed the cover
> from the inverter to make sure some connections had not shaken loose inside
> the box on the long bumpy road into the property. Everything checked out.
> So assuming the AC board in the inverter was faulty I ordered a new unit to
> replace and that has now been done. SAME PROBLEM! I’m wondering now if it’s
> possible that the Magnum remote monitor could be the problem. It functions
> properly on every setting but is it possible there is an internal fault?
> Could it prevent the automatic charge cycle from initiating? Seems unlikely
> to me because the inverter can go into charge mode even without the
> monitor. I also tried replacing the connection cable between the monitor
> and inverter but no luck.
>
> The generators are both small, one a Honda 2kW and the other a Champion
> 3.8kW. Neither is ideal but I have had no issues with these types of
> generators in the past and the client has ordered a larger 10kW unit but we
> don’t have it yet to test. Generators have been run with Eco Mode off.
> Output to the house on bypass is consistent and without problem.
>
> Any suggestions - this is just confounding.
>
> Ron
>
>
> earthRight Products - Solareagle.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
>
> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org
>
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>
> Change listserver email address & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the
> other:
> https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> List rules & etiquette:
> http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>
> Check out or update participant bios:
> http://www.members.re-wrenches.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org/attachments/20231031/1560813d/attachment.htm>