[RE-wrenches] Midnite Solar AIO question

Mon Jul 22 08:43:46 PDT 2024

The AIO can be used as a standard GridTie inverter without batteries. So
can replace current inverters or install new and add storage at a later
date.

On Mon, Jul 22, 2024 at 11:33 AM Christopher Warfel via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> I wasn't aware of the new AIO product until this thread.  I downloaded the
> manual and quick start guide and wanted to ask if this can be used without
> batteries, and then batteries added later, as with Sol Ark. All the
> schematics in the AIO show batteries.  Searching didn't help with the
> terms I was using.
>
> The reality is I am  66, just picked a Medicare Plan today!, so not too
> much time on the horizon.  However I have two jobs that want to use
> batteries later, not now.
>
> Thanks for any help. Chris
>
>
>
>
> On 7/21/2024 10:36 AM, Howie Michaelson via RE-wrenches wrote:
>
> Jay,
> I have not tried it with anything but the Midnite BMS, so no personal
> experience.  Midnite says it is compatible with others, and I will take
> William's word that it is compatible with Pylon protocol.
> Howie
>
> On Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 10:32 AM William Bryce via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi Jay
>>
>> The AIO will work with any battery that uses the Pylon battery
>> protocall.
>> You can find some Youtube videos of it being used with the EG4 wall mount
>> batteries.
>>
>> On Sun, Jul 21, 2024 at 9:29 AM jay via RE-wrenches <
>> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>
>>> HI Howie,
>>>
>>> Does the AIO communicate with other brands of batteries?
>>>
>>> I concure about using batteries/inverters from same OEM, its my
>>> preference.
>>>
>>> Jay
>>>
>>> On Jul 20, 2024, at 6:37 PM, Howie Michaelson via RE-wrenches <
>>> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> I have been testing a pre-production model of Midnite's AIO (All in One)
>>> inverter/charge controller in my off-grid house (replaced a dual stacked
>>> VFX3648, Midnite Classic200 and an AC coupled SunnyBoy), and while I
>>> haven't put it through any serious tests yet, I am impressed with its
>>> functions and spec's.  I also have a couple of 5kWh LiFePO4 batteries with
>>> their BMS that I just added to the system (replacing a 1300 ah 2-volt
>>> Lead-Acid battery bank), and the integration was seamless (really plug and
>>> play, compared to an often more complicated pairing between other
>>> all-in-ones I've been installing (Sol-Ark, Fortress). I've gotten a sneak
>>> peak at their monitoring site which is still under intensive development,
>>> and what I've seen looks pretty good. I was not a fan of the all-in-ones
>>> when they started to flood the market (Sonnen, Pika/Generac, etc.)
>>> especially ones with the batteries integrated.  But I have converted over
>>> to them almost exclusively as they are much simpler for my clients to
>>> understand - their programming and operation as well as their
>>> communications are much better integrated and cleaner in my opinion. They
>>> of course have had power issues and firmware headaches, which is why I am
>>> sticking to inverters and batteries from the same manufacturer. I will keep
>>> you all up to date on my experience with the production model of the
>>> Midnite AIO as I install them and with the Midnite LiFePO4 batteries as
>>> they become available.
>>>
>>> Howie Michaelson
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Jul 20, 2024 at 7:26 PM Dan Fink via RE-wrenches <
>>> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> James Showalter from Signature Solar and Eric Lundgren from Big Battery
>>>> purchased Outback Solar. I have had terrible tech support experiences from
>>>> both of those outfits, they tend to conveniently "forget" your engineering
>>>> and NEC code compliance support requests when the answer is just simply
>>>> "no, not yet UL listed" or "we don't know if that feature works or not."
>>>> I'm not sure how these prolific suppliers of cheap crap products with
>>>> terrible QC and NIB failure rates intend to compete, but my guess is that
>>>> they have control of the big crap overseas product pipeline nozzle and
>>>> intend to steer the huge stream of sewage in our direction. Sol-Ark just
>>>> imports Deye products and retrofits them with their own upgrades and
>>>> firmware. Magnum has vanished, much to my dismay as my own system is Magnum
>>>> as are dozens of my customers.
>>>>
>>>> Us off-grid folks still have a couple guys named boB and Robin at
>>>> Midnite that still manufacture, sell and support good products. Maybe
>>>> Morningstar will up their game into larger inverters. Why are all these
>>>> shady import companies based in Texas? Inquiring minds want to know! BTW, I
>>>> hate all-in-ones, never had a single good experience, just endless firmware
>>>> and comms updates and such simple issues resulting in multiple truck rolls.
>>>>
>>>> I miss Lones Tuss of Outback calling me back on a Friday evening at 7PM
>>>> and remotely diagnosing my client's VFX / Mate 3S issues whilst doing his
>>>> laundry at home, after I submitted a ticket earlier that day. The client
>>>> seriously thought I was pulling a practical joke on him until I put Lones
>>>> on speaker.
>>>>
>>>> Strange new world for us off-grid folks. I'll have to stick with the
>>>> very few companies left that I trust. Yes, yes, Schneider, but their tech
>>>> support is almost impenetrable.
>>>>
>>>> Our strange new off-grid world seems to be destined as crap from
>>>> Alibaba and Amazon, and it all smells rather off to me, like the "fresh
>>>> fish" at a run-down Safeway in eastern Kansas....
>>>>
>>>> Dan Fink
>>>> Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
>>>> IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
>>>> NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
>>>> NABCEP PV Associate
>>>> d <dan.fink at greendustrialtraining.com>anbob88 at gmail.com
>>>> 970-672-4342
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Jul 20, 2024 at 3:22 PM Jay via RE-wrenches <
>>>> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I just checked the OB forums page and there is nothing current.
>>>>>
>>>>> One thing I found says that the new president of OB is the CEO of Big
>>>>> Battery. I don’t know that to be a fact.
>>>>> Which is also somehow related to signature solar/ EG4.
>>>>>
>>>>> My guess is that if/when OB resurfaces it won’t have the same
>>>>> products. It’ll just be an old name selling new products and they won’t be
>>>>> dealing with old legacy products, warranty or MX or tech support.
>>>>>
>>>>> I could be way wrong.
>>>>>
>>>>> But anyone trying to keep a product line going wouldn’t just stop all
>>>>> communication for a few months.
>>>>>
>>>>> Maybe someone who has been an OB distributor might know more about
>>>>> what’s up?  I no longer have any of those contacts.
>>>>>
>>>>> New world, fellow wrenches.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jay
>>>>>
>>>>>
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> --
>        Christopher Warfel
>           ENTECH Engineering Inc.
>    PO Box 871, Block Island, RI 02807
>                   401-477-5773
> [image: EE Logo] <https://entech-engineering.com/Home/default.php>
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