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--></style><title>Re: [RE-wrenches] mate issues AND MORE
ISSUES</title></head><body>
<div>Wrenches,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I know I'm a little late with my post here as I've fallen a
couple weeks behind on reading my Wrenches. Sorry to hear that so many
of you are frustrated with Outback but I just wanted to speak up for
the other side. Ninety five percent of my installation work these days
is off grid and nearly 95% of those are Outback components
exclusively. While I do run into minor glitches here and there Outback
is always there to expedite a set of boards or send out an upgraded
Mate to work with the new Flexnet. I'll admit that sometimes the
combinations of error codes are not intuitive but they are consistent
and predictable and therefore easy to diagnose just as long as your
customer can navigate the menus and communicate with you. Also, in the
few times I've been out of the area and my customer's called Outback
for things that could have been found in the manual my customers have
voiced that Outback's technicians were very helpful and patient with
them. Out of the last five Flexnets I've set up all have been
consistent and appear to be working flawlessly. Only three of them are
set up for auto gen start at this time and I'm still using the Aux and
AGS function through the inverter and not the Flexnet. I also just
program the AGS through volt start and not SOC with the
integrated Flexnet relay. However the Flexnet relay controls my home's
water pump without issues.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I know that those of you who are frustrated with their gen start
issues are experienced technicians and I'm certainly not saying you
shouldn't voice your dissatisfaction. I just want to speak up that if
it were not for the reliability and predictability of Outback hardware
I would have far less time on my hands. Hopefully they'll make things
right for you and convince you that they are the best long term
solution for off grid systems. Personally I cannot imagine making a
transition to any other manufacturer.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>My 2 volts,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Nick A Lucchese</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>PS. I don't like that I can't find much programming information
for the GT models. The new manuals are great but certain information
from the old documentation still needs to be carried over.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"
size="-1">Matt:</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"
size="-1">I have had the same experience with 2 Mates going bad
on the Gen start. I just replaced them with new ones and sent the
little buggers back to OutBack for a transfusion.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"
size="-1">We have been slowly transitioning away from OutBack products
in general for most applications, except for the situations where they
are the only "perfect fit."</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"
size="-1">Tom Duffy</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"
size="-1">The Solar Biz</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Tahoma"> </font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Tahoma"
size="-1"> <b>From:</b> re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org]<b> On Behalf Of</b>
Matt Tritt<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, December 22, 2008 12:20 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] mate issues AND MORE
ISSUES</font><br>
<font face="Tahoma" size="-1"></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Actually you aren't the<i> only</i> two!
I have had very similar problems with at least three OB systems in the
last year or so. In every case, everything seemed to work perfectly
when I was there, but within 2 or 3 days there would be a call saying
that the generator wasn't coming on (always in the middle of the
night). One owner would start pushing buttons willy-nilly, so it all
had to be reprogrammed every visit. This problem has cuased a lot of
irritation and at least one lawsuit involving a dealer - who now won't
attempt ANY off-grid work at all. Surely this is just a software
problem that could be rectified without majorly re-work of the
Mate?<br>
<br>
Matt T<br>
<br>
Tump wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt>Hey Jay, guess what I did yesterday
in a Fu**(&& Blizzard! Yup that's right<br>
went to "fix" the gen no start feature on the OB.<br>
I reset the settings in the mate repoled it last week for the same
issue, up<br>
in hopes that it might turn on the gen BEFORE shutting down.NO error
lights<br>
gen will start NO problem in Man on or at the shed.<br>
<br>
HELLO OUTBACK YOU OUT THERE??????<br>
Would someone at OUTBACK let Chris out of the dog house, so he can
respond &<br>
we can hear how Jay & I are the only folks that seem to be having
these</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt>issues with the OB product line.<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From:</tt> <a
href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org"><tt
>re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</tt></a><tt><br>
[</tt><a
href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org"><tt
>mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</tt></a><tt>] On
Behalf Of jay peltz<br>
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 1:10 PM<br>
To: RE-wrenches<br>
Subject: [RE-wrenches] mate issues<br>
<br>
<br>
Hi Tump,<br>
<br>
So just got a call from a customer.<br>
<br>
Mate not auto starting the generator.<br>
<br>
Mate set to auto.<br>
<br>
Will start manually.<br>
<br>
Time and date are perfect.<br>
<br>
Volts got to 1.5v under 2 minute start and no start.<br>
<br>
Getting frustrating.<br>
<br>
jay<br>
<br>
peltz power<br>
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<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Nick A Lucchese<br>
NABCEP Certified PV Installer<br>
Planet Home<br>
General Contractor # 808851<br>
Sierra Solar Systems<br>
563C Idaho Maryland Road<br>
Grass Valley, CA 95945<br>
tech info and foreign orders: (530) 273-6754<br>
order line: (800) 51-SOLAR (US only) FAX: (530)
273-1760<br>
e-mail: <mailto:nickl@sierrasolar.com><br>
world wide web: <http://www.sierrasolar.com><br>
<br>
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