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<DIV><SPAN class=782092423-14102009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I have
had issues w/ the FNDC I had to send it back for a reprogram I sent the mate
back at the same time too. MOST important thing I learned is that the
battery bank MUST be at a full SOC prior to connecting the FNDC otherwise you
defiantly will have generator issues.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=782092423-14102009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=782092423-14102009>Still having our low voltage “non start” gen
problem. Reset all parameters in Mate and we will see what
happens</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=782092423-14102009>from a
customer dated 9/25/09 this customer also has had gen not shutting off issues
too.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><STRONG><EM> </EM></STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>William
Miller<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, October 14, 2009 5:28 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
RE-wrenches<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback FNDC relay, Flex Net
Review<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT size=3>Kent:<BR><BR>The manual is not clear
as to how this is done. Have you considered using a relay in an FX
inverter to activate the generator as is done in a system without the Flex
Net?<BR><BR>Interesting about the SMA claim, but until I hear otherwise, this
is just a claim.<BR><BR>William<BR><BR><BR><BR>At 01:25 PM 10/14/2009, you
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite">William,<BR><BR>In all of these
systems, the Mate's AGS system is being used to control the FNDC's
relay. The Mate's AGS port has been selected so that it operates the
FNDC's relay rather than using the Aux output on the inverter. The
FNDC is providing SOC info to the Mate, but isn't directly controlling the
relay.<BR><BR>I agree with you about the potential to confuse
customers. And about the inaccuracy of battery amp-hour meters in
general. But it is interesting that SMA's main claim about the Sunny
Island is that it does the best job managing batteries. It does it by
keeping track of the battery's SOC.<BR><BR><BR>William Miller wrote: <BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite">Kent:<BR><BR>>From the Flex
Net DC manual, page 16: "OutBack strongly recommends using the AGS
function of the MATE to control a generator." I assume from
your post, you are using the Auto mode to have the relay control a
generator, a practice that the above quotation recommends against.
This may relate directly to your problems.<BR><BR>I have no experience
with the Flex Net but I took this opportunity to review the manual more
thoroughly than I have previously. My conclusion is that the Flex
Net is a great tool for the technically inclined but offers a minimal
convenience for the lay person. The State of Charge function may be
a more realistic method of determining actual state of charge, but if it
operates at all like the E-meter or the Tri-Metric, it is prone to
inaccuracy. The variables associated with individual battery banks,
particularly as they age, make accurate calibration a moving target.
Overall, the Flex net has the potential to increase customer confusion
with a proliferation of synoptic (overly succinct) menus.<BR><BR>Again, I
call on the technicians in the industry to create a user interface with
the lay person in mind. See previous rant.<BR><BR>I may find I
recommend this system for remote locations so I can poll statistics and
interpret for the client, but I will not train a client on the use of this
unless he or she is particularly inclined.<BR><BR>Anyone else have an
opinion on the Flex net system?<BR><BR>William Miller<BR><BR><BR><BR>At
12:13 PM 10/14/2009, you wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite">Has anyone besides me had
problems using the relay in the Outback FNDC? I've had three
different customers report that their generators failed to turn
off.<BR><BR>-- <BR>Kent Osterberg<BR>Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.<BR><A
href="http://www.bluemountainsolar.com/">www.bluemountainsolar.com</A></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>_______________________________________________<BR>List
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