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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial>Thanks Jay,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial>This came up because I was looking at the summary on the Mate
during charging and it showed that one of the stacked slaves had 0.0kw charge
power. Strangely enough, the ac charge current showed 16 AAC. This is how I got
on the subject with tech support. They said that the 0.0 kw charge
power was perfectly normal because the charge controller was trying to
reduce the charge current by drop operation of one of the stacked
inverters.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial>I always figured that the slaved stack would rise and fall in
unison to meet the current demand.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial>I do have them running at variuos "power save" levels so I
suppose it is possible that entire chargers are being dropped, but I thought
that was only for managing the on/search mode on larger
stacks.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial>I am guessing that this is more a matter of reporting errors
in the mate.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=942082521-21062010></SPAN> <BR><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Mark Frye</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Berkeley Solar Electric Systems</FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT size=2 face=Arial>303 Redbud Way</FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Nevada City, CA
95959</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT size=2 face=Arial>(530)
401-8024</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><A
href="http://www.berkeleysolar.com/"><SPAN lang=en-us><U><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial>www.berkeleysolar.com</FONT></U></SPAN></A><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT size=2 face=Arial> </FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><BR>
<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT size=2 face=Tahoma><B>From:</B> re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>jay
peltz<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, June 21, 2010 2:05 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
RE-wrenches<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Charging
Method<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>HI Mark,
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I can't speak to the issue OB tech says here, although it doesn't seem to
support what I see in the real world.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>One issue I have seen a lot of is the inverters getting hot, and then
derating the current output. I especially see this with them mounted in
the normal outback model. In a side by side mounting ( Midnite or custom)
they run much cooler.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>In the past I have actually taken out the foam filter and side screens
(when I don't have to worry about debris getting into the inverters) and this
has both increased air flow substantially and also the charging rate for systems
with large batteries and generators that run for many hours at high charge
rates.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Hope this helps,</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>jay</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Peltz power</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Jun 21, 2010, at 1:49 PM, Mark Frye wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">
<DIV><!-- Converted from text/rtf format -->
<P><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I just got off the phone with Outback technical
support in which my understanding of how the charger works was
challanged.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2 face=Arial>In my situation, the AGS Volt Start conditions
start my generator and a charge cycle is initiated.</FONT> </P>
<P><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I always though that during the bulk phase, the
chargers try to operated at a constant maximum current, limited by the charge
ACC input limit in order to raise the voltage to the absorb set point.
At that point the charger changed to a constant voltage mode and tapered off
the current.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The tech said that the charger will actually taper
off the current before then, as the actual battery voltage approaches the
absorption set point voltage, as part of a single current curve, based on
voltage, running from the start of the bulk cycle to the end of the absorption
cycle.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2 face=Arial>So long as the charger rating is large compared to
the battery size, I expect to see the charge current a constant maximum all
the way up to the absorption set point. So if I don't see this, I am looking
for a problem somewhere. Not so according to technical support.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Any thoughts?</FONT> <BR><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Mark Frye</FONT>
<BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Berkeley Solar Electric Systems</FONT> <BR><FONT
size=2 face=Arial>303 Redbud Way</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Nevada
City, CA 95959</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial>(530) 401-8024</FONT>
<BR><A href="http://www.berkeleysolar.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>www.berkeleysolar.com</FONT></U></A><FONT size=2
face=Arial> </FONT>
</P></DIV>_<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>