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<p>I've had problems with several manufacturers' onboard relays, and
12 v outputs. For instance I now always use a 2nd relay
controlled by the onboard relay, even for little things like
Zephyr Power Vents. If you look at the new relays compared to say
the old Trace SW relays, they're just not near the same.</p>
<p>That's concerning that over current would fry the whole Radian
control board. On Midnite Classics, if you exceeded the 200mA
12v output, it just shut the output off.<br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">Ray Walters
Remote Solar
303 505-8760</pre>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/14/18 6:58 AM,
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:dan@foxfire-energy.com">dan@foxfire-energy.com</a> wrote:<br>
</div>
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cite="mid:20181214065843.720a661d8db719b1f2ad39509c9edaa3.90de070e16.wbe@email04.godaddy.com">
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<div>OBTW. the FNDC is a dry contact.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>db<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
Dan Brown<br>
Foxfire Energy Corp.<br>
Renewable Energy Systems<br>
(802)-483-2564<br>
<a href="http://www.Foxfire-Energy.com" moz-do-not-send="true">www.Foxfire-Energy.com</a><br>
NABCEP #092907-44</div>
<div><br>
<br>
</div>
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-------- Original Message --------<br>
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Interesting gen start problem<br>
From: William Miller <<a
href="mailto:william@millersolar.com"
moz-do-not-send="true">william@millersolar.com</a>><br>
Date: Thu, December 13, 2018 3:11 pm<br>
To: RE-wrenches <<a
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org"
moz-do-not-send="true">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>><br>
<br>
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<div class="WordSection1">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Friends:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">While
I\u2019d like to think I have seen everything, I came
across this scenario recently that surprised me: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">We
replace an existing FX system that had a generator
component. Since the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">FX
inverter can only provide 12 volts for generator
start, and we did not see a relay in the power room,
we assumed there was a 12 volt coil relay in the
generator room. Turns out this was not the case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Generators
use the cranking battery voltage (B+) to power control
circuits. The B+ to start control relays is completed
by a contact closure. In this case, there was no
relay. Instead the original installer use the 12
volts from the FX inverters to provide substitute B+
to the generator control circuitry. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The
end result is we burned up the Radian control board.
Apparently the FX inverter had enough 12 volt
capability to make this work, but the Radians did not.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">When
we began troubleshooting, our first clue something was
wrong was that there was no relay. Our second clue
was that one of the12 volt start leads was grounded.
We also burned up a relay in the generator.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">I
hope this little cautionary tale helps one of you
avoid a burned up control board someday, somewhere.
This problem was a big headache.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">William</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">PS:
Here is a <a target="_blank"
href="http://www.millersolar.com/MillerSolar/Portfolio/Inverters/battery_iinverters/TT-Radian/TT_Radian.html"
moz-do-not-send="true">web page</a> on this
particular installation. On this project we
incorporated some of the GSLC wiring innovations
discussed in this forum.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Wm</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><img
id="Picture_x0020_1"
src="cid:part5.CE598713.04AA9D04@solarray.com"
alt="Gradient Cap_mini"
wbeuser="dan@foxfire-energy.com" class="" width="80"
height="35" border="0"><br>
Lic 773985<br>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.millersolar.com/"
moz-do-not-send="true">millersolar.com</a><br>
805-438-5600</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"> </div>
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