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Post by The Chief (tm) on May 13, 2015 11:27:28 GMT -8
Hello All,
Recent RV install of the 200W kit w/30A PWM controller, a MicroSolar 2000W/4000W pure sine wave inverter, and 2x6V Trojan 225-aH battery bank. Pretty overbuilt for what I use it for -- running laptop and speakers, a handful of LED cabin lights, re-charging cell phone and toothbrush. Plus, once per day, a 90-second burst for an electric kettle that draws 800W. Will soon try it with a small microwave advertised as drawing 600W, though I know the start-up surge can be much higher (and that will be the inverter's problem anyway).
I've noticed on a few occasions that the "Load Output On" code will illuminate (right-most LED, steady orange). This seems to happen independent of the load, and independent of daylight. (FWIW I am in Alaska, and it has been very sunny these past few days, so I am sure the batteries are full.) So, my question is, what exactly does "Load Output On" mean, and why would it indicate under varied circumstances? Thanking all in advance! |
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Post by Admin on May 15, 2015 10:25:28 GMT -8
Hello The Chief, renogy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/PWM1030CC-Manual.pdfPlease see page 2 of the manual above. There you can find a table that will tell you what each work mode setting does. I'm assuming it is set on a digit 0 to 6. (notice that 5 and 5. are two different settings). Those settings will turn the load on/off automatically. If you want to control when the load turns on/off, you want the 6. setting. This setting allows you to use the SET button as a toggle switch to turn the load on/off as you please. Renogy Tech Support SR |
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Post by The Chief (tm) on Jun 2, 2015 20:00:33 GMT -8
Hello SR,
Thank you for taking the time to write, but I still don't understand exactly what the "Load Output On" light is telling me. The reason I care is because I am having doubts about the work my installer did, and I am trying to troubleshoot what appears to be weird behavior.
I have the work mode on "0", and as I wrote, the Load Output light has illuminated on seemingly random occasions, sometimes with barely any demand. Most times, in fact, it stays *off* even under multiple demands. The most recent time it illuminted, I wasn't demanding ANY LOAD WHATSOEVER -- even the inverter itself was switched off -- and nevertheless, I noticed the light had popped on. (In case it matters, it was dark outside, so the left-most "charging" light was not illuminated, but the center "battery normal" light was steady green.) Would this suggest anything regarding the installation of the controller within the system as I described above?
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Post by jsb2000 on Jun 3, 2015 6:10:11 GMT -8
Hello SR, Thank you for taking the time to write, but I still don't understand exactly what the "Load Output On" light is telling me. The reason I care is because I am having doubts about the work my installer did, and I am trying to troubleshoot what appears to be weird behavior. I have the work mode on "0", and as I wrote, the Load Output light has illuminated on seemingly random occasions, sometimes with barely any demand. Most times, in fact, it stays *off* even under multiple demands. The most recent time it illuminted, I wasn't demanding ANY LOAD WHATSOEVER -- even the inverter itself was switched off -- and nevertheless, I noticed the light had popped on. (In case it matters, it was dark outside, so the left-most "charging" light was not illuminated, but the center "battery normal" light was steady green.) Would this suggest anything regarding the installation of the controller within the system as I described above? The load output light merely tells you that power is available at the load terminals on the controller. The controller can be set to various modes to deliver power to those load terminals. If you have your load (IE inverter, etc.) connnected directly to the battery bank, then this light will have no effect on those devices. It ONLY affects what's connected to the load terminals on the controller. By the way...don't connect high power devices like your inverter to those terminals. Low current draw devices only! As for the load output light/terminals, the mode controlls the activity. For example. mode "0" will make power available to the load terminals from dusk to dawn (IE overnight). So, of you want a light to come on when it's dark outside and go off when the sun comes up. use mode "0". Don't confuse this with mode "0." (note the period after the zero). Mode "0." will make power available to the load terminals for 10 hours after sundown and then shut it off. |
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Post by The Chief (tm) on Jun 9, 2015 13:51:50 GMT -8
jsb2000,
Thank you for the explanation. I obviously hadn't properly understood what the light and the terms meant, but since you explained that the light reflects only what power (if any) is being suppled TO THE CONTROLLER TERMINALS, it now makes sense.
Good news is that the inverter is not connected to the controller terminals, but to the battery bank itself. In fact, I don't have *anything* connected to the controller terminals; I can't quite even think of anything I'd want to have come on automatically, in whatever the selected dusk/dawn relationship might be. (Part of this is because I'm in Alaska, and it's pretty much always light enough during waking hours, even w/o cabin lights.) But it's good to know that this CAN be done, if desired.
In fact, I might as well select the work mode that turns the controller terminals entirely off. Then the light won't have to illuminate solely for the purpose of telling me that power is available to terminals with nothing connected to them...
Thanks again for having weighed in!
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