Mctfopt's Posts

Nairaland Forum › Mctfopt's Profile › Mctfopt's Posts

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (of 131 pages)

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 10:45am On Oct 02

fuckboys:
chief what can cause this? The inverter and battery is earthed. Inverter is a 4.2kva Haisic 24v

Battery has a metal case, the case isn’t shocking only the terminal.

The case may be shocking. ...paint is a sort of insulator.

This leakage is coming from your inverter.

Fix inverter and issue disappears.

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 12:39pm On Sep 29

Valto:
i recently acquired this TBB POWER 10kva servo stablizer. its rugged and efficient.wall mountable type. 80V to 270V. it is very much affordable. u can get it below 100k.

Just 6 years ago and the price is like 4x now angry

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 7:55pm On Sep 24

Gshems:
Looks like an AI generated image

Work too neat right?

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 7:29pm On Sep 17

Valentinooo:
Baba why you dangle that breaker na

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 10:47pm On Sep 09

Beframia:
Good evening house,
It's been almost two weeks now that I noticed that my battery charges and stops at the 3rd bar, not getting to the 4th. My inverter type is Genus Hi-Flo 4.2kVA 24V paired with a 3kwh luxwatt lithium battery, and three 685w bifacial Runergy panels.
Has anyone had a similar experience and how was it resolved?

Was it getting to the 4th bar before this? Or was it forever on this 3rd bar.

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 6:48pm On Sep 05

Valentinooo:
Does sako replace Inverters for customers? If yes, how can I go about it?

Sako actually replaced a unit after two failed repair attempts. I didn't even ask for a replacement; they just sent a brand-new one.

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 6:48am On Aug 31

Bryanluke:
I won't submit to this, it takes a professional who knows his onions well will asssemble 18650 battery for you up to 24v 6kwh sef.

I'm using 18650 battery of 12v system close to year before I added panel to it. It has been great and good for my appliances so far without issues.

Peace out.. check WICHAT page on tiktok, you'll understand better

That misses my point. Saying some battery packs are built with lower safety standards doesn't mean every pack is made that way.

My comment specifically focused on e-bike applications. E-bike batteries face significantly higher stress than standard household ESS packs. For instance, pulling 600W from a small 48V 10Ah pack requires a 1.25C continuous discharge rate, alongside physical vibration and thermal stress. Household ESS rarely sees that level of relative load per cell.

A build standard or cell chemistry that holds up safely in a stationary ESS can fail catastrophically under the heavy C-rates and physical demands of an EV. Let's make sure we're comparing equivalent use cases.

5 Likes

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 10:06pm On Aug 28

CodeTemplar:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2z8lr9l7wo

DiY hazards. Be careful as you parade as a professional

Go to Tiktok and type "Made in Nigeria eBike batteries" then you'd understand that God truly love Nigerians!

The kain rough play dey play with 18650 battery. You'd see heavily undersized wires, badly spot-welded batteries, inferior insulation, etc.

Ignorance is truly bliss.

1 Like

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 6:00pm On Aug 28

justasitis:
Greetings to everyone, let’s try to engage more in educative discussion that can broaden our knowledge in the field of solar energy technology.

In this light, can we share our views on this:
Which is more better and recommended? Whether to Connect SPDs to Breakers’ INPUT or OUTPUT.

There are so many opposing views on this. Some say it's best before, others after. I'm with the after team.

I put SPDs go on the output (load side) of a breaker, not the input.

My reason is simple, the SPD's core part (usually an MOV) is built to eventually fail, often shorting when it degrades from repeated surge duty. If there's no breaker between it and the busbar, that failure becomes an uncleared fault. So the breaker sits upstream, feeding the SPD, giving you overcurrent protection if the MOV fails and a way to isolate the SPD for testing without causing further issues.

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 5:52pm On Aug 28

The lack of power is truly truncating our development as a nation. My heart bleeds for every Nigerian living in darkness; so many opportunities have been lost to this. A serious nation should declare a state of emergency on education, transportation, and power. Whenever I visit Chinese forums, their discussions are miles ahead of what is obtainable in African forums. I stumbled upon a Chinese electric vehicle forum recently, and the discussion made me sad.

Rant over.

10 Likes

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 5:01pm On Aug 26

bassdow:
USEd Growatt MOD 5000 TL3-XH 3phase 5kW / 5kVA 3-phase inverter

Allows up to 2 MPP trackers and e fit handle up to 10,000W of panels.

Very neat and neither opened nor repaired.

Need more information, kindly check the internet or send a message via whatsApp / calls.

4️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ k

NB: This ain't your regular traditional inverter that requires ordinary normal batteries Ooo. This is more of grid tied inverter.

5kW grid-tie inverter in Nigeria? No wonder the owner is trying to sell it.

The lowest grid-tie inverter I've encountered was 20kW. People who require grid-tie inverters usually require them in larger capacities to make any meaningful contribution to reducing diesel costs and running a smaller generator.

Trying to sell a grid-tie inverter of lower capacity in Nigeria is going to be a hard sell as it requires a 24/7 power supply, and 98% of inverter users in Nigeria don't have 24/7 power.

That said, the owner must have (I'm hazarding a guess here) made a wrong purchase abroad... Here's hoping they get a buyer. Cheers.

2 Likes

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 4:52pm On Aug 26

Tdoctor:
[b]
When you look at foreign videos, you will see some people who have used their lead acid batteries for 6+ years without noticeable drop in backup time. However, most lead acid batteries in Nigeria today start to ‘kpeme’ after 2 years of use.

Not trying to take anything away from you, but Oyibo no fit cycle wetin Nigerians dey cycle their batteries.

So their lead acid batteries will obviously outlast the ones in Naija even if it's of lower quality which sadly they ain't.

I find it sad when I see iTel powerbank-like products advertised on foreign and Chinese social media as RV/truck backups or outdoor camping gear, meanwhile Nigerians use them as their primary source of power

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 5:48am On Aug 21

toscotech:
please my people in the house can growatt 6kva communicate to itel lithium battery

or any other 5kw lithium battery that is not expenses

I know Growatt communicates with most batteries that have a CAN or RS485 port. The ones I'm sure of are any batteries with a Seplos or JK BMS, Deye batteries, Felicity batteries, and LVTopSun batteries.

So give it a shot-you might be in luck!

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 7:25am On Aug 19

smallsmall:
Thank you Boss.
I also noticed that the Price difference is about "Double".

And that is why i was wondering: If Two, Single 6KW Deye Inverter is expected/should give us the same output Capacity as a Single 12Kw Deye, why should the price of a Single 12Kw Deye be double the price of Two, Single 6Kw?

I have a Single 6Kw and i am planning to double my Capacity, as it is no longer adequate for my needs.
My Dilemma is:
1)Should i just buy another Single 6KW and add to what i already have?
2) Should i buy buy a Single 12Kw to replace what i have and sell the 6Kw that i have........... which Option will give me more "value" (not just in monetary terms, which would have been an easy answer) in terms of output.

Ma People, please share your experience/ knowledge about this.
Tnx.

These inverters are not same model/ type. I once tried to explain it here: https://www.nairaland.com/390522/solar-energy-complement-fta/2397#139763990

That said, go ahead and get a second 6kw. That should be able to give you both redundancy and increased capacity.

Cheers.

1 Like

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 9:49pm On Aug 14

justified007:
I don't have a clamp meter and don't know how to confirm the load Sir

Look around for someone who has one and knows how to use it, so they can check if your load is actually increasing or if it's just a display issue.

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 11:20am On Aug 14

justified007:
I recently installed a 2.5kva solar system using Felicity non hybrid inverter but I noticed the load meter usually behave.

At times the load will be on 7% and will just jump to 14% without any extra load and it may stay like that for 1-2 hours before reverting to that 7% by itself

Have you tried checking if this load is real with a clamp meter?

Because if it's real, you may have to check for wiring issues.

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 12:37pm On Aug 08

bassdow:
My own would be NO Gas cookers. I fear that thing pass generator. If you must use Gen, you go get where the Gen go dey as not in main building.

Another is, for non slate / gerrad (stone coated) roofing sheets, any dent is a potential issue for leakage as any small water / moisure that stays there would rust it and start leaking.

I have zero fear of gas. Lol

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 9:01am On Aug 07

Kingadex60:
i don't understand you, which one be cable lug.

Break it down for a layman to understand pls

The copper connector you see here is a cable lug, and in this attached image, we have two types of 35mm² cable lugs( with different bolt stud sizes: M8 and M10)

See how snugly the exposed copper cable fits inside the lug? That means this cable, in this example, is a full-gauge 35mm².

You can buy different sizes of these cable lugs: 6mm², 10mm², 16mm², 35mm², 50mm², etc -to work with. If a cable seller gives you wire, peel it small and try a size check with your cable lug. grin

If it's too loose, wahala dey oh! grin

3 Likes

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 8:40pm On Aug 06

Valto:
omo for wire matter ehh, no be small thing , even inside the full guage , there is still what they term original full guage

Here’s a useful tip if you’re new to buying cables locally: bring a cable lug that matches the size of the cable you plan to buy (for example, a 6mm lug for a 6mm cable). Strip the cable and test it; if your 6mm lug can fit two cores of that '6mm' cable, it's fake/under-gauge-you should run o!

1 Like

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 7:18am On Aug 06

Kingadex60:
ná so my landlord dey fear too say solar panel dey burn house.

I ask him where he saw that he said online.. as for me na why I prefer binding wire to avoid roof leakage

Binding wires might seem like a way to avoid roof leaks by skipping roof penetrations, but mounting rails are not just for aesthetics; they play a crucial role in regulating a solar panel's temperature by elevating it off the hot roof to allow airflow underneath.

Because high temperatures significantly reduce solar panel performance, proper rail mounting is essential.

But I guess sacrificing PV efficiency and risking panels falling off the roof is a trade-off some are willing to make to further prevent possible leaks.

2 Likes

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 8:39am On Aug 05

Kingadex60:
I still can't comprehend why some landlords no like solar panels on their roof

When badly installed, there will be roof leaks. There is also a fear that their house could go up in flames. Ironically, the same landlord also allows tenants to put generators anywhere they please and store petrol in their homes, without thinking that it's a fire hazard.

1 Like

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 3:52pm On Jul 26

OCTAVO:
Finally bought it. I think this is best value for money.

Congratulations

Now is the time to drop real untainted review.

1 Like

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 11:48am On Jul 16

Pabodo:
Hello House Please had anyone used the Growatt 6kva inverter (SPF6000ESPlus)

Saw some negative reviews about Growatt inverters packing up within few years and choose to ask

I will appreciate a candid advice

Buy.

I'd say this based on like over 10 locations that I know that has the 5000 series. It's been many years (at least more than 3 in average). No issues.

But the only caveat I'd put here is do a fresh earth, spend that ₦100k+ on a good earth.

Growatt is an amazing inverter.

1 Like

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 2:26pm On Jul 14

FEGEITOK:
For Everyone on Solar/Inverter: The Electrician Who Found the Fault Nobody Else Would

Most of us on this thread have spent good money on inverters, batteries and panels. But here is the hard truth: a solar or inverter setup is only as safe and as efficient as the wiring and earthing behind it. A perfect inverter on a bad installation will still frustrate you, waste your load, and in the worst case, shock somebody.

I am posting this because I found a man in Abuja who actually understands that, and I am staking my reputation on him.

First, who he is

His name is Daniel. He is Trade Test 1, 2 and 3 certified, and NABTEB certified. He is a qualified tradesman, not a "boy who learned small wiring."

What he can do:

Electrical drawings and design
Full house and office wiring (done to code, not to convenience)
Fault tracing and troubleshooting (this is where most installers run away)
Thunder arrestor / lightning arrestor installation
Earthing installation and remediation

If it is electricity related, and that includes the mains side of your solar setup, he is your man.

Why the solar crowd should care

Here is exactly the kind of problem he solved for me, and I suspect some of you are quietly living with something similar.

Whenever mains power tripped, my inverter would keep ramping up and running at about 50 percent load for no reason I could explain. On top of that, whoever originally wired the house had used a single colour of wire for everything, live, neutral and earth, which is a violation of basic standards and a nightmare to diagnose.

I did the obvious first step and installed a brand new earth rod and earthing connections, assuming the old earth was the culprit. It was not, at least not the way I thought.

Then I noticed something frightening: the fridge, freezer, microwave and cooker were all shocking to the touch. But only when power came from the mains. On inverter power, zero shock. That clue turned out to be everything.

When I told him, he did not give excuses. He said, "Let me come and confirm." He tested the live, neutral and earth at the affected outlet, then went to the distribution board and tested the common earth, common neutral and common live. Every single one lit up on the tester, which should never happen.

His first instinct was to check every outlet in the house, tedious as that would be. Then he stopped and said, "There is a better way." He decided to isolate the fault at the DB level instead. We separated each earth connection one by one and tested, until the earth stopped lighting up. That pinned the fault to one circuit: an AC switch and a looped wall socket in the guest room.

Here is the part that impressed me. He climbed into the ceiling and asked me to call out from the ground which room he was standing over. I said the guest room. He traced the wires to the exact wall, came down, went straight to that socket, opened it, and there it was. Because the house was wired in one colour, whoever did the original job had bridged the live to the earth without knowing it. That is why testing live, neutral and earth all gave the same reading, and that is why my appliances were live to the touch.

Once he fixed it, I switched the breaker between the AC input and the inverter back on, and the mysterious ramp-up in consumption was gone. Problem solved, completely. My inverter finally behaves the way it should.

Why this matters for your setup

That single bridged wire could have killed someone, and it was quietly stressing my inverter every day. If your system is behaving strangely, tripping, ramping up, appliances tingling to the touch, the problem is very often not the inverter itself. It is the wiring and earthing feeding it.

Daniel is the kind of person who will actually trace it instead of telling you to buy a bigger inverter.

He told me plainly that most electricians will happily show up for a new wiring job, but the moment you say "I have a maintenance and troubleshooting issue," they vanish and give every excuse in the book. He does not.

My appeal to you

Someone this good does not deserve to be sitting without work. Please give him jobs and support him. He is Abuja based.

This is not a sponsored post. I am simply an over-satisfied client who owes him one.

And if he ever gives you any issue at all, come back to this thread and raise it with me directly, and I will intervene.

Name: Daniel
Phone / WhatsApp: +2348062375648
Location: Abuja

A friend was complaining the other day that everything in his house was giving him an electric shock. A tester showed live voltage on both the live and neutral lines. After four hours of troubleshooting, the fault was traced back to a faulty freezer. Sometimes, the issue isn't faulty wiring at all; it could just be one of the appliances connected to the system.

Troubleshooting requires patience and a lot of expertise, which many young Nigerian technicians hate to deal with. They often think it isn't profitable, especially since some clients refuse to pay for the time spent diagnosing an issue if it doesn't involve a fresh job from scratch.

2 Likes

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 11:43am On Jul 10

twinskenny:
Thank you for this

You are welcome

1 Like

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 7:59pm On Jul 09

chadbasin:
Please what's the difference between this Deye 6kva and the other "usual" 6kva type?

https://www.nairaland.com/390522/solar-energy-complement-fta/2397#139763990

2 Likes

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 6:41am On Jul 09

Dabss:
the one I bought for 7500 in 2021 is still serving me too. Don't just open the pot will the pressure is high... It's don't rocket science.

When it comes to kitchen safety, structural integrity matters more than user error. Most pressure cooker accidents don't happen because someone tries to open the pot while the steam pressure is still high; rather, they occur because the pot disintegrates during use. There are also safety locks to prevent you from opening them under pressure.

However, poorly manufactured builds pose a significantly higher risk of catastrophic failure. The metal simply fatigues, or a faulty pressure release valve fails to vent, turning a badly made pot into a ticking time bomb.

These same poorly manufactured builds and the devastating effects of pressure caused the implosion of the Titan submersible, which killed five people in 2023.

As you rightly pointed out, it's not rocket science, just thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

1 Like

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 6:39pm On Jul 08

Pabodo:
Hello house,

Please I am planning a 24v (3-3.5kva) and about 5kwh lithium system and would need advice on.

1. Best 5kwh lithium system I can get and cost

2. Good inverter to get. Either Hybrid or with MPPT

3. How panels and size

Budget is 2m and dont know if it can go

Honest advice will be appreciated

Since you are buying a 5kWh battery, I highly recommend getting a 48V system instead of a 24V one. The reason is simple: it's much easier to over-panel with 48V on the same charge controller capacity.

Your budget may need to be increased slightly.

For the battery, I’d recommend a Deye, Deriy, or Valto or Mr Reed's battery. For the inverter, I’d recommend a Growatt-either a 5kVA or 6kVA model.

4 to 6nos of between 500-620w panels should do the job.

3 Likes

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 5:41pm On Jul 08

leTrizzle:
Do jinko panels come in individual packs?
I'm asking because someone said a pack usually contains more than one panel.

It comes in pallets.

The number per pallet varies between 27 and 37, depending on the exact model and frame thickness.

If you see Jinko panels packed in cartons singly or in twos, know that this was either done by the seller or it is definitely not the real deal.

3 Likes

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 7:22pm On Jul 06

jFrankNorfleet:
I'd run installation for my gamehouse within the next 2-3 weeks

Pls house I need you to tell me what's wrong with this quote given by my prospective installer. Focus less on the price and more on if the setup will be okay for the gamehouse and how to prevent issues with the setup

These are what the gamehouse would comprise

Lg LCD 32 inches TV 140w *2
Samsung 32 inches led 56 watts *3
Samsung 32 inches lcd TV 110 watts *2
Samsung 15 inches lcd TV 40 Watts *3
PS2 fat 80w 3pcs
PS3 super slim -85Watts 2 pcs
PS3 slim-85 watts 5pcs
PS4 slim 100w 2pcs
Ps5 1 pc 200w
Yokaho DC ceiling fan 40w 1pc
1 duravolt 18 inch standing fan 27w 1pc

Note: I'm yet to get ps5 but it's in the pipeline. Also only 7 out of the combination of 10 PS3, ps4 and ps5 can be operational at once due to limited number of 32 inch TVs

This is what he quoted for me for the above setup

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Growatts 6kva solar inverter: ₦620,000
Growatts battery (5.5 kW/h x2): ₦2,224,000
Jinko solar photovoltaic panels(615 watts):
₦129,000x8=₦1,032,000
ACCESSORIES AND OTHERS
1 DC SURGE (500)₦12,000
1 DC BREAKER (32amps)₦15,000
1 AC SURGE (500)₦12,000
2 AC BREAKER (63amps)x2 ₦30,000
1 DC BREAKER (63amps)₦15,000
OTHERS:
18 way breaker box:₦20,000
4 way breaker box:₦13,000
Knife switch change over:₦12,000
Trunking pipe(50x50)x3:₦12,000
Photovoltaic panels rails(x3)₦15,000
Photovoltaic panels bot 'n' screws(14)₦4,200
Solar connector /MC 4 plug(2)₦2,000
CABLES:
photovoltaic panels DC cable (17 meter)₦61,200
AC CABLE (input) (16 meter)₦64,000
AC CABLE (output) (16 meter)₦64,000

PURCHASE COST:₦4,227,400

Is there something that should be tweaked for more efficiency?

I'd suggest you buy a single 15kwh battery. It should be close to the cost of that two 5kwh batteries

Also the Jinko panel cost is suspiciously low, I hope it's truly Jinko and not "sticker" aka fake Jinko.

2 Likes

Phones › Re: Google Pixel Discussion Thread by mctfopt: 9:27pm On Jul 05

Kelzuc:
Did it support 120hz? I've seen OLED for like 80-90k for the pixel 7 pro..only downside i saw from reviews is the bigger bezels but it actually supported fingerprint

Yeah, I checked. Both OLED and the AMOLED supported 120Hz refresh rate

Attached screenshot is from the current AMOLED version.

Satellite TV Technology › Re: Solar Energy, A Complement To FTA by mctfopt: 4:15pm On Jul 05

justasitis:
Well done, but I can’t see any SPD in this your installation and you didn’t use bus bar box to combine the two high capacity batteries. No heat aerosol or fireball extinguisher installed. By the way, it’s just my personal observations.

Do you really need a battery busbar for two batteries?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (of 131 pages)