₦airaland Forum

Konnektions146:
EP Solar replaced it straight

Which steps did you take? I need to initiate my replacement proscedure ASAP!

PS: How long have you had the replacement and how has the performance been? Any complain(s)?

kiekie1:
What's the make of that in the pic ? How was the problem finally rectified ??

Undoubtedly, it's an iTracer IT6415ND, in every detail identical to mine.

New data: Upon further examination of the log data and monitoring of the CC's performance, it would seem it entered OVD mode and refused to exit that stage. Just an educated guess though.

Konnektions146:
its a pity,
I think there is a batch of the iTracer 6415 that came with some factory issue. you can open the CC, there is no warranty seal on the screws. when you open look inside and confirm that the capacitors inside are intact. I had an issue like this and EPSOLAR asked me to fill an incident form which had provision for serial No and other infos.
the good thing is that the replaced it -NO QUESTIONS ASKED

speak to your supplier and see if they can contact the importer, then the chain of business would get to EPSOLAR and get a replacement for you.

I will try uploading a pix to show you what the inside looks like.

Good luck

you sabi speak plenty grammar sha

De grammar no be my fault. Dem sabi misquote person for dis Nairaland, no be small. Concise terms are a necessity.
Regarding the steps you took, it would appear my initial assessment was right - it's a firmware problem they're well aware of. Time to go whittle my supplier so he can make his own dealer miserable enough to consider taking it up. Thanks

I got impatient and did my load testing by isolating the system. It is indeed surface charge after all - though not entirely. Based on closed-circuit voltage monitoring under 150W of resistive load, it would appear that the SOC moved from 80% to 95% during the day - despite the CC's claim of "not charging". The duration of the low current charge (if indeed it was low) permitted current to reach the core of the plates (it spent 4 hours of full sunshine idling at "no charge" while the SOC and bank voltage kept rising; how I wish I had a shunt). I'm thinking the displayed VoC (which incidentally coincides with the voltage at which the batteries were being fed "0A" ) is actually some form of shunting occuring within the CC. More reports tomorrow.

By the way, I also spend countless hours on reviews but the incidence rate of what I just reported is so low, it's sheer bad luck that I'd have the issue. Something I did notice common to almost all the systems having this fault (including the Renogy ones) were the fact that they belonged to enthusiasts and were highly tuned. It seems imprecision makes for less stringent demands on the system (or gross overloading leading to a swift failure). Perhaps they were not designed to be as efficient as we hoped.

I'll tow the warranty/repair/replacement line though I'm sorely tempted to open it up and do a quick post mortem examination.

I'm stumped. I have an EP Solar iTracer ET6415ND which I've used almost flawlessy for a month. I noticed occassionally that it would suddenly stop charging but would resume within seconds. A few times, it failed to auto-resume but opening the breaker between the PV panels and the CC would restore normalcy. Up until yesterday.

Starting about 7am today, I've isolated and tested every single element of the system (including checking each PV panel for short-circuits or reverse current). Everything down to the batteries is normal but the CC would simply refuse to admit any current in ergo, no current out. It also restricts PV voltage to between 26V and 27V. VoC of the array today has been between 91V before 7am and around 102V by 11am. I damn near blew a lamp while trying to ascertain that power was actually leaving the panels.

Reconnect to the CC and the voltage immediately fizzles out and never exceeds 27V DC. Intensive search on Google revealed it not a common problem but it's neither rare in the Tracer/eTracer/iTracer series. The same has been experienced with Renogy series. Usually, it's supposed to auto-revert within a day or so. I did encounter two instances online in which it didn't and rather than service or replace it, the company opted to refund the cash instead. Could this mean it's a fundamental flaw in the programming of the firmware?

Back to my case, I called the supplier who suggested I call the importer (bad idea but I obliged nonetheless because we have a cordial relationship). The dealer requested I revert to my supplier (naturally). I'll follow that line to it's natural end but in the interim, what do people in the house think might have happened? The possibility of a short-circuit or surge damage are literally non-existent as it is isolated from the grid and the failures have been occuring in daytime (of course). Max possible output current is about 55A but rarely goes beyond 29A due to my small-sized battery bank but reaches 38A while running loads thus ruling out the possibility of having overloaded the system.

By the way, the fact that it's registering a voltage also means some power is passing through. Since it's thoroughput is at 27V, it seems to have somehow moved the batteries to nominal float voltage (26.4V) but with no idea on the current with which it did that or whether what I'm seeing is surface charge. I'm wary of loading it but would do controlled loading tests after midnight when everyone would be asleep and I'll have the inverter to myself. For now, I'm falling back to my smaller 1.4kW square-wave inverter powered by 400Ah of LiFePO batteries at 12V (a beautiful system which has worked flawlessly for over two years).

For info purposes, I have T105-RE 6V *4 batteries, 3kW 24V MustPower inverter, the offending CC and Joy 240W PV panels * 6 currently inclined at 45^o to ensure suboptimal output till the setup is fully tested (four weeks more of observation to go anyway). Why the premature CC failure? Nothing is burnt and nothing smells.

EDIT: I got impatient and did my load testing by isolating the system. It is indeed surface charge after all - though not entirely. Based on closed-circuit voltage monitoring under 150W of resistive load, it would appear that the SOC moved from 80% to 95% during the day - despite the CC's claim of "not charging". I'm thinking the displayed VoC (which incidentally coincides with the voltage at which the batteries were being fed "0A" ) is actually some form of shunting occuring within the CC. More reports tomorrow. Gotta dash now.

GeorgeD1:
joxxy01,
if they were working well before till now then you have to check your lnb. do that before tampering with
your dish alignment.

In my case, solely MBC channels vanished hence LNB faults unlikey - unless the fault singled out 11938V 27500M/s

NoMoreTrolling:
To all solar enthusiasts in the house, I just found my new best friend, a BATTERY DESULPHATOR.

I got one off of Amazon and it's doing wonders for my batteries.

I'd say it's a good investment getting one to keep your batteries healthy, so no crystallization occurs.

They're pretty cheap too and easy to hook up.

I second that notion. I've had a pair for two years and not only have they kept my automotive batteries from dying prematurely (right after I noticed cold-cranking issues on harmattan mornings). I've successfully revived two automotive batteries and 3 AGM batteries using the same pair. I've had less luck with gel batteries.

Mine are of the Infinitum brand so, cheap (if you're speaking of cost of procurement) doesn't quite qualify. Cheap, if you're referring to cost of savings on battery replacements, downtime from undue/excessive crystallisation and premature battery failure (not to mention the heartache of seeing another battery die), an absolute very cheap would be my answer

GeorgeD1:
saipro,
you'd probably achieve no signal boost by sawing off the fuji as it is already optimized to max reception
the way it is. i tried it once but later regretted it because instead of a signal increase my reception went
downhill.

Now, that's an eminently useful piece of information. It would appear my fears had substance after all (as well as my appreciation for the aesthetics). I hate regrets yet lately, I've been sorely tempted to pull out my hacksaw and saw the end off. Many thanks.

kokozain:
I have checked my mail but no mail from ur end. And i have also tried the line u dropped but its switch off. Pls i need ur contact mine is zero-eight-1-three-7-eight-675-three-eight am on whatsapp as well. Thanks in advance

Can't find you on WhatsApp. I'm on WhatsApp too. The aforementioned number likewise. The number is available. Network issues, I assume

Talibanis:
Oh! Now I understand why u could get Nilesat with ur dish size

Finally adds up, doesn't it? Even at that, I can assure you it took a lot of trials to get MBC at 68% on a 2.6m dish in Ilorin. Most of my friends either don't have it or barley cross the 55% mark. All-time best with the same 2.6m for me is 72% I think and a lot of weird H-polarization channels popped up. I wasn't satisfied so I fiddled with it after a week or so and I never attained that signal strength again. Ever.

You can understand my exasperation when from a minimum of 64% during sunny days (68% at night), I suddenly lost MBC without a trace. Pretty weird. No fading, no static. Simply nothing.

By the way, the 72% signal strength was with a SuperMax HD LNBF on which I'd sawn off the plastic front (aperture covering) along with a bit of the aluminium housing (resulting in a 5 - 7% signal boost!). I haven't had the guts to saw off the Fuji Gold. Looks too cute as it is.

I'm happy to have so many technophiles in the house but we're all missing a number of valuable points.
1. The thicker core wires have higher current tolerance and are less liable to snap (being much tougher too). On a downside, they aren't so ductile and bending/straightening them is always a pain (especially true once you go higher than 25mm²). And as JUO rightly observed, even with professional crimping, they can still work their way loose - unless you do an aftertouch with solder (had to secure a few that way). I save heavy core wires for linking high-capacity battery banks as, in short lengths, they have practically zero resistance. Use flex whenever you can lay your hands on them and above all, restrict fiddling with your setup unless the need truly arises. You'll save yourself untold grief.

2. Regarding the power from the PV panels, espicially in home/small installations, the primary consideration is often voltage drop and not current (heating) losses. The further the cabling distance, the more the voltage drop so long as your wire is uniform (in thickness and consistency - never join two wires of different consistencies; you can jumble different thicknesses but rate the system at the rating of the smallest wire for it is your Achille's heel - unless it's your fusewire). The issue with current comes in when utilising so many panels yet working in configurations with cummulative VoC lower than 90V DC. Most of us use at least 10mm² cables anyway which would handle literally anything. Unless you're GeorgeD1 or any of the other big boys aiming to generate energy in MegaWatts for home use. They are exceptions to the rule.

3. 2x3 or 3x2? For a 24V setup, 2x3 is ideal. The caveat here is the distance from your PV panels to the CC. Higher current often translates to using thicker cables or greater losses as heat if you maintain smaller gauge wires. If you can keep this distance under 10m and use 10mm² cables, I wouldn't lose sleep over it if I were you. We're all trying to optimise our systems but we all need to also do that within reasonable limits.

I'll add one or two more points as they gain prominence.
By the way, we're still in the Northern hemisphere so your PV panels should indeed face due South. However if you're in Lagos or along any of the coastal areas in Nigeria, you could survive with minimal tilt and PV panels facing almost anywhere. In the equators (as we are), such things don't really matter much - if your panels are placed flat. If they're tilted (which I would advise due to rain and debris), they'd better be inclined southwards!

kokozain:
pls where in ilorin am also in ilorin with same size of dish. how can you help me out

You've got mail.
Or reach me on zero-eight-zero-three-961-21-four-seven
(to avoid spambots)

GeorgeD1:
saipro,
you must be lucky indeed still getting mbcs with a 2.6m dish. in that case your signal drop may be probably due to your fibre dish deterioration. the aluminium foil peeling off is always the hassle with fibre dish. i remember having to refoil my 3m fibre every other year when i still had mine.
i'm sure your mbcs will bounce back after taking care of those foils. but again if you could get this much with a 2.6m fibre dish imagine how much more you could achieve with a 3m or even a 4m pan!

Yeah, you're right. I've always dreamed of the wonders a 3m dish could achieve. With a 4m dish, I'd probably walk alongside gods. That being said, space constraints (the usual devil) prevent me from increasing the dish span. It'll end up either teethering over my fence or overlie my carpark canopy (thereby restricting the fiddling with it). Refoiling is always a pain and I wish I could get some wonder silver spray that would end those days.

Talibanis:
@Saipro, what's ur location?

I'm in Ilorin

I understand the spurious sound of my claims but, yes, I was receiving MBC on Nilesat with my 2.6m dish (fibre for the matter) up until end of April when they all of a sudden upped and went away. Everything else is stable as we speak. I must state that everything from dish shape (I corrected a lopsided sag) to LNBF skew (reverse polarity) has been optimized for Nilesat as I had converted a motorized setup to a stationary one. Having cleared that aspect, I still don't understand the sudden disappearance. Could I have offended the FTA gods unknowingly (by enjoying too much FTA)?

A quick inspection reveals exfoliation on some areas of the dish. I'll refoil sometime next month and attempt to track Nilesat again - on the same 2.6m fibre dish.

By the way, nice seeing you GeorgeD1. It took a brother in distress to bring you out. I seem to notice your last post on the Solar forum was in response to an inquiry of mine. To these ends, kindly accept my profound gratitude.

Ogojohn:
Have you tried strong prime focus lnb. I tried it. It was a marvel.

Frankly, I haven't but the Inverto Black has been touted to be no less amazing. However, when it comes to out-of-footprint/beyond-horizon signals, I believe there's truly no substitute for a bigger and better dish. Painstakingly, one might persist and prevail but at times, it's pure hell to even try. I'll give it another shot this weekend using the Inverto else I'll settle for the weaker Badr 4 using Invacom. Thanks

Olawale86:
@ saipro pls can u tell us the product of LNB u used

I use Fuji Gold (HD) twin LNBF. I would have suspected the LNBF too but every other channel (and I mean EVERY) is still in place and blazing annoyingly, as I don't speak arabic.

In addition I have an Inverto Black (quad) and Invacom QPL 4 (quad) LNBF. Both are new and are supposed to be the best in the industry for retail use on semi-circular and parabolic cut dishes but I'm discouraged as I never had to use them. I have 4 other dishes ranging from 60cm to 100 cm and all of them have regular twin or quad Invertos. Those are my current source of joy for FTA as my family have reverted to DSTV.

tolexee:
Kudos to all the DIY team and the pros in the house. Stumbling on this thread late but i had to go through from pg 1 - 99, indeed an interesting workbook. I've got a week installation made up of 6 x 200watts solar panel (all connected in parallel) , Morningstar MPPT 60, 2 x 12v 200Ah (connected in series) to a 1.5kva Kevin Inverter, i need advice on the following observations from logged data from CC;

1. Maximum Instantaneous output solar power (input to CC) not exceeded 720watts

2. Output power from CC (to battery) always lower than input power to CC (from array)

3. At near peak Array current it's always greater than battery current

4. When CC transit to night i observe a -ve current flow

5. Is my battery depletion normal in the night mode for a 250wh load for approx 5hrs.

Find attached yesterday's logged data for reference.

Your erudite suggestion/advice/comment by all would b much appreciated.

1. Your PVs in parallel mean your operating voltage and charging voltage are nearly the same (assuming a VoC of about 30V. You'll need to specify your VoC as measured in full insolation, not in shade nor as stated by the nameplate). In other words, your system would perform as hoped for only when the sun is high in the sky. It's also possible your panels are inclined in the wrong direction. Two panels in parallel in three strings should be ideal for your setup (depending on your VoC).

2. For the same reasons as (1.) above

3. Now this is normal but to be sure, you'll need to provide figures.

4. If your CC model is a variant which has load output running from it to the inverter (or other DC loads), this would also be normal. I'm yet to see a CC which significantly drains the battery bank (although CC power is indeed drawn from the bank, it's often negligible)

5. Explain what you mean by "depletion". Depletion as in battery levels falling to a programmmed cut-off point or depletion as in exhaustion of charge. Please clarify.

chris81964:
Also check your cables and the crimps. They have been the source of a few headaches for us.

And endless hours of needless worrying. Thanks for pointing that often missed problem out

earthrealm:
BAD BATTERIES/CELLs DISPLAY DIFFERENT BEHAVIOURS.

1. THEY SOMETIMES RESIST CHARGE, for example a bad batt will read 9.2v...hook up a 12v charger to it...it will only read 9.6v even for 36hrs.

2. sometimes a bad battery will reav 11v, and jump to 13.2v when a charger is hooked up to it......even with the charger hooked on for 24hrs.......5mins as soon as the charger is removed, the voltage falls rapidly to 11v.

.... my very point!

chris81964:
I stand corrected. In my experience with bad batteries they will charge very quickly and discharge as quickly. Does the cell have physical damage to cause what you describe?

Specifically, I'm referring to sulphated batteries (a consequence of persistent under-charging). That would be flooded, VRLA and AGM batteries (the most common types in RE). You're however correct too as that's one form of failure.

Ogojohn:
I suppose you are right. He may need retracking the dish. Can you list the frequencies of the channels you are presently receiving? My fears is that it might be frequencies under AB 7.

Literally every other thing I used to receive is still there. Except the MBC channels

chris81964:
There can be a series of things going on.
1. Your controller should be able to charge to the higher voltage that I mentioned. When the batteries are bad, they do't really resist a charge. Inability to get to 58 or 59 V is a function of the charger not the batteries. Do you have the right voltage from your PV? Check the harvest from the panels. That will give you a clue.
2. What type of an external charger are you using and for how long do you charge the batteries?

Actually, bad batteries will resist a charge. It depends on the cause of the "badness". Damaged cells are certain to cause a flat voltage despite high charging current/voltage.

Ogojohn:
Yes. No need to.

That's sad news. It means MBC channels have suddenly grown wings and flown out of my reach. Too bad

Ogojohn:
Not at all. Watched it last night at both v and h polarization. My location is onitsha. Dish size 3.1 meter. Do you get National geographic and Heat channels too?

Absolutely not. I'm down to Al Jazeera and tons of non-English speaking channels. In other words, are you're saying you didn't have to move your dish?

funkyrash:
Same here, have a 1.8m dish mbc channels suddenly stopped working tried all possible positions but still can't get 11938 V 27500

I suspect they've moved to a nearby position. Somewhere similar but slighty above the original position. Will investigate when free on Sunday

Talibanis:
Surprisingly my signal quality of Badr MBC is quite impressive even getting good signals too on Dubai One etc while I can't seem to get appreciable signal quality on Nilesat MBC here in Benin.

I'm having the same issue. My Badr 4 is hopeless (2.6m fibre dish) while I still get almost every other package on Nilesat. I wonder why MBC has proven elusive. Will set to work on it right now

Boss13:
Thank you so much. I made a terrible mistake. I contacted dubious and incompetent installers. The batteries I have now cannot charge more than 50V through solar and sometimes I use external charger which charges it to 53.7v. However, immediately I put on my load, it drops instantly to 50V. I have been told the batteries are fairly used and sold to me as new ones by wicked Alaba traders. The trader has promised me new ones tomorrow.

I have spent so much and I cannot concentrate any longer. My inverter went off this morning by 6:01am . I need assistance

If your batteries are flooded wet cell baterries, all might not be lost yet. A desulphator could still glean some meaningful life from those batteries. I've done lots of reviving of flooded and even VRLA batteries. Gel batteries aren't so responsive to attempts at reviving.

abunafiu:
@ saipro, this is exactly what I told u during my last visit to your house.

I remember saying he definately intends to maintain 50% dod at every point in town. And if by chance the bank is drained above 50% then... the xantrex has a super charger that can do the corrections in few hours with a generator and this is only needed only once in a while.

Indeed, you did mention him having a backup plan for charging the baterries. That quells my fear on the three-day cloudy spells that love to hit without warning. Kudos!

He however has been evasive on load estimates. I guess he has his reason(s). Cheers!

c0ogumo:
@ Saipro
Can you please explain with calculations why you think the panels are inadequate for the battery bank.
Maybe there is a mistake in my calculations.
By the way, the panels are all mono.

Frankly, that would be impossible at the moment for I have no idea of what your loading (power draw) of the system would be and that would be fundamental to any equation I might try to bring up. My assumptions are solely based on your heavy setup being probably meant to back up some heavy equipment. It's easily and quite possible that drain would be minimal (emergency backup lighting to a facility in the event of power failure and to fill in the interval before the main backup power comes on) or you have other means (dedicated chargers) for boosting the batteries.

Don't let my pessimism discourage you as I like to over-prepare for eventualities that may never arise. I'm by nature both very cautious and a perfectionist. Not the very best of traits in the open field. Gimme an idea of the purpose of your setup and I'll give my own view (which might incidentally tally with yours)

Boss13:
Why do you say that because it is not monocrystalline Panels?

Not necessarily. True, polycrystalline PV panels might generate slightly lesser power but that's more over a statistical thing when doing long-term comparisons. On the short-term, one can always add extra panels to supply the (perceived) deficit. Don't forget that we live almost directly on the equator and as such enjoy insolation that most others could only dream of - all year round!

My concern is on the basis of your equipment. Undoubtedly, you'll be powering some heavy duty stuff. Power drain might not follow your calculations for surge drains. Cycling loads might however cause an overestimation of power needs too. Your equipment looks like something desired to power either heavy motors or big compressors (standing A/Cs?). I'm sure you've donw your homework well. Don't mind me, I'm merely being my ever-sceptical self

PS: of course you might also be wanting to provide the equivalent of a few days backup power to light equipment especially in areas of poor grid supply in which case your setup might be even more than adequate.

bigass:
Sorry ooo Please we want to add solar panels to our inverter. But I am more confused about how these things work. We use 1.5 Luminous inverters with 2 200AH batteries.
How many solar panels would I need.
How do i know if my inverter can work with solar panels.
Aside panels what else would I need.
How do you prevent over charging with solar.
Can solar and PHCN work together in charging battery bank.
How do you run the wires from the solar panel to the battery alongside with ones from phcn?

Or at least give an estimate of your average (slight overestimation though) of your daily power load. That way, your battery bank can be deemed adequate or not and your panels can be matched to replenish the power drawn from your bank. But that's the oversimplified version

c0ogumo:
6300W Solar installation in Ibadan

12 x 275 Solarworld panels
12 x 250 Renogy Panels
2 x Xantrex xw mppt 60
1 x Xantrex xw6048
1 x Xantrex SCP
1 x Xantrex PDP
8 x Trojan IND17-6V

More pics to follow

The Solar Depot Nigeria
www.solardepotng.com

As much as I admire your setup, upon closer inspection, there appears a fundamental flaw (pretty common in RE): your PV array is somewhatinadequate for maintaing your bank - unless you plan to sparingly draw energy from the battery bank. Even then, you'd have to take an entire day or two to charge back if you somehow draw up to 50% DoD.

A given however, is the fact that your array is capable of supplying enough charge current to keep your batteries "happy". I'm quite curious as to the application to which this setup would be attending to. You could PM me if you'd prefer to keep things discrete.

PS: Pardon my overly enthusiastic and unsolicited comments but my inferences are based on the fact that your setup looks like something meant to power equipment with either high-surge starting current or equipment with steady but high power consumption.