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150 Resetting Issues

Started by davex, January 19, 2014, 02:14:22 AM

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davex

HI all - For testing purposes I have a new Classic 150 temporarily installed at my residence, hooked to 240w of panel, 20v input and 12v batteries. This controller is to go on a remote mountain top and be hooked to several radio repeaters with 1kw of panels @ 40voc and 12v batteries.

Classic Rev: 1401
Network Rev: 1194

I have configured it to run on Legacy P&O to suit my system but other than that is standard. I have done a factory power-up reset several times but no improvement.

The issue I am having is that it seems to reset quite often. I have seen it reset several times in the space of 10 minutes. I have it hooked to the home network. On MyMidnight it sometimes has very long periods of no comms, even checking with Local Status Panel gives a not found error yet my internet is OK, and I can successfully ping the device.

Today with a low output (overcast and light misty rain) all seems to working without problem.       

https://www.mymidnite.com/?q=user/371

boB


What was the battery voltage when it was resetting ?  Was it good ? Over 10 volts or so ?
Low voltage and small power supplies can cause resetting due to the Classic's aux power supply current requirements at very low battery voltages.

There used to be somewhat of a problem with Classics connected to the internet and more with certain routers.

There was a thread on this forum regarding this problem and there was improvement with newer firmware which can be updated via USB.  Rev 1401 was from 6-8-2013 and network 1194 from around that time I think.

You may want to try updating the firmware from the main web site's firmware page.

I will try and get more info to post here tomorrow.

boB
K7IQ 🌛  He/She/Me

Halfcrazy

#2
Please define resetting. Is it dropping of the local app or is the actual classic resetting? Never mind I looked at your My MidNite account and it is definitely resetting as the KWH goes to 0. If this is fairly random we may want to swap it out and get it back to look at. Please email me off list so we can work on that. ryan@midnitesolar.com

Ryan
Changing the way wind turbines operate one smoke filled box at a time

davex

#3
Quote from: boB on January 19, 2014, 04:50:42 AM

What was the battery voltage when it was resetting ?  Was it good ? Over 10 volts or so ?
Low voltage and small power supplies can cause resetting due to the Classic's aux power supply current requirements at very low battery voltages.

There used to be somewhat of a problem with Classics connected to the internet and more with certain routers.

There was a thread on this forum regarding this problem and there was improvement with newer firmware which can be updated via USB.  Rev 1401 was from 6-8-2013 and network 1194 from around that time I think.

You may want to try updating the firmware from the main web site's firmware page.

I will try and get more info to post here tomorrow.

boB

Thanks Bob
Currently hooked to 10 x 12v 55ah AGM batteries in parallel. seems to reset any time, possibly more often when sunlight broken by clouds. Could be coincidental.   

Is this a later firmware than is installed on  my 150?   http://fusion.midnitesolar.com/MidNiteSolarUpdate_1609_10-4-2013_v3.92.exe

My home network is as follows: My 150 cable connects to a Linksys WRT54G with TOMATO firmware, setup in wireless bridge mode. A LinkSYS WAG200G ADSL router connects it all to the WWW.

DAVE

davex

Quote from: Halfcrazy on January 19, 2014, 07:49:24 AM
Please define resetting. Is it dropping of the local app or is the actual classic resetting? Never mind I looked at your My MidNite account and it is definitely resetting as the KWH goes to 0. If this is fairly random we may want to swap it out and get it back to look at. Please email me off list so we can work on that. ryan@midnitesolar.com

Ryan
Email sent, thanks..

RossW

Quote from: davex on January 20, 2014, 03:21:33 AM
Currently hooked to 10 x 12v 55ah AGM batteries in parallel. seems to reset any time, possibly more often when sunlight broken by clouds. Could be coincidental.   

Mine was resetting madly too (last year). It was *FAR* more likely to reset (cleared/reset the daily AH, kWh etc total) when there were rapid transitions from light to dark or dark to light. (ie, broken cloud was a real killer). On bad days, I'd see 6 or 8 resets during the day. Never at night, and I don't think I ever saw it during solid consistent sun either.

So I don't think it's purely coincidence.
3600W on 6 tracking arrays.
7200W on 2 fixed array.
Midnite Classic 150
Outback Flexmax FM80
16 x LiFePO4 600AH cells
16 x LiFePO4 300AH cells
Selectronics SP-PRO 481 5kW inverter
Fronius 6kW AC coupled inverter
Home-brew 4-cyl propane powered 14kVa genset
2kW wind turbine

davex

OK Ross.
I live within 3 km (2miles) of the ocean so get a lot of cloud. That's a bit of a worry.
Had a look at today's output graph and looks like it was getting a lot of light-dark transitions. I was working 100m away today so do not know what the cloud cover was doing. It has reset quite a few times by the look of it. I have done another factory reset tonight and put it into SOLAR mode (Not legacy P&O as previous) to see what it does.

Just looked and it had 3/4 hour period where there was no comms from 3.15pm to 3.57pm..

Without the regulator I can get 17 amps peak but never see it that with the regulator inline in SOLAR mode.   

zoneblue

Ross will correct me, but im prety sure 1609 cured his resets, or was it the one before that?
6x300W CSUN, ground mount, CL150Lite, 2V/400AhToyo AGM,  Outback VFX3024E, Steca Solarix PL1100
http://www.zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar

RossW

Quote from: zoneblue on January 20, 2014, 03:45:32 PM
Ross will correct me, but im prety sure 1609 cured his resets, or was it the one before that?

No, I think it reduced some of them, but the rapid change in current (light/dark or dark/light) continued (continues) to be a problem with that unit. What DID reduce the incidence SUBSTANTIALLY (to almost zero) was reducing the power input. (For other reasons, I moved 5 of my arrays back onto the FM80 and left one on the Classic)

Ryan sent me a replacement unit which I have been unable to install just yet - I've been waiting (and waiting and waiting) on a shunt. I'd rather disconnect the system once and do it all then. (I'm about ready to give up on this supplier - claims to have sent the original (never received) plus a replacement (still not received) - and just install the new classic and see what happens)
3600W on 6 tracking arrays.
7200W on 2 fixed array.
Midnite Classic 150
Outback Flexmax FM80
16 x LiFePO4 600AH cells
16 x LiFePO4 300AH cells
Selectronics SP-PRO 481 5kW inverter
Fronius 6kW AC coupled inverter
Home-brew 4-cyl propane powered 14kVa genset
2kW wind turbine

davex

Last night I reset the controller and put it in Solar mode. Today was a very poor day with lots of cloud cover but it did not reset and recorded 800w of input for the day.
Tonight I have reconfigured the panels, putting all three panels in series to give a higher input voltage with an obvious proportional drop in current. Not sure how it will perform with a maximum of 6 amp supply current at 60Voc. Hopefully this will suit the standard SOLAR mode. Tomorrow is forecast as a SUNNY day. Will report my progress in another 24 hours.  I will try that firmware upgrade in a few days time.

The ultimate goal is to put the controller here when the new 1KW of panels are installed http://my-x15.net/ccarc/page11.html Mt Duncan, NW Tasmania, Australia

davex

Reviewed result from my efforts of yesterday. --
In SOLAR mode with the new panel config ran OK for half the day then started resetting, I have loaded the latest firmware so will see how it goes tomorrow.

Forecast is for "mostly sunny" tomorrow.

davex

#11
New firmware loaded.
- Classic Rev: 1609
- Network Rev: 1597

Well - Late today I had a look on the controller and it has run all day, no resets, 1.2kw for the day, HOWEVER nothing at all on MY MIDNIGHT graphs since new firmware loaded..

Local control panel works fine...

Checked everything, web is enabled, turned web off and powered down and restarted. Turned web on and powered down and restarted..

ANY IDEAS?? 

atop8918

Make sure to follow the new DNS override guidelines on the MyMidNite FAQ page.

http://mymidnite.com/?q=node/17


davex

Thanks for info, atop8918
Found that it had a corrupt value in the DNS override, correcting that now seems to have restored things. Will see how it goes tomorrow. Still running ok since he firmware upgrade. 1.1kw today, no resets.

Think it needs more load on the batteries to see what the max daily kw can be on my test setup. Batteries seem to get to full voltage early-mid afternoon.

DAVE

davex

All working as it should now.

Had three full days of graphs, no resets.
Rewired panels back to parallel connection 20v input and put 150 into LEGACY P&O for the last two of those.

Thanks everyone for help.

DAVE