MNSP115 LED brightness

[laszlo]

I got two SPDS on the system alongside with my six Deltas -- an MNSPD 115 and a 300.  I just noticed today that the blue LED light inside the 115 is fainter than in the 300. The 115 is wired across the output of the Classic 200 into the 48V nominal battery bank, whereas the 300 is on 240V  A/C out. Have you folks with Midnite SPDS also seen this? I wonder, is there a correlation between voltage across  the SPD and the luminosity of the LED?

[Robin]

The brightness is suppose to be the same from 9V to 600V. The LED's are very directional though. Are you looking at them from the side? They are not so good from the side. We just started using a custom made side viewable LED last week. That would probably fix your discrepancy. The LED's probably are actually the same brightness if you are looking straight on at them. As long as they are glowing, don't worry. If they stop glowing, they are broken and need to be fixed. We tried to make them strong enough that they will not break. There are 8 high powered TMOV's inside. Most companies give you just one. Each section of the SPD has four devices in parallel. Our studies showed that one was terribly insufficient. We would call that planned obsolescence.

[MaxieGodde]

both installs will be in a camper with a solar panel roof mounted flexible led strip lighting led outdoor lighting fixtures mini led light bars and PWM CC.  Neither are into conservation yet wrt their night time use of their battery power...  trying to get them to use LEDs for lights first...

[Mungoo]

The brightness is suppose to be the same from 9V to 600V. The LED's are very directional though. Are you looking at them from the side? They are not so good from the side.  (URLs REMOVED by Administrator)

[boB]

The brightness is suppose to be the same from 9V to 600V. The LED's are very directional though. Are you looking at them from the side? They are not so good from the side.

Actually, the MidNite SPDs use LEDs that ARE side viewable.   Have been for a while now.
boB

[laszlo]

Well, I got this mystery solved -- the SPD that had the faint LED  was installed across the DC input circuit on my Magnum 4448 PAE. For some reason, there was some interaction between the input voltage protection circuit inside the Magnum and the SPD, so the LED turned faint. After I performed a reset on  my Magnum, the SPD's LED started glowing bright as before.  I am no longer able to reproduce this, so I think this may have been some transitory installation specific interaction. Happy with the Midnit SPD's - now have 6 or 7 of them online.

[boB]

Excellent, laszlo !   (I think )

I don't understand how the 4448 PAE could make the LEDs go dim from
its battery terminals though.

boB

[laszlo]

BoB - I will look at the wiring this weekend to refresh my memory since it has been a while. As I recall, in the  Magnum MMP box there is a DC+ and DC- busbar, and I wired he SPD +/- leads across those busbars, and the SPD's ground lead to the DC ground.

[niel]

i'm not seeing what could've caused the led to dim either. no way the inverter loaded the batteries and pvs down to the point it would dim it. i will note that in my opinion you should not put it to the dc+, but rather the pv+ to try to protect the input to the classic.

in looking at your sig line i guess i should ask where you have them all at and which one or ones dimmed?

[laszlo]

neil -

Yeah, I have SPDs on the PV input as well. Pretty much on every DC and AC source and output circuit. There is another forum user who reported this with the Magnum  MMP box, which is what I have. I will look at it this weekend and see if I can reproduce.