new old classic 150 question about updates.

[solarvic]

What I have here is a classic 150 that has manufacture date third quarter 2011 that I bought and never used. Can I Do a factory update to version Rev G 2056 without connecting it to my battery?  I have a solar array with 1 string of 16 panels on a fronuios inverter that need to come off of my grid tied setup. I tried to ac couple the Fronuis to my magnum inverter  but have the wrong version. So I would need to buy a magnum MS4024 PAE version which should be  easy as basically I would just to swap out the inverter. But I already have the classic 150 and a mx-60 outback that I could go the controller route to charge the batterys. I measured today and it is a 300 foot run from the solar panels to the charge controlers and  I already have Some wire. I have a big roll of aluminum wire #2  and think it is at least 400 foot but might be 500 ft. I also have 200 feet of of #2 copper wire that I would have to run in conduit. I could bury 2 strands of the aluminum wire to a satellite dish in the yard and put a little junction box on the satelte pipe and go the rest of the way with 2 lines of twnn from there to the charge controlers. . What I am thinking if I decide to use the charge controller that I might try to run all the panels on the classic. 4 arrays of 4. If that is too much for it I would cut it back to 3 arrays and run the other array on the outback controller I already have using the wires that grid tie is using.  I am 72 years old and figure I better get this done While I still can.  I have lots of equipment that I bought and want to get this done so I can start selling the stuff I am never going to use. I know if I don,t sell the stuff that My son inlaw would just get a roll off and discard it all. SOLAR  VIC

[ClassicCrazy]

You can update your Classic to the newest firmware ( which is now 2126)  by just hooking up any 12v source to the battery terminals and then use the programming cable to update . Follow the firmware update directions exactly from the Midnite webpage.
http://www.midnitesolar.com/firmwareReport.php?firmware_ID=9&firmwareProduct_ID=1&act=edit

Midnite has a string calculator that you can  use to find out the highest series voltage that you can string your PV panels. For such a long run you would want to go as high a voltage as possible with the PV . The Midnite string calculator will tell you what is safe for the controller.
http://www.midnitesolar.com/sizingTool/index.php

After you know your string voltage you can use online wire loss calculators to analyze your wire runs using the wires you said you have.

Let us know when you get some figures from those tools. 

Larry

[GHOSTNH]

where does one find the update video /instructions for win xp that used to be here...