Classic 200SL on a charging rollercoaster.

Started by deserthorizons, August 11, 2018, 03:27:08 PM

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deserthorizons

It has taken a while for me to notice this because of all the clouds we have had for the last 6 weeks..
Over the course of 1 to 2 minutes it will go from a ~720 watt (full) charge to zero and back to ~720..
I can do a "quick start" reset and it will work fine the rest of that day, but the next it starts up the same rollercoaster..
It is only 4 months old and I have it mounted in an RV with 9 - 100 watt solar panels and 6 trojan t-105's..
(video here of setup..:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La6DUgDOLjk ..)

Is this something I have hooked up wrong or set wrong.?
Or could it be a faulty 200SL.?

TIA

mike90045

My classic 200 worked fine till a cloud came along, then it went wonky. 
I changed the MPPT style to
4197,3,LgcySweepIntervalSecs,3,

(That line is from the local app settings download.)  I use Legacy Sweep, and it's been fine ever since.
http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar

Classic 200| 2Kw PV, 160Voc | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph )| Listeroid 6/1, st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | midnight ePanel & 4 SPDs | 48V, 800A NiFe battery bank | MS-TS-MPPT60 w/3Kw PV

deserthorizons

#2
I found what you were talking about.. we'll see if it makes a difference.. Thank You..

Vic

I,   too,   had wondered about changing the Mode,   from the probable Solar,  to Legacy P&O  --  this is in the Mode menu on the SL.

Since this IS  an SL,   would bet that the LA  will not be accessible.

If there many clouds,   smoke,   or hazy skies,   Legacy P&O  often works better than Solar,   although  when the Classics here have had issues in Solar mode,  the Classic would still make some power (not "zero" power).

When the Classic is producing zero power,  with some sun on the PVs,   what message is shown on the bottom right of the display?    Does it say "Resting"?

Did you buy this Classic as a new one from a reseller/retailer,   or was it from an individual?   If you press the Status button (left small white round button)  about six or seven times,  you should be able to see the Firmware version numbers for the Classic,   and the MNGP,   what are those numbers?

Later,   thanks for the added info,   Vic
Off Grid - Sys 1: 2ea SW+ 5548, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH, 5.25 KW PV, Classic 150,WB, Beta Barcelona, Beta KID
Sys 2: SW+ 5548s, 4KS25s, 5.88 KW PV, 2 ea. Classic 150, WB, HB CC-needs remote Monitoring/Control, site=remote.
 MN Bkrs/Bxs/Combiners. Thanks MN for Great Products/Svc/Support&This Forum!!

Vic

Quote from: deserthorizons on August 11, 2018, 05:02:46 PM
does it matter that the "SL" model has no ethernet capabilities, at all.?
how do I apply "apps" to it.?

It primarily matters,   that you will not be able to use the Local Application (LA  on your computer).

Vic
Off Grid - Sys 1: 2ea SW+ 5548, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH, 5.25 KW PV, Classic 150,WB, Beta Barcelona, Beta KID
Sys 2: SW+ 5548s, 4KS25s, 5.88 KW PV, 2 ea. Classic 150, WB, HB CC-needs remote Monitoring/Control, site=remote.
 MN Bkrs/Bxs/Combiners. Thanks MN for Great Products/Svc/Support&This Forum!!

deserthorizons

I am in southern AZ and it has been cloudy due to monsoon season.. However, now
there is not a cloud to be seen and it was still doing the same thing.. Up and Down and Up
and Down and Up and etc.. I found the mode menu and changed it..
now to see what happens tomorrow morning.. Thank You.!!

deserthorizons

Quote from: Vic on August 11, 2018, 05:14:25 PM

When the Classic is producing zero power,  with some sun on the PVs,   what message is shown on the bottom right of the display?    Does it say "Resting"?

Did you buy this Classic as a new one from a reseller/retailer,   or was it from an individual?   If you press the Status button (left small white round button)  about six or seven times,  you should be able to see the Firmware version numbers for the Classic,   and the MNGP,   what are those numbers?

It never changed from Bulk MPPT
I bought it from Missouri Wind and Solar in April '18
.....4294967295
mngp 2186 ; 11/29/'17
classic 2126 01/11/'17

Vic

OK,   thanks for the FW version numbers,   that is current FW.

OK,   so,  when the Classic  was producing "zero" (00.0 watts),   it still said that it was in Bulk??   Is it possible that "zero",   was a relatively low number of watts,   but not zero?   Normally the Classic will "Rest..."  when there is less than about 15 watts being produced.

Will check back later,   Thanks,   Vic
Off Grid - Sys 1: 2ea SW+ 5548, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH, 5.25 KW PV, Classic 150,WB, Beta Barcelona, Beta KID
Sys 2: SW+ 5548s, 4KS25s, 5.88 KW PV, 2 ea. Classic 150, WB, HB CC-needs remote Monitoring/Control, site=remote.
 MN Bkrs/Bxs/Combiners. Thanks MN for Great Products/Svc/Support&This Forum!!

deserthorizons

it will only be on 0 watts for a split second before the wattage starts climbing again quickly to full
power where, over the course of about one minute, it slowly drops back down to 0 watts and we start the ride all over again..

The thing is, with no clouds in the sky and loads being placed on the batteries,
it should be pulling in at a minimum 300 watts.. up and down as loads increase or decrease..

This thing about it dropping down to 0 is a new development..
I can understand fluctuations because of passing clouds,, which is what I thought it
was,, until I noticed it doing it without a cloud in the sky..

Vic

In the Mode menu,   what Mode is the Classic setting?

In Solar Mode,   the Classic Sweeps for a new Voc,   about every three minutes.   Wonder if this is what causes this repetitive cycling.   In this mode,   the sweep only takes a second or so,   though ...

You might want to check ALLl of the cable connections on the PVs,   breakers,   and the Classic terminal block,   inside the front cover.   Battery connections,   too.

FWIW,   Vic
Off Grid - Sys 1: 2ea SW+ 5548, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH, 5.25 KW PV, Classic 150,WB, Beta Barcelona, Beta KID
Sys 2: SW+ 5548s, 4KS25s, 5.88 KW PV, 2 ea. Classic 150, WB, HB CC-needs remote Monitoring/Control, site=remote.
 MN Bkrs/Bxs/Combiners. Thanks MN for Great Products/Svc/Support&This Forum!!

deserthorizons

It has been in "Solar" mode since day 1..

Even though this setup is in an RV,, it has not moved since I installed..

I will get to checking all connections, again, more thoroughly this time..

and 1 full cycle of the charge rollercoaster takes considerably less than 3 minutes..

FNG

if this doesn't work better on Legacy P&O I would say it may have an issue with current sense, The trips to 0 are to calibrate I do believe. Email me ryan@midnitesolar.com if it still bothers I will get you taken care of

boB


Yeah, FnG and others have a good idea to try Legacy mode.
In the SOLAR mode, it looks for changes and then does a sweep-cal.  If it doesn't see enough change, it will
do one at the interval which has a default setting of 3 minutes.  I bet that's what you are seeing as the
cycling period.

BTW, what is "quick start"  ?

boB
K7IQ 🌛  He/She/Me

deserthorizons

Quote from: boB on August 12, 2018, 07:48:29 PM

I bet that's what you are seeing as the
cycling period.

BTW, what is "quick start"  ?

The "cycling period" was half as long.. 1 and 1/2 min was longest,, sometimes less..
So I have serious doubts about it being the "sweep"

You know it is serious when it stops doing it and you don't know why..
The last 2 days it has not done it at all..
I went in and put it in Legacy mode, entered out,, went right back in and put it back in Solar..
(don't know why, but I did.). that was 2 days ago and it has been working fine since then..

In the manual it is called different things in the same paragraph;;
1 is Commissioning the Classic SL  (Quick Start)
2nd is in the description it is called Quick Set
With the power off to the CC  hold left and right arrows, turn power on, answer questions..
If I just tried to go in directly and change stuff, it either would not save it, or start the charge rollercoaster again..
.
.

boB

Quote from: deserthorizons on August 13, 2018, 01:18:36 PM

BTW, what is "quick start"  ?

....
In the manual it is called different things in the same paragraph;;
1 is Commissioning the Classic SL  (Quick Start)
2nd is in the description it is called Quick Set

[/quote]


Ahh yes !  Now I remember.   There used to be a "Quick Set" I believe it was called in one of the CHARGE menus and
we changed that to the VMM  (Vulcan Mind Meld)  factory default setting method but that was a LONG time ago.

Some things get stuck in time and limbo and just don't go away.

OK, so if you have this problem again, try the Legacy mode again and see if that fixes it.
Not sure why it would cycle every minute and 1/2 ?  Conditions aren't usually that repeatable.

It is limited to doing that sweep/cal no more often that every 30 seconds I seem to remember.

boB
K7IQ 🌛  He/She/Me