PV SPD led question

[SolarMusher]

Hi All,
I've noticed today that Led Intensity on my PV SPD (E-panel) increases a lot (almost blinking when cloudly) every +/- minute or so. We had a storm with sudden strikes one week ago and I tought the system was dead. AC SPD x2 (240V) seem still working fine but I'm wondering if my PV SPD is still working. How could I check it?
Led is low when sunny and then becomes stronger for a second.
Thanks,
Erik

[laszlo]

I checked your system in your sig and you have a Magnum Inverter which I have seen interacting with the SPD in this way.    Solution was to cycle the Magnum plus turn off PV breakers at the same time. My working hypothesis is that this  occurs if the SPD is added while the Magnum is inverting.

[SolarMusher]

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.

Hi Laszlo,
In your post, you was talking about a reset of the Magnum, did you really perform a reset (default settings) or did you only switch it on/off? I've tried any possible combination without success (magnum Off, Classic On). I've even tried with a new SPD, same result. Led is bright only when red to + and green to -. I've checked it all and didn't find anything wrong except my ground place that I suspect to give me a poor ground, gravel sand is too dry facing South.
Erik

[laszlo]

Hello Musher,

No, I meant only to cycle the DC breaker to the Magnum. In my case it solved the flickering SPD LED issue.

I am not sure if the SPD is using the ground in non-conducting mode. But to test that, one thing I would do is remove the ground lead momentarily from the ground terminal, and see if that changes anything in the LED.

[mahendra]

i think it has something to do with the ground i.e if the ground is floating had a similar issue when i forgot to place the grounding jumper in the classic to enable ground fault.during the floating ground situation leds would lit very dim and would flicker when load or power from pv rises.

[SolarMusher]

Hi all,
Logical, it makes sense, I had checked ground wire from PV to combiner to ground but I didn't check the GFP jumper Inside the Classic, but if I remember I had checked it in the tweak menu and it was still On. I'm  going to take it off and on and see.
I'm with you, I'm thinking it's a ground problem.
Good idea,
Erik