forcing float

[toothy]

I have a Classic 200 managing my turbine output. On sunny, breezy days my other 2 charge controlers go to float and the classsic keeps bulking and holds the voltate at an elevated state but well below absorb. The turbine output is only 1kw so unless it is really windy it never gets to absorb on wind alone.

Should I lower some time or voltage settings to get it to roll over into float quicker than the solar?

Can I force it into float or even back into bulk, if it made it into float? The x brand and the o brand will both let me bully them into forced charging stages.

Thanks
Wade

[mike90045]

Tell us about:
Turbine on the Classic
Battery bank
Loads you have running (while trying to charge)
Other charge sources & controllers

[Halfcrazy]

To force a Float or Bulk charge go to Main Menu scroll over to "tweaks" and hit Enter. Now push the top right button once it will be labeled "More" now you can scroll over to BLK or FLT and scrolling up on either of these will show a quick OK and start the float or bulk cycle. This is also the menu you disable/enable Arc Fault, Ground Fault and Lo Max in as well.

Ryan

[toothy]

Thanks Ryan and Mike

Now I know why I didn't just find the force option.  I think some of what I'm seeing as an abnormally high float voltage may just be normal temp compensation, the batts are a bit chilly 10c.

I just needed to feel like I was in control, the o and x brand controlers put the force option there for me so figured it had to be in there somewhere.

Thanks
Wade

[Vic]

Regarding Forcing;

Have tried to force Bulk a few times recently,  and the Classic seems to accept the command,  and info is sent,  but the Bulk function does not seem to be initiated on either of the Classics on the same bank.  Had made it work for either Float or Bulk,  in the past (do not remember which it was).

The only recent change has been to try to find settings for End Amps that will work well.  Previously,  had EA set to the default of 00.

There is absolutely no sign that the Bulk stage was initiated,  the CC stays in Float,  and neither the voltage nor current changes.

Will be going to this site a bit later,  and will have more time to play with settings.
TIA,  Vic

[boB]

Regarding Forcing;

Have tried to force Bulk a few times recently,  and the Classic seems to accept the command,  and info is sent,  but the Bulk function does not seem to be initiated on either of the Classics on the same bank.

Vic,  what version of software was that where it would not actually force a Bulk ??
I have not seen it fail (yet).

thanks,
boB

[Vic]

boB,

Was afraid that you would ask about the version number ... will check.

BUT,  it is the EA setting that seems to inhibit Force Bulk.  Set EA to 00,  and Force Bulk works fine.  Sorry ot ask this Q before playing around with the settings.  We are still doing construction of the building,  and do not always have daylight hours to devote to the Solar stuff.

There is NOT a problem now.  EA set to non-zero seems to inhibit Force Bulk based on my ditzing around today.  73,  Vic

[boB]

boB,

Was afraid that you would ask about the version number ... will check.

BUT,  it is the EA setting that seems to inhibit Force Bulk.  Set EA to 00,  and Force Bulk works fine.  Sorry ot ask this Q before playing around with the settings.  We are still doing construction of the building,  and do not always have daylight hours to devote to the Solar stuff.

There is NOT a problem now.  EA set to non-zero seems to inhibit Force Bulk based on my ditzing around today.  73,  Vic

Thanks Vic !   I will play with the End Amps setting and see if I can get it to mess up.  I seem to recall that
I changed EA default to 0.1 A because of EA being signed or not and if  < 0.0 A would even work correctly !
Anyway, I was just playing with force bulk and force Float today with default EA and it was working OK.


boB

[niel]

i'm going to throw my voice here on the subject as well. i have the 919 software and tried to force a bulk charge while it was in float. no go. below the blk and flt are 3 dashes like the morse letter o. scrolling to blk shows nothing except the 3 dashes highlighted and hitting enter does cause the classic to send the data for saving. upon exiting out to the main screen i find i am still in float. am i missing something here or do i need to be in absorb to force blk or flt?

btw ryan, i sent you a pm some time back on naws. i know you were away, but you still visited the naws forum because i saw you there, but i guess you missed it or weren't looking for one.

[boB]

i'm going to throw my voice here on the subject as well. i have the 919 software and tried to force a bulk charge while it was in float. no go. below the blk and flt are 3 dashes like the morse letter o. scrolling to blk shows nothing except the 3 dashes highlighted and hitting enter does cause the classic to send the data for saving. upon exiting out to the main screen i find i am still in float. am i missing something here or do i need to be in absorb to force blk or flt?

btw ryan, i sent you a pm some time back on naws. i know you were away, but you still visited the naws forum because i saw you there, but i guess you missed it or weren't looking for one.

I could/should  make it so that pressing ENTER actually forces Bulk or Float but the way it works now is
that you have to press the UP or DOWN ARROW keys.  You may see a very quick "OK" and then
it has forced Bulk or Float.   If you force a Bulk/Absorb when it is already Bulk MPPTin or Absoring,
it will reset the counters from start  (Minimum Absorb time)

Pressing ENTER, just tells the Classic to remember its settings next time it is powered up.
Bulk or Float itself isn't remembered though as you might guess.
boB

[niel]

thanks boB as i see ryan did say scroll up and it just didn't register as "up arrow". what am i going to do with myself??

[boB]

thanks boB as i see ryan did say scroll up and it just didn't register as "up arrow". what am i going to do with myself??

  I guess you will just have to press your up arrow !!!

Just  don't  play with your ENTER button !

boB

[Vic]

Regarding Forcing Bulk;

With the latest -- 6/29 FW,  tried to Force Bulk yesterday,  and it would not go to Bulk.  It might have done so for a hundred milii-seconds,  but would not stay.  This was with Classic A in Float and Mode = On,  and trying to FB on Classic B.  So,  set Mode = Off Classic A,  but still,  no dice on FB on the other.

Finally,  just changed the Float V=Absorption V,  and,  of course  that did it.

What am I doing wrong in trying to get the Classic 150 to go to Bulk from Float?  It HAS worked in the past with the 11/??/11 FW.

There was an EA value set in this CC B ...  is it possible that the CC noticed that the EA value was much higher than the present current delivered,  and just said that Absorption current had been satisfied,  so no need to perform the charge cycle again?

Not a biggie,  just idle curiosity.  Thanks,  Vic

[Vic]

OK,  My last visit to the site with these Classics was a Drive-By,  did not have time to play with things very much.

On the next visit will try to confirm that having any EA value more than the typical 'Float' current causes the Force Bulk to terminate instantly (or not even begin).  This is my belief.  And,  since I've always run EA on the MX-60s as well,   perhaps this is also why Force Bulk does not work on them either,  as the 14-16 A values used on these systems is almost always greater than the load currents,  quite possibly causing the CC to terminate or not even restart the Bulk stage.

Guessing ended,   Thanks.   Vic