OK, so I installed our new Classic Lite 150 in its new mountaintop home with configuration set by dip-switch, connected it to the network, came down the mountain and can access it - except that it asks for an unlock code before I can configure it.
Now I've read the local app pdf manual carefully and see no reference to any need for an unlock code or any explanation of what it is. I read it again backwards and have combed it for a cypher which might reveal the secret of the unlock code to the arcane initiated but without success. Hence I am saddened by the realisation that as a mere ordinary purchaser of this device I am not entitled to join the inner sanctum of devotees to whom the secrets of the unlock code are to be divulged and will be for ever limited to merely reading whatever information the app chooses to present to me in its mercy, and must troop up the mountain to pay my devotions to the device in person anytime I want anything done.
This is particularly annoying given the three-hour head-banging experience associated with installing the local app in the first place.
Attempt one: installing via the Mymidnite web-page hung and I had to back out after half-an-hour.
Attempt two: the Adobe Air exe file downloaded from the link on your site refused to install due to a 'missing file' somewhere very unlikely on my C: drive
Attempt three: I abandoned all attempts to download Adobe Air from the Adobe site as it seems to be possible only if you first download some crappy download-manager probably crammed with spy-ware
Attempt four: I finally managed to get an installable copy of Adobe Air from my favourite file-sharing site
nb. Crap like Adobe Air is something I would normally not have within a mile of my main machine given Adobe software's record of security breaches and its appalling responses in dealing with them. With its withdrawal of Linux support for an already foundering, hardly popular product I suspect Air's days are numbered and IMHO that can't come a day too soon.
This ability to network to the Classic was for me its main selling point but I'm sadly disappointed by it. Bogart's Pentametric with ethernet interface would have been a much better buy and this is something I wil have to consider for future solar schemes.
Quote from: viola on May 19, 2014, 11:45:46 PM
OK, so I installed our new Classic Lite 150 in its new mountaintop home with configuration set by dip-switch, connected it to the network, came down the mountain and can access it - except that it asks for an unlock code before I can configure it.
Now I've read the local app pdf manual carefully and see no reference to any need for an unlock code or any explanation of what it is. I read it again backwards and have combed it for a cypher which might reveal the secret of the unlock code to the arcane initiated but without success. Hence I am saddened by the realisation that as a mere ordinary purchaser of this device I am not entitled to join the inner sanctum of devotees to whom the secrets of the unlock code are to be divulged and will be for ever limited to merely reading whatever information the app chooses to present to me in its mercy, and must troop up the mountain to pay my devotions to the device in person anytime I want anything done.
The unlock code in the LA is the SN of your Classic.
Quote from: viola on May 19, 2014, 11:45:46 PM
This is particularly annoying given the three-hour head-banging experience associated with installing the local app in the first place.
.........
Attempt four: I finally managed to get an installable copy of Adobe Air from my favourite file-sharing site.
Ah, so I am not the only one (there are several others I know of ) having trouble getting the L-App to install.
Never mind the 3 weekends, with 6 hours driving to go out and back each time and the many hours sitting dumbfounded, asking what is going wrong???
I also had a problem with doing a FW update simultaneously... It went in at the end of weekend 3... now just the LA to get straight...
Believe me, the sense of accomplishment will be great!
I'm waiting for that iPad version of the LA. We now have two versions for the Droid devices. I hope the iPad app has not been shielded for lack of resources.
Quote from: viola on May 19, 2014, 11:45:46 PM
..
nb. Crap like Adobe Air is something I would normally not have within a mile of my main machine given Adobe software's record of security breaches and its appalling responses in dealing with them. With its withdrawal of Linux support for an already foundering, hardly popular product I suspect Air's days are numbered and IMHO that can't come a day too soon.
I don't think you will get any users of this forum disagreeing with you. These AIR issues were pointed out end 2012 when the Local App was released after a year or more in development.
Air's security record is a worry and withdrawal of Linux support lessened the versatility of the Classic.
There was mention of a revised local app not involving AIR but that seems to have quietly faded away.
Quote
This ability to network to the Classic was for me its main selling point but I'm sadly disappointed by it. Bogart's Pentametric with ethernet interface would have been a much better buy and this is something I wil have to consider for future solar schemes.
The Classic's network features are severely limited, some (like me) would say broken.
I have installed about 16 Classics in 2013 and have had to answer user's asking why the Classic does not respond to their web browser. Recent posts from Midnite have explained no plans to change the network capability or provide a web interface.
(I'm just waiting on some corporate to buy a few thousand Classics and require a more than one tcp connection and the web interface ???)
The Classic, however, is probably the best featured solar controller available right now. You would be even more disappointed with competitor's offerings.
dgd
The good thing about the classic is that the relatively open modbus interface allows anyone to write software to connect to the classic. At last count there are about a half dozen intiatives on going, and these provide good alternatives to the local app.
While i only use the local app to do configuration, i dont recall ever having any real problems with either Air or the local app, however non ideal they might be. However at some point i stopped Air updating! Hate those things.
Quote from: viola on May 19, 2014, 11:45:46 PM
OK, so I installed our new Classic Lite 150 in its new mountaintop home with configuration set by dip-switch, connected it to the network, came down the mountain and can access it - except that it asks for an unlock code before I can configure it.
Now I've read the local app pdf manual carefully and see no reference to any need for an unlock code or any explanation of what it is. I read it again backwards and have combed it for a cypher which might reveal the secret of the unlock code to the arcane initiated but without success. Hence I am saddened by the realisation that as a mere ordinary purchaser of this device I am not entitled to join the inner sanctum of devotees to whom the secrets of the unlock code are to be divulged and will be for ever limited to merely reading whatever information the app chooses to present to me in its mercy, and must troop up the mountain to pay my devotions to the device in person anytime I want anything done.
This is particularly annoying given the three-hour head-banging experience associated with installing the local app in the first place.
Attempt one: installing via the Mymidnite web-page hung and I had to back out after half-an-hour.
Attempt two: the Adobe Air exe file downloaded from the link on your site refused to install due to a 'missing file' somewhere very unlikely on my C: drive
Attempt three: I abandoned all attempts to download Adobe Air from the Adobe site as it seems to be possible only if you first download some crappy download-manager probably crammed with spy-ware
Attempt four: I finally managed to get an installable copy of Adobe Air from my favourite file-sharing site
nb. Crap like Adobe Air is something I would normally not have within a mile of my main machine given Adobe software's record of security breaches and its appalling responses in dealing with them. With its withdrawal of Linux support for an already foundering, hardly popular product I suspect Air's days are numbered and IMHO that can't come a day too soon.
This ability to network to the Classic was for me its main selling point but I'm sadly disappointed by it. Bogart's Pentametric with ethernet interface would have been a much better buy and this is something I wil have to consider for future solar schemes.
Well as pointed out the Unlock code is the Numerical portion of that Classics serial#. And if you put your mouse in the box where the code goes it pops up and tells you "This is the serial number of the unit it is on the units label and on the box"
As far as instillation issues I am not sure what to say there. I have installed it 100s of times and it always just "installs" by clicking the link. I have used XP. 7, 8 and 8.1 with no issues. Can any one point out what hangs or what there difficulty was?
The only issue I ever had with installing the LA was when the download would come down as an EXE instead of an AIR file. Haven't had that problem lately.
"This ability to network to the Classic was for me its main selling point but I'm sadly disappointed by it."
I agree
EXACTLY MY SENTIMENTS
Although i got mine to function it was more due to ryan and andrew working with me on the mymidnite configuring..
MN needs to update their on line manuals and tutorials for the newer firmware version and pc operating systems
Unfortunately i have now experience with any other mppt controllers.BUt will surely look when i need to add another 3600watts of solar this year
i
Quote from: Resthome on May 20, 2014, 10:36:13 AM
The only issue I ever had with installing the LA was when the download would come down as an EXE instead of an AIR file. Haven't had that problem lately.
Ah if the file comes down as a non .air all you should have to do is rename it and change the extension to .air
I know IE will tend to make it some odd extensions for some reason
Quote from: GHOSTNH on May 20, 2014, 05:47:25 PM
"This ability to network to the Classic was for me its main selling point but I'm sadly disappointed by it."
I agree
EXACTLY MY SENTIMENTS
Although i got mine to function it was more due to ryan and andrew working with me on the mymidnite configuring..
MN needs to update their on line manuals and tutorials for the newer firmware version and pc operating systems
Unfortunately i have now experience with any other mppt controllers.BUt will surely look when i need to add another 3600watts of solar this year
i
Man am I sorry the Classic is so bad for all of you. Like any TCP/IP device there can be some quirks to getting everything the way you want it for sure but I did not think we had done such a terrible job??
GHOSTNH Can you be more specific in what disappointing you so badly with your classic? Does it not charge the battery and let you adjust it with the local app etc? I would love to know what on this controller is so bad that makes it so undesirable compared to others?
Again I am sorry for every ones sheer disappointment with there Classics I thought we had done pretty dang good with the monitoring and programming capability we had offered?
Thanks for all that.
I'm not a programmer, but I have to suspect Air is only required to provide the pretty interface and I for one could live without that. My suspicion is that the Midnite people have become carried away with the art nouvea 'point of difference' to the extent that form is in danger of taking precedence over function.
I certainly know nothing about modbus pogramming - or even what a modbus is - and while I am sure a day with Google would give me a start I think it very poor that a commercial product should expect such unlikely levels of expertise from its customers to solve their own problems. Particularly as I can"t see that it would be a major exercise for Midnight to ready and offer a fully functional if unlovely alternative to the glamorous, space-hogging-on-my-desktop local app.
Off now to see if I can find the box the thing came in for its serial number.
Quote from: viola on May 20, 2014, 06:32:20 PM
Thanks for all that.
I'm not a programmer, but I have to suspect Air is only required to provide the pretty interface and I for one could live without that. My suspicion is that the Midnite people have become carried away with the art nouvea 'point of difference' to the extent that form is in danger of taking precedence over function.
I certainly know nothing about modbus pogramming - or even what a modbus is - and while I am sure a day with Google would give me a start I think it very poor that a commercial product should expect such unlikely levels of expertise from its customers to solve their own problems. Particularly as I can"t see that it would be a major exercise for Midnight to ready and offer a fully functional if unlovely alternative to the glamorous, space-hogging-on-my-desktop local app.
Off now to see if I can find the box the thing came in for its serial number.
Well the graphics are not really the resource hog so much as the logging is. We made the decision early on to make an attractive interface vs a simple text version. The good news is there are some very nice text versions with no real graphics available out there. There is one on our Home Page done by a hobbyist that is low impact. It does not log but it does all the programming and shows the facts very well.
Quote from: Halfcrazy on May 20, 2014, 06:30:17 PM
Again I am sorry for every ones sheer disappointment with there Classics I thought we had done pretty dang good with the monitoring and programming capability we had offered?
OK Halfcrazy, riddle me this. On the local app screen, what does the 'Energy' dial actually display?
I'm sure that to someone who spends all day poring over the finer points of solar-energy to electricity conversion this measure is self evident. To me the solar panels, converter and batteries are simply a means to an end - to provide power to a mountain-top wireless broadband Access Point, and all I need is the confidence that if all the various bits are connected as directed they will work as advertised.
Are you aware that nowhere in your local app manual.pdf are the functions of these dials actually explained? No doubt you consider it them obvious and self-evident, just as I now regard the finer points of 802.11 networking obvious and self evident and can't understand someone not seeing why you'd need a /28 network in some places and a /29 in others. But I can still remember a time when I had never heard of sub-netting so will take the time and trouble to fill people in on why things are set up the way they are if they want or need to know.
The local app manual is a classic case of a manual written by an expert to himself.
Well the gauge labeled Energy also says KWH So it is the actual KWH at that moment the particular Classic has put into the battery and loads.
While I agree the Local App manual is very old and out of date we really tried to make the Local App mimic the Classics language and be very intuitive. Sorry again we are a disappointment.
Quote from: Halfcrazy on May 20, 2014, 06:25:52 PM
Quote from: Resthome on May 20, 2014, 10:36:13 AM
The only issue I ever had with installing the LA was when the download would come down as an EXE instead of an AIR file. Haven't had that problem lately.
Ah if the file comes down as a non .air all you should have to do is rename it and change the extension to .air
I know IE will tend to make it some odd extensions for some reason
Exactly what I did Ryan, just not expecting it to happen. And yes an IE malfunction. As I said have not seen it the last few updates.
Quote from: Resthome on May 20, 2014, 07:25:17 PM
Quote from: Halfcrazy on May 20, 2014, 06:25:52 PM
Quote from: Resthome on May 20, 2014, 10:36:13 AM
The only issue I ever had with installing the LA was when the download would come down as an EXE instead of an AIR file. Haven't had that problem lately.
Ah if the file comes down as a non .air all you should have to do is rename it and change the extension to .air
I know IE will tend to make it some odd extensions for some reason
Exactly what I did Ryan, just not expecting it to happen. And yes an IE malfunction. As I said have not seen it the last few updates.
Yeah that has been a little problematic. I guess we need a warning beside the download button mentioning this. i will bring this to Andrews attention asap
For those of us who have been around for a while the LA is probably easy to understand. For the new kid on the block they are going to look for the manual to learn how it works and not try to find info in the forum.
IMHO Midnite should pull the LA manual from the web site or cut out the network stuff that no longer applies. Like the DynDNS.org set up! The screen shots are out of date along with a lot of the information. And nothing on the WBjr info that has been around now for 5-7 months. Then again there are those that never read the manual. So who know what is right.
Don't get me wrong I think Midnite is a great company with great hardware and great support.
Quote from: Halfcrazy on May 20, 2014, 07:18:33 PM
Well the gauge labeled Energy also says KWH So it is the actual KWH at that moment the particular Classic has put into the battery and loads.
Which means what? At this particular moment the gauge labelled 'Energy' is reading 0.0 and it's nearly midday, but it's been a dull day without a lot of power flowing out of the panels it seems. As I recall there was a numeric entry in the gauge yesterday before the Classic went into 'resting' mode for the night so would I be right to assume - in the lack of direct information - that the gauge re-sets at the end of the day? Or does it reset every time the Classic goes into a 'resting' mode, which I suspect it has done a couple of times already today? Or does it reset every time I log off from the monitor?
In fact I don't really care what the Classic is putting into the battery, as long as I can rely on it working to maximum efficiency with the power available. The only measure that concerns me is the amp-hours stored in the battery. Our wireless gear only draws about 2 amps but it does so 24/7. The battery fully-charged should be able to run the site for four days plus with no solar input at all and all I really need to know is where we stand in relation to that. If the local app can tell me that I haven't yet found out how.
QuoteWhile I agree the Local App manual is very old and out of date we really tried to make the Local App mimic the Classics language and be very intuitive. Sorry again we are a disappointment.
Well, there's no excuse for having an old and out of date manual - unless you want to be seen as some amateur hayseed operation out of the backblocks. And expecting people to be able to intuit their way through functions suggests an unhealthy attitude towards your customers; ie if you can't work it out for yourself you shouldn't have purchased our products - as does your "We regret you're not good enough for us" dismissal.
Viola,
The amp-hour readings you need and battery state of charge (a figure as % of full capacity) is displayed by the local app when you have a battery shunt and the Whizzbang Junior connected on the shunt and wired to the Classic (the WBjr is now supplied with the Classic but not the shunt).
The local app display on left in upper right of green display box shows output from Wbjr.
The display on right is Classic without a Wbjr.
dgd
Thanks dgd. When I've found out what a shunt is, researched the WBJ and can go to our Trustees with some confidence I know what I'm talking about plus a price I'll discover if we can afford what I thought I was getting from Midnite in the first place.
Can someone explain this?
According to the Classic's Status Panel, Data Reports, Daily Values, I'm sure that about an hour ago it was reading kW hours: .1 Amp Hours: 30 or so. Which is good as that's a long way towards meeting our daily need of 48 AH or. When I looked at it later, tho', the Amp Hours: was showing a negative figure and running backwards. (-6.022). Now it's positive and climbing again. Is some bugger up there with a bucket stealing our Amp Hours?
Interestingly in the other pane under Lifetime Values we have Kilowatt Hours 1.1 Amp Hours 3,263,832. I wonder where 3+ million Amp Hours went, over a mere five days of operation.
And could someone advise me re this - if I connect the load (the supply to the wireless gear) to the Classic's battery terminals rather than the battery's battery terminals will I
a: bring an end to Western Civilisation (to the extent that it is civilised),
b: blow something/everything/anything up, and/or
c: have in the battery Amps dial on the Status panel a reading of input less draw in amps, with a negative where draw exceeds input?
Viola,
In order to measure the current flowing in and out of your battery you need a shunt inserted in the -ve cable to the battery. All other devices (radio gear, Classic, inverter etc) connect to the non battery side of the shunt.
Connected to (bolted onto) the shunt is the WBjr device and one wire from it goes to the Classic.
The Classic can now monitor what current is going to/from the battery and shows up the local app as I posted above.
Good news is these are low cost, all up about $75 from dealers (Naws, AltE)
The KwHr figures you see are good but the amphr reading is nonsense. This may be because the firmware in your Classic needs updating as this was a bug several firmware versions ago.
Your questions
a. No
b. No
c. No. The battery amps on the local App is really the OUTPUT amps from the Classic. It only displays a positive range from 0 up to the maximum current your model of Classic can output.
When you have shunt/WBjr then the local app shows output amps from Classic minus draw amps and will range negative when draw exceeds input to battery. There is no dial for this, its in the upper right pane of panel below dials.
(there have been requests to Midnite to have a dial display to show this)
dgd
Thanks dgd.
OK, and I intuit that the battery +ve goes to the battery + terminal on the Classic, but from where do I take the +ve for the load (wireless gear)?
And what do I put the shunt on? Does it require an electrically inert/insulated surface or can I put it on the plywood of the box the Classic lives in, and does it have to glued, screwed, nailed, taped, soldered, bound by three wishes?
Will it only work via this Adobe Air/local app nonsense or can I then scrap those and access the WBJ data at another level, seeing as its all I really need?
Is it the daily Amp hour total running backwards that indicates a crap firmware installion or the million AH total? I'm so unimpressed with Midnite's programming efforts that I wouldn't be surprised if trying to update the firmware left me with a lump of iron that did nothing but whistle Dixie.
Viola,
It would probably be best not to connect the battery +ve direct to the Classic. Instead take the battery +ve to a box with a couple of breakers, the surface mount type. Midnite have an MNEDC box that takes up to 4 of these breakers. Common one side of the breakers to the battery +ve other side to one device, ie one to Classic, one to radio, etc.. Get amp rated breakers to suit your loads with a 80a or 100a breaker for Classic 150.
Shunt has insulated base with two holes for screws/bolts. Can mount it anywhere convenient.
See Classic thread here on 'Classic installed in RV' for some pics of a shunt mounted on a battery box
(along with T class fuse on +ve). Thats a neat installation.
Local app is easiest way to access this data OR read it from the Midnite graphics panels on the Classic (not on Lite model). Data can be accessed also by modbus using non Midnite software bu thats a whole new learning curve.
The Ah reading nonsense was just a firmware bug that Midnite addressed fairly promptly. A new release of the firmware should be loaded.
One 'feature' of the Classic is that it is being continually developed/improved with firmware updates. This means bugs resolution and firmware releases are part of the process.
I see this as a major advantage Midnite controllers have over their competition and I want to support a company with such a policy of continual improvement -as opposed to those that want to flood the market with cheap and not supported crap.
Firmware updating is dead easy. But it does really require the excellent and detailed instructions on the MN web site to be followed exactly. This documentation is right up to date and takes you through the process step by step.
If you do have a problem then Midnite have (so I read) excellent phone support but really RTFM definitely applies.
dgd
I for one am not unhappy with either of my Classics, despite banging my head for 3 plus weekends to update the FW. It's just very finicky...
Why? because I still have my old and venerable MX60 that DID/DOES NOT communicate!
And yes the Classic does work as advertised, but it is miles ahead of the rest of the pack...
Thanks dgd. The pics of the RV set-up tell me little as I've no idea what I'm looking at.
I did get a Midnight Classic breaker box when I bought the Classic, with two breakers to add to the one in the original PWT set-up.
Is this right?
1. connect the pv panel +ve to the Classic through one of the breakers, the pv panel -ve direct to the common -ve on the Classic.
2. connect the battery -ve to the Classic common -ve via the WBJ shunt, with the -ve feed to the radios coming off the Classic side of the shunt.
3. connect the battery +ve to the radio +ve power through another breaker
4. connect the battery +ve to the Classic through a third breaker.
Are you with indepower.co.nz by any chance.
Westbranch, I've no reason to suppose the Classic isn't doing what it's supposed to.
Viola,
Yes all those connections are correct.
Not associated with Independent Power. Although they are Midnite (and OB,MS etc) distributor in NZ, the last stuff I bought directly from them was boxes of Siemens M55 panels, about 1997/8
Are you in New Zealand?
dgd
Hi dgd.
Yip, Marlborough.
We bought the Classic through Indepower and we'd go to them for the Wizzbang.
"GHOSTNH Can you be more specific in what disappointing you so badly with your classic? Does it not charge the battery and let you adjust it with the local app etc? I would love to know what on this controller is so bad that makes it so undesirable compared to others?"
RYAN
the classic HARDWARE is great and functions fine .. the classics software and manuals are the issue to me .. Manuals are out of date ,incomplete and poorly written for the novice or laymen IMHO... YOU ryan are a great customer service leader.. You always were there to answer my question and offer insight to to the classic. a customer could not ask for a better person to deal with in a time of need .. AGAIN THANK YOU!!. As stated in my previous post i have no experience with other MPPT controllers BUT when i install the next 3600watts of solar here rest assured i will do better research then i did with the classic. The classic's networking and the my.midnite site is what sold me on the product . only after wards did i realize that only 1 connection at a time is allowed .MY midnite at the time (AUG 2013) was down or non operational.. the only ongoing issues i have with the classic are software hangs ( no comm from classic to LA... have to reboot classic) it does not happen every day..but is still aggravating
Quote from: viola on May 21, 2014, 05:12:19 AM
We bought the Classic through Indepower and we'd go to them for the Wizzbang.
They should also be able to supply the shunt. It's a 500amp 50mvolt type made by Deltec.
If not then Able Solar in Auckland can do.
Dgd
First, what is "+ve" that viola is mentioning ? + battery terminal of the Classic ?
And, GHOSTNH, what vintage is your Classic ? How old ? serial number ? i.e. when was it built ?
BOB
S/N CL 8861
purchased new in aug 2013
Viola, can i ask that you calm down a bit. This is a public forum and we are here to help, but your situation is basically that you were unqualified to do the installation you were attempting. Thats no one elses fault but yours. An RE system is not like a DVD player, just flick though the manual, plug and go. I found my own install suprisingly difficult, and i had trained as an engineer previously. Battery systems are also uncharacteristically/unituitively dangerous, so get some knowledge, or get a pro.
But i will agree about the manual, it is WELL overdue for an update.
Quote from: GHOSTNH on May 22, 2014, 06:51:39 AM
BOB
S/N CL 8861
purchased new in aug 2013
OK... Thanks... Fairly recent then. But unless the firmware is not the most recent, (build 1849 from 5-21-2014 at least),
it might work better as far as resets are concerned.
bob i agree and will upgrade to that version after it has been tested and proven by others ..why? because it is a gruesome task to get laptop windows xp and the MNlite all to work together on a clean TAKEN upgrade of the firm ware ..as seen by those here in this forum with upgrade headaches. . also i can not have the system down do to a bad TAKE of the upgrade. and the result headache of trying to get a clean TAKE of it
Are there any actual upgrade issues?, or just variations in peoples following of instructions? !
Never tried win8 though, maybe i shall just for kicks...
Quote from: zoneblue on May 24, 2014, 04:05:46 PM
Are there any actual upgrade issues?, or just variations in peoples following of instructions? !
Never tried win8 though, maybe i shall just for kicks...
blue;
Well, I have real upgrade issues, Win 7 or 8.1 or Ubuntu 14.04. The "No Ack byte received" error and others have seen it too. It just fails. Doesn't muck up the Classic (in my case) and it chugs along fine on the original firmware.
Tom
I would say about 50% of the time when we get tech support calls for firmware update issues the Com Port was not set to 8 on the computer. About 20% of the time the Driver was not installed and the rest is a crap shoot between windows stuff, pc specific stuff and classic timing issues
One trick I use that seems very helpful is to flip the breaker fast for a clean power up. I also count to 4 after I click and see the Black box pop up
Ryan
Quote from: boB on May 24, 2014, 12:34:10 AM
Quote from: GHOSTNH on May 22, 2014, 06:51:39 AM
BOB
S/N CL 8861
purchased new in aug 2013
OK... Thanks... Fairly recent then. But unless the firmware is not the most recent, (build 1849 from 5-21-2014 at least),
it might work better as far as resets are concerned.
boB, isn't 1849. 4/21/2014 ?
Quote from: Halfcrazy on May 24, 2014, 05:13:11 PM
I would say about 50% of the time when we get tech support calls for firmware update issues the Com Port was not set to 8 on the computer.
Ryan
When I upgraded the firmware on my Classic the install software did nor remove the com8 driver. I do not know if this is an issue or not. I will be updating firmware again soon so I will take notes on this.
Possibly on a second firmware install the formerly installed com8 driver is there?
That said I am a hardware guy, not so much for software, but I do struggle and learn.
td
Yes the Com8 thing and Driver are a one time per computer thing. The PC will remember that for ever as long as you do not delete the Updater
Ryan,
Am I correct that winders will not recognize the Classic on USB until the com8 driver is installed?
That is what I seem to remember but that was January.
td
With Windows the Classic is not a Plug and Play device. So when the USB is plugged in nothing happens with Windows. When you run the firmware installation program it looks for a Classic connected via COM8. But not automatically. If you have the USB connected between Windows computer and Classic then start the firmware download, the download does not automatically start. You have to power off and on the Classic before the download actually starts.
The Classic badly needs the drop and drag firmware upload that currently works well with the KID.
dgd
Ok, silly question? Since I cannot install the firmware update because it is looking for Com8, where do a I get a free Com8 driver download. I checked the net and everywhere wants you to download driver scanners, etc. and pops you for a fee.
Very frustrating to have a "top of the line" Charge Controller" that cannot be updated. I want to use and track it remotely on both my laptop and AD but it will not work with out the firmware update.
Tried all the quick fixes described above and nothing works....my OS is W8.1.
Everything you need is included with the update.exe from us. So I assume you found the directions on the website? If so can you tell me what step in the instructions you are stuck at I will try to help. I do know 8.1 works fine but winders did make it tougher to install drivers in 8