We received a Hawke's Bay MPPT Charge Controller last last week. And After a bit of an upgrade on our array, Hawke's Bay is doing nicely indeed. Running 10 panels in a string has yielded 90% energy to the batteries in full sunlight (2070 watts from a 2300 watt setup). The string has an MPPT voltage around 341 volts, this is not running HB very hard, but newer panels are on the way. We are looking forward to the increased production out on the farm.
HB is cool to the touch, this while it is "living" in our unconditioned barn in Hot and Humid Texas.
One or two Beta issues have been found and passed on to the "coordinator".
All in all first impressions are very positive. As the software matures, this MPPT charge controller should be very capable. One of the teasers in the menus is its integration with an inverter.... More to come on that in the future!
Hi Brian, Thanks for the HB update.
Looks beautiful, in every way.
You are off to a great start.
Have fun, Thanks again, Vic
Finding a few more quirks, but I am really impressed with how well HB works. This is going to change the game. And with the new barn being built, I see a lot of solar in our future.
Here are the 10 panels flying.
WOW ! I'll bet you can get some wind coming off that lake . Hope the mounts can take it, or they will be "Flying".
The mount will be there for a long time... a long time :)
It has seen several very high wind days, no problems.
Well I finally got the fan to turn on, almost didn't notice. It was very quiet. Looking forward to more functionality as soon as new firmware comes out. It is clear there is a lot of expansion capability planned for this unit.
Quote from: Highflyer on September 08, 2021, 10:05:08 AM
Well I finally got the fan to turn on, almost didn't notice. It was very quiet. Looking forward to more functionality as soon as new firmware comes out. It is clear there is a lot of expansion capability planned for this unit.
Hold on to your ear plugs ! It has two (2) speeds I think !
Actually, I don't remember how loud it is ? Maybe you need to make more power ! :)
boB
I'm going for more power! Better panels are in the cards! I just need to see what fits on the upgraded mount.
The Boss says I get better panels when I i have a use for the extra energy. IE when Rosie shows up, I get new panels!!
Quote from: Highflyer on September 15, 2021, 07:15:45 PM
The Boss says I get better panels when I i have a use for the extra energy. IE when Rosie shows up, I get new panels!!
Good reason to wait !
Well the panels did get upgraded and now the new version of HB is arriving tomorrow. I have a 3.4 kW array on the tracker right now and I can add more panels if needed to the array to push HB a little. Also, I converted to LiFePo4 batteries. This winter should be very comfortable indeed.
Attached is a picture of the new panels on the array. You can also see a 48V Chinook. It has also been fun to play with!
The new barn will also be a test site for Barcelona. NOW I really need Rosie! I have so many things to do, I need more power!
That's great ! Keep us posted.
The Classic's wind track mode code was done on one of those Chinooks here at my place in Everett.
Luckily, I had windy October WX to work on it. It was some kind of prototype And the neighbors loved it !
boB
We call our windmill Wendy, because when it's windy, Wendy whines. I have seem 4.8 amps on a really windy day. It is a good windmill to learn on. I can't do any real harm, and the little extra energy added to the lead acid batteries is a bonus.
The new hawk's bay is here. It should be up and running in the morning. The WX does not seem to want to cooperate as cloudy WX and rain is in the forecast for a while. Low light performance should be easy to test though. I'll update as things move forward!
Waiting... Watching... Whimpering...
I would of already maxed it out by now out here in SE Montana. Hitting 104 degrees no rain or clouds for a week or more.
It's alive!
New HB is on the tracker. Finished up last night. I can say it does track better in low light than the original HB. After sunset, I was still making 191 watts. It was able to generate down to 51 watts before it "swept" and could no longer capture any energy. It captured energy for at least 15 minutes after sunset. Today is a full sun day, so I should know how it does later today.
Starting HB up on lithium is going to need its own procedures due to the inrush of energy from the lithium batteries. I tripped a 100 amp breaker doing it the wrong way, but HB is fine.
HB is doing really well so far.
It was nearly 90F this morning in the barn and HB was making over 60 amps. The laser said it was only 9 degrees F warmer than the air around it. NO fans running.
Also I saw the array produced a maximum of 3231 watts on eight 395 watt panels. I was impressed. All in all today was partly cloudy but I was still able to generate well over 20kWh. HB stayed in MPPT because I drain the batteries enough the night before to allow for this test.
Side note, HB was able to pull power longer after sunset than I expected. I think the low light tracking is spot on.
So far only a few minor bugs. I think this one is a real winner so far... I'll report back again soon.
I think there may be a few software changes to test. Fingers crossed.
I believe you should now have a Barcelona too? I asked Ryan to o send one to Vic also. We are supposed to be sending you a breaker box for the Barcelona too and in about 3 or 4 weeks a ROSIE!!!!!
Quote from: Robin on September 08, 2022, 01:10:40 AM
I believe you should now have a Barcelona too? I asked Ryan to o send one to Vic also. We are supposed to be sending you a breaker box for the Barcelona too and in about 3 or 4 weeks a ROSIE!!!!!
Hi Robin,
Thank you very much for the Beta Barcelona, you are too generous !! Will love to have the chance to test if. I owe you! Great progress is quite evident at MidNite Solar.
Take care, congratulations, great work, Thank You, again, Vic
Robin, I did receive a Barcelona (Thank you for the trust in me to test it with the rest of the new products (man does this look good as well)). The breaker box is in route. I have also been told a Rosie should be available. Now that you say it is a few weeks out, I can build the Wall of Power!
Ryan wants me to test some of the communication functions as well as get as much run time as I can. Well, I dumped half of the water out of the aquaponics system to fill it back up with cold well water and ran the heaters over night. I also had a big floor fans running, nine extra lights turned on as well as the normal loads. I dumped 15 kWh out of the batteries over night. HB made over 20 kWh from a 3.2 kWh array in one day. By the way it was a very typical partly cloudy day in East Texas. I was impressed. I have a few more panels I can add to that array. I also have enough panels to run Barcelona and more.
Everything will be in the barn. In the summer it is hot and humid. In the winter it is colder. So the conditions will not be the most favorable, but from what I have seen, HB is laughing at the conditions. I was making nearly 70 amps with near 100 degree F temps and the fan finally can on LOW. As I ran the laser thermometer around HB, I don't see any hot spots. The engineering has been worth it. The internal sensors also seem right on track.
The new barn has panels as well. Testing up there should also be easy. In short, I expect to have all my expectations surpassed. It has taken longer than anyone wanted, but the energy captured and the flexibility offered are worth it. And if I do have an issue, I'll be able to talk to Midnite and get an answer from a real person.
The phrase "Game Changer" is tossed around too much these days, but in this case, your products are setting the bar rather high.
I am having a blast!
By the way, My Rosie will be named Stella, after the woman who inspired the name Rosie during the contest. She was also one of a kind. Your work is worthy of what she and all the Rosies did for the cause as part of the greatest generation. It is a fitting tribute for them all.
Quote from: Highflyer on September 09, 2022, 09:31:43 AM
By the way, My Rosie will be named Stella, ...
When I hear the name "Stella", I think of "Stella my dear" in the old Star Trek.
Stella number 3000 or something like that.
My Dr's name is also Stella LOL
boB
Stella Fischer was the secretary in the Physics department as I was going through college. One day we were talking about welding and she told us she was a certified welder back in the day. Then came the stories about building 5 inch guns and other ship parts for the Navy in WWII. The cat was out of the bag, she was Rosie the Riveter. The stories she told of the girls working with iron were fascinating. History is better when you know the real deal.
Quote from: Highflyer on September 07, 2022, 10:34:20 PM
HB is doing really well so far.
It was nearly 90F this morning in the barn and HB was making over 60 amps. The laser said it was only 9 degrees F warmer than the air around it. NO fans running.
Also I saw the array produced a maximum of 3231 watts on eight 395 watt panels. I was impressed. All in all today was partly cloudy but I was still able to generate well over 20kWh. HB stayed in MPPT because I drain the batteries enough the night before to allow for this test.
Side note, HB was able to pull power longer after sunset than I expected. I think the low light tracking is spot on.
So far only a few minor bugs. I think this one is a real winner so far... I'll report back again soon.
I think there may be a few software changes to test. Fingers crossed.
What were the bugs if you don't mind?
One is a text to speech issue. HB had made 13.4kWh, the voice message said 1.3kWh. It is simple stuff like that. It is easily fixed.
The others are also nits to pick. But that's why we test.
Quote from: Highflyer on September 11, 2022, 10:17:02 AM
One is a text to speech issue. HB had made 13.4kWh, the voice message said 1.3kWh. It is simple stuff like that. It is easily fixed.
The others are also nits to pick. But that's why we test.
Well that's great news! I can't wait to purchase the 120A model. If it's just minor software bugs then hopefully it will be available soon!
I have been very impressed with both the HB I have tested. I have upgraded my array twice adding more potential just to be able to give HB a proper test. NOw that I have the additional energy, I certainly can use it.
Both HBs have done everything I have asked of them. I have had them in an un-air conditioned barn all summer without issue or complaint. I am going to temporarily add a few more panels and see how HB does. I expect no issues, just more power. But I will report back next weekend.
Well HB keeps running along and I am getting ready to add a Barcelona to the test center. I have a set of mismatched panels to test on Barcelona. One side will have higher input voltage than the other. The second will have a higher wattage output. This way I can watch the two sides working and see if there is anything I need to report back.
Secondly, there is new software coming to test. Improvements and new features to test should be running asap. Knowing the potential of these charge controllers shows me the path forward. It has taken longer to get this far, but now I see the real potential. I'll let history determine if they are game changers or not, but if I had bet my money, I would bet on change.
As soon as I get the new software running, I'll post anything interesting I find. It might be a week before that happens, so stay tuned.
No smoke is good news ! :D
boB
boB, the mythical blue smoke is still hidden inside. I do have several new tests to run after I get back to the farm, some hardware and some software. I have several new things to add to the testbed which I am very excited to add to the wall of power.
Every time there is an upgrade, things just get better and better. I am having a blast.
I should have new pictures showing off the new hardware late next week at the latest. Midnite sent me a few other goodies as well. I think I may need a bigger wall.....
Well it took a little longer for me to post, but here it is!
I indeed needed a larger wall. In fact I needed to use another wall. I now have a Barcelona to test. Both HB and BL are on the same network and are working together.
New software has been loaded and running. I have seen a few things I would like added to the software. Mostly clarifications. I will say there is a lot of interest in the feedback of Beta testers.
As I use them both, I'll post what I find. So far, I am looking into the menus and how well they capture energy. I'll update more later
Brian,
Will touch base today, But now the fun starts. You get to test things like Arc Fault and make arcs and sparks lol
Quick update.
I have Barcelona running on the minimum input voltage. I will be adding a few more panels to that array and see if or how things change.
I will say these charge controllers seem to be ready to capture big energy.
After going through every menu item, I have to say there is a lot of functionality available.
I will also note that in float only one of the charge controllers did the entire job, but we are only talking 350 watts at that time, so I guess that is fair. I did turn the generating controller off and the other controller seamlessly picked up the load as expected.
I do have arc fault and Ground fault to add to the system, that gets tested thins weekend.
I will continue to advocate for a little more clarity on some of the menu items like adding which controller I and looking at as I go deeper into menus. I get I will not change things after they are set up, but if you had several controllers working together and wanted to tweak settings over time, a little more information on the deeper screens might help.
I just can't help but be amazed at these charge controllers, they are very well done.
Now I really want to see Rosie.....especially after hearing about her SPI demonstrations.
Looks beautiful, Brian. The HB and Barcelona are gorgeous ! Great work, all. Thanks, Vic
All, I now have Arc Fault and Ground Fault installed. Testing will happen asap. Also, I added two more panels to Barcelona. At the minimum voltage Barcelona was generating energy, but not well enough. After adding only two more panels, the efficiency went way up. Right now Barcelona has nine 230 watt panels with a Vmp of 29.8 so Vmp for them al should be 268, Barcelona is running around 258 volts, so it is close. I am not concerned, with 2070 max output, I am seeing well over 1800 watts and the panels are not aligned well enough to receive max energy anyway.
Both HB and BL are doing well. I have seen well over 5000 watts and I still have another array to add and that is before I add the other panels the first two arrays can handle!
These are getting ready for really high energy! More pictures and details as they come.
I forgot to talk about the CANBUS integration. When I added BL to the HB via the CANBUS (using an Ethernet cable), BL saw the "TINYBARN" setup and adopted it. The settings were carried over and the BL was setup to generate for the same battery bank.
The only thing I had to do was reboot after the settings were transfered. It was that simple. I bet in the future, Rebooting will no longer be necessary.
It is nice to setup the system once and share the settings.
Also, I saw both controllers generating as sunset approached and BL could no longer make enough energy in float by itself, so HB helped out. After a while, BL went to "resting" and HB still made what it could in float MPPT. These things are seamless. I like it!
Thank you for the reports, Brian !
boB
Well I owe you guys an update. Today we got the first rains we have seen on a while. During the heavy down pour, HB was still making just under 100 watts. Now with only cloud cover and no rain, it is making around 1000 watts. BL is making almost 400 watts as well. I can definitely see the advantage of higher voltage strings during times of low light.
I am also getting ready to add two more panels to HB to get me over 4000 watts of capability. The extra two panels will be fix mounted, so it will be interesting to see how HB does during the day.
So far, I have had only a few small issues and they have been/ or are being addressed. I am hitting float around 1030AM Local and I am using over 14 kWh a day just to exercise them both. HB has made over 20kWh in a day with with only a short time running a fan. BL fans have not come on during production, but then again, I am not pushing it all that hard. I may change out the panels for some of my leftover 400 watt panels and see ow BL does. If I do, I expect Float way earlier!
I'll update you all after that tests.
Well it stopped raining yesterday afternoon and I went ahead and put up the extra panels for HB. I am now squarely in the +400 volt/ +4000 watt club just on HB! When running at 4400 watts, HB was seeing just under 60C. The fan would cycle on and off, in low, once in a while. Even with yesterdays cloud cover HB and BL made just under 5kWh. Today the system made it to float just after noon. It had registered over 14kWh by then. These things are really nice and capable. Barcelona continues to run very cool with a smaller array. I think it will be time to setup a larger array for BL as soon as I get the chance. More to follow. And to think it can handle TWO arrays, man these things are beasts.
I also Hear Rosie will be on the way soon, then the WALL of POWER gets moved and enlarged! I have a 5HP air compressor
that will be tested as soon as I am told to give it a try! Also, I need to weld up another array, and that might just be on the list as well.
This all sounds great, Brian! Keep up the good work, thanks for your reports.
Vic
Okay, I'll be back to the farm early next week. I have decided to swap out the older 230 watt panels for new 400 panels for Barcelona. It is time to make more kWh! Everything is running very well, but now is the time to step it up again.
More when I get back.
Well I did make it back to the farm after my last trip but...
After watching Ryan's video on SPDs, I added one to the Hawk's Bay unit as well. It is a good thing as our farm is in Texas and we had a very large storm pass over us the next day, what a show. I also upgraded the CBs out at the arrays. I like staying safe, and I like my equipment safe as well. (all from Midnite, of course)
I also was told there was new software available. I uploaded it to both controllers and now I see there are more options and more control. After going through all the settings, I can say I like the granularity and control available. I still have a few wishlist items, but they can be worked out easily enough. The larger panels are still on the to do list, so hopefully they are the next upgrade! Truthfully, I need to use more energy so I can test the charge controller longer each day. As it is, I hit float way too early even when I use both water heaters for the aquaponics system (~1800 gallons of water) after a water change.
I am use to using 4-5 kWh a day but now, 14-18 kWh are routine and the batteries have no issues. Just over 24 kWh in one day is the most I have made, but again, I hit float before the day was over and it was partly cloudy that day. These two controllers are up to the task. Oh, and I still have not heard the fans on high yet...
Well with the cloudy weather the last few days, the batteries were getting low. No problem. Yesterday we made 31kWh, our best day ever.
I have been through the entire menu structure of the new software. There are still a few known bugs, but the information offered and the control we will have over our systems is very complete. I also love the way they communicate and allow for simple control of all items in the group using any of the MNGPs. This makes it simple to have the complete system status from any of the devices.
I still have a few wish list items which will get addressed after the core software is mature. All in all, These controllers work very well and and provide a new level of performance.
I'm very happy with the quality, capability, and the performance. Now COME ON ROSIE!!! Then I will really be able to use some serious kWh.
Think about it. With one Barcelona and a Rosie or two, you could easily charge an EV off grid, given enough panels (20-30). That is a lot of capability. With remote cabins and EVs being inevitable, This level of capability allows for a lot of options. Well done indeed.
We got new software for the MNGP2s. Tracking highest output in watts and amps makes it easy for anyone to understand their generation numbers. Batt low and high lets you know instantly what shape your batteries are in day to day(other info available a well). The log looks backwards well. If you go back and select the other controller, it takes you to the same place allowing you to see all your outputs quickly. This is one thing I had asked for earlier and really like how they did this one. Nice work all. Also, you can instantly see if your battery sensing is correct and the same on all your devices.
I expect things will just keep getting better and better. Still haven't heard the fans on high (other than startup). Time to add more panels. Oh I did use a thermal today looking for hot spots. I did not find any. I will look again tomorrow during full sunlight production, but I bet the results will be the same. These are very nicely thermally controlled.
More as I learn it.
Hi Brian, thanks for the update.
It does sound like a lot of progress is being made by MidNite, and thank you, Brian, again, for all of your testing and giving feedback to MN.
These new CCs seem to have all that anyone would want, and MidNite has taken steps beyond that, in the customary MidNite fashion, to make them better, yet.
Thanks to all who have contributed to making these products (Rosie, too), as good as they are, and seem to be getting better every day! Happy Holidays to all, have some FUN, too, Vic
and somebody's been playing with the COMBOX...
Great graphs !
Did you have a cloudy day ?
Hi Jim,
Looks beautiful, nice work!
Thanks, Vic
Jm,
All that data looks really good. It shows a good understanding of the system state.
Very straight forward.
Any Idea when Beta comboxes are going to be available? I would be glad to add one here is Texas.
Brian,
The data you see is a side project Jim is doing personally. Midnite is still in the design stages of sorting out a combox for the new products. Hopefully something will come together soon.
Ryan
Thanks for the clarification. But it does show us the data available from Midnite stuff. Very well defined and allows for good understanding when the Combox does arrive from Midnite.
Quote from: Highflyer on December 01, 2022, 03:03:18 PM
Thanks for the clarification. But it does show us the data available from Midnite stuff. Very well defined and allows for good understanding when the Combox does arrive from Midnite.
I think that Jim has done a fine job on this ! Graphical and pretty nicely laid out too !
boB
Here is a quick update from Texas.
We finally got some sun today. I have rearranged the arrays and Barcelona has the bigger array. I'm seeing if an issue follows the array or device. Nothing big, just curious.
I updated the MNGP2 software yesterday and have been using it all day today. There are still a few bugs, but it is much better. I like being able to see the data all on one page. The voice reports follow the data snapshot well.
More as I learn it!
Brian,
Does the mngp backlight timeout work for you ?
I have it to 3 or 5 minutes but it always stays on .
Maybe that isn't enabled yet ?
Larry
Quote from: ClassicCrazy on December 30, 2022, 01:17:44 AM
Brian,
Does the mngp backlight timeout work for you ?
I have it to 3 or 5 minutes but it always stays on .
Maybe that isn't enabled yet ?
Larry
Hi Larry,
The Barcelona's LED Backlight never shuts off, when set for a few minutes either ... assumed that it was not yet enabled. FWIW. Vic
I submitted a bug for this to the engineer on the MNGP2 and will let everyone know when we have a beta firmware to test
I tested mine on 1 min and 2 min both work and the backlight goes real dim into power saving. Can both of you try it at 1 min and see if it goes into a reduced backlight?
I'll test mine and see, I have been using it as a nightlight!
Quote from: FNG on December 30, 2022, 02:51:13 PM
I tested mine on 1 min and 2 min both work and the backlight goes real dim into power saving. Can both of you try it at 1 min and see if it goes into a reduced backlight?
Hi Ryan,
Have not yet retested it, BUT, previously, the backlight DID DIM in approximtely the set time, but was not completely exiinguished, which was expected
Know, that LEDs have become much more efficient, in the past decade, compared to earlier ones, so the impact on idle current, is probably minimal.
Will retest it to comfirm, in a bit. 73, Thanks, VIc
Quote from: FNG on December 30, 2022, 02:51:13 PM
I tested mine on 1 min and 2 min both work and the backlight goes real dim into power saving. Can both of you try it at 1 min and see if it goes into a reduced backlight?
Yes back light does seem to dim at 1 minute but not go out . I didn't try it at 2 minutes yet.
Larry
Did retest the Barcelona, realize that this IS the HB Topic, but had assumed that it shared this code with the HB.
YES, the time delay to dimming does work on 1, and 2 minute settings. The dimming is very subtle. BUT, the CC is mounted in a small room, without any outside light, so, the MNGP2 display is always fairly bright. In high ambient light conditions, would have the normal brightness set fairly high, so the difference would be more dramatic, would guess.
Works fine, IMO, I will try to keep my comments specific to the proper Topic.
Will note, though, the menu system (on the Barcelona), sure is very intuitive. Great work!
Thanks, Vic
Vic,
It is all good, the MNGP2 is common to both.
Also found the 1 and 2 minute dimming worked. I would agree it could dim more or even extinguish after a certain time limit. I have been using mine as night lights in the barn, so I like full bright.
I'll play with more minutes and get back to this thread. Anyone else try 5 minutes or say 10 minutes?
I have updated the software in both MNGPs, Hawk's Bay and Barcelona. The voice callouts are much better. I will have to play with the charge controllers in better sunlight to see how the updates do. I have seen no new issues so far. All in all, things are maturing well. I look forward to an awesome year of Midnite stuff! This stuff is starting to show up for sale in al the normal places. Fingers crossed.
I didn't even realize the voice worked . I just turned it on and it sounds okay .
Larry
Voice is working even batter after this latest software load. HB and Barcelona are now improving even more. I have a few more functions with each and the naming conventions are far more intuitive. I like that the device name remains at the top of the screen as you navigate further into the menus. It makes it easier to know which device I am adjusting which really comes in handy when working with all three.
Now if I could just see the sun without strapping on a jet, I would be able to see what the entire system could really do. Come on sun!
Have you tried Global Charge limit ?
Is it to keep charge to battery at set level but let all the other current go to loads?
I guess I should try it one of these days .
Larry
I have not as I only have 6kW worth of panels up right now, so no worry about too much input.
Quote from: Highflyer on February 02, 2023, 06:25:12 PMI have not as I only have 6kW worth of panels up right now, so no worry about too much input.
I will have to give it a try - I want a controlled ouput at a lower amperage to see if I can prolong the balancing cycle of bms on my lithium batteries. The Classic wouldn't go low enough so it will be interesting to see what the HB can do.
We have been having lots of sun here - and lots of real cold temps too ! But I will take the sun with the cold rather than overcast and warmer cold temps.
Larry
Global current limit is not functioning yet. I just released all new firmwares that hides all the non functional features
Quote from: FNG on February 03, 2023, 06:09:07 AMGlobal current limit is not functioning yet. I just released all new firmwares that hides all the non functional features
I just did those updates.
Does this mean that all the Aux functions that are showing are now functional ?
Larry
Well I changed out the solar panels for HB again. I added another 1000 watts of panels. I can now make more amps (65 with the current clouding). To date, the fans have rarely come on in the low setting if at all. I am going to try to add a few more panels this weekend and see what I get. I'm going to remain busy.
Well I was not satisfied with 65 amps of charging, so I added a few more panels to the array for HB. I am pulling down the batteries a bit to watch the magic tomorrow. HB should be around 80 amps if I get clean sunlight. Fingers crossed.
Well, we are pulling in 4.2 kW from the new HB array, that makes 75 Amps. I think I need to add another panel or two! But I am getting close to the voltage limits, so I have to be careful! More as we have it. But to date, everything is running well.
Well after realigning the panels a bit, we were able to get 4.3 kW out of the current panels that is 77 amps. I will be adding one more panel and that should get us over 80 amps of output I am looking to get.
More soon, oh and I still have not heard the fans on high other than startup.
Well I added another panel to Hawk's Bay's array (single string). I have seen 87.2 amps from HB and all seems cool. I expect full sun later today so who knows how many amps I will see then. Using both HB and Barcelona, it is funny to see how much energy I can capture. It is almost scary. Oh and I found out that at around 75 amps of output, HB's fan comes on in the low setting and stays on most of the time. I guess High might be used during the summer.
Well the extra panel did even better than I thought. I was over 90 amps. I even tripped the 100 amp breaker at one point and I had to limit HB in software. Now the 125 amp breaker is on the way! I think I can add one more panel without hitting any of the limits. Fingers crossed!
Brian, I am guessing that this is the 120 and not a 90
Yes this HB is a 120 amp version. I keep adding panels to see if I can find any warm spots with my thermal. So far it is very cool and uniform (5000 watt production so far). I am now simply going for the limits while waiting for new software to test. And of course, I am seeing what I can capture in a day. The best day was 33.1 kWh with this string and a smaller array on Barcelona. I am going for a 50kWh day.
Man is this stuff solid. And no drama. It just works well.
What really shows how the Hawkes Bay controllers shine is the graphed data. I put a HB90 in place of a Classic 200 around 3/15. It was a small array of eight 210W Sanyo PV modules I had in 2 strings of 4 with a VMP around 150VDC with 250 feet of #8 AWG underground wire. I put all the modules in series and jumped the VMP up to about 300VDC. What a difference higher voltage makes on a long run. I peaked 1500 watts from a 1680 watt array on a 88 degree day. Today we had clouds rolling through and the power graph shows the HB90 catching what we call "edge-of-cloud" effect which amplifies the power from an array briefly. It peaked 1700 watts from this, while small it does show how fast the Hawkes Bays can track and capture this minute amount of power. The HB and Barcelona use what is called a PID control system which seems to be very efficient at tracking an array for maximum power. Call me impressed...
HB90.3.46.PRO.JPG
WB,
Yep, I also agree the edge of cloud was happening when the breaker tripped. I also agree these charge controllers see and capture that energy very well. So well I need a bigger breaker. But not a bigger charge controller!
Quote from: Wizbandit on April 01, 2023, 07:35:07 PMWhat really shows how the Hawkes Bay controllers shine is the graphed data. I put a HB90 in place of a Classic 200 around 3/15. It was a small array of eight 210W Sanyo PV modules I had in 2 strings of 4 with a VMP around 150VDC with 250 feet of #8 AWG underground wire. I put all the modules in series and jumped the VMP up to about 300VDC. What a difference higher voltage makes on a long run. I peaked 1500 watts from a 1680 watt array on a 88 degree day. Today we had clouds rolling through and the power graph shows the HB90 catching what we call "edge-of-cloud" effect which amplifies the power from an array briefly. It peaked 1700 watts from this, while small it does show how fast the Hawkes Bays can track and capture this minute amount of power. The HB and Barcelona use what is called a PID control system which seems to be very efficient at tracking an array for maximum power. Call me impressed...
HB90.3.46.PRO.JPG
Where did you get the software for the MNS combox? And where did you get the combox?
Mike
QuoteWhere did you get the software for the MNS combox? And where did you get the combox?
Mike
I have worked for Midnite for over 10 years now, Applications Engineer, I help out in Tech Support and Sales. I'm doing the code for the MNCOMBOX, it started out as a "see if I can do it" and has turned into a powerful development tool for the new products. I started by writing code for the Classic's and DIY Inverters/DIY60 charge controller.
There are still a few issues to work out before it can be sold. The Linux file system can crash if the power is just shut off and a safe shutdown is not applied. I have setup code on the reset button to safely shut down the unit but no guarantee customers will use it. Also since all the graphs and gauges can be customized on the dashboard that alone could be a phone support nightmare with callers asking for help customizing. I think when we are ready to release it all support will be directed to here on the forum. Only basic hook-up will be available from phone support.
Very cool. For the shutdown stuff, have you thought about putting a very small battery in the system so that when loss of power is detected, it could trigger a clean shutdown? Just an idea.
Quote from: Wizbandit on April 04, 2023, 09:40:47 AMQuoteWhere did you get the software for the MNS combox? And where did you get the combox?
Mike
I have worked for Midnite for over 10 years now, Applications Engineer, I help out in Tech Support and Sales. I'm doing the code for the MNCOMBOX, it started out as a "see if I can do it" and has turned into a powerful development tool for the new products. I started by writing code for the Classic's and DIY Inverters/DIY60 charge controller.
There are still a few issues to work out before it can be sold. The Linux file system can crash if the power is just shut off and a safe shutdown is not applied. I have setup code on the reset button to safely shut down the unit but no guarantee customers will use it. Also since all the graphs and gauges can be customized on the dashboard that alone could be a phone support nightmare with callers asking for help customizing. I think when we are ready to release it all support will be directed to here on the forum. Only basic hook-up will be available from phone support.
If I could just get the basic Canbus data to put into my grafana graphs it would be helpful. I already have a canbus adapter so don't need a combox , it would be great to be able to read the Hawkes Bay just like I already do for the Classics, Jakiper batteries, energy monitors, esp32 devices, etc. I won't be calling phone support .
Larry
MNCANBUS uses the 29bit extended arbitration ID. Bits 0-6 are BUS ID, bits 7-10 are DEVICE INDEX, bits 11-17 are DEVICE type and bits 18-28 are REGISTER ADDRESS. You will need to decode the ARB-ID and extract this information.
Hawkes Bay Device type is 0x2b
Bus ID is assigned but you can check it with the MNGP2
Register 0x0a0 is BATTERY REGISTER and contains 8 bytes. It is streamed 250ms.
Bytes 0-1 are BATTERY VOLTAGE (x10)
Bytes 2-3 are BATTERY CURRENT (x10)
Bytes 4-7 are BATTERY WATTS (x100)
All are unsigned integers. The bytes need to be joined, I make them into a HEX String so I can use Python to join the strings then decode to an Integer. You could do bit manipulation to get the data. I find the string method easier.
If you manage to not be lost at this point and manage to decode the battery register I can give you a few more. You would not be able to read the CANSPEC as it is, it has some errors with engineers that didn't follow it when attaching variables to the CAN ENGINE. I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to give out a copy of it anyway.
QuoteIf I could just get the basic Canbus data to put into my grafana graphs it would be helpful. I already have a canbus adapter so don't need a combox , it would be great to be able to read the Hawkes Bay just like I already do for the Classics, Jakiper batteries, energy monitors, esp32 devices, etc. I won't be calling phone support .
Larry
Quote from: Wizbandit on April 04, 2023, 07:03:18 PMMNCANBUS uses the 29bit extended arbitration ID. Bits 0-6 are BUS ID, bits 7-10 are DEVICE INDEX, bits 11-17 are DEVICE type and bits 18-28 are REGISTER ADDRESS. You will need to decode the ARB-ID and extract this information.
Hawkes Bay Device type is 0x2b
Bus ID is assigned but you can check it with the MNGP2
Register 0x0a0 is BATTERY REGISTER and contains 8 bytes. It is streamed 250ms.
Bytes 0-1 are BATTERY VOLTAGE (x10)
Bytes 2-3 are BATTERY CURRENT (x10)
Bytes 4-7 are BATTERY WATTS (x100)
All are unsigned integers. The bytes need to be joined, I make them into a HEX String so I can use Python to join the strings then decode to an Integer. You could do bit manipulation to get the data. I find the string method easier.
If you manage to not be lost at this point and manage to decode the battery register I can give you a few more. You would not be able to read the CANSPEC as it is, it has some errors with engineers that didn't follow it when attaching variables to the CAN ENGINE. I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to give out a copy of it anyway.
QuoteIf I could just get the basic Canbus data to put into my grafana graphs it would be helpful. I already have a canbus adapter so don't need a combox , it would be great to be able to read the Hawkes Bay just like I already do for the Classics, Jakiper batteries, energy monitors, esp32 devices, etc. I won't be calling phone support .
Larry
Thanks !
Quote from: Wizbandit on April 04, 2023, 09:40:47 AMQuoteWhere did you get the software for the MNS combox? And where did you get the combox?
Mike
I have worked for Midnite for over 10 years now, Applications Engineer, I help out in Tech Support and Sales. I'm doing the code for the MNCOMBOX, it started out as a "see if I can do it" and has turned into a powerful development tool for the new products. I started by writing code for the Classic's and DIY Inverters/DIY60 charge controller.
There are still a few issues to work out before it can be sold. The Linux file system can crash if the power is just shut off and a safe shutdown is not applied. I have setup code on the reset button to safely shut down the unit but no guarantee customers will use it. Also since all the graphs and gauges can be customized on the dashboard that alone could be a phone support nightmare with callers asking for help customizing. I think when we are ready to release it all support will be directed to here on the forum. Only basic hook-up will be available from phone support.
I've always been envious of folks like you—that speak the language of computers—that I don't understand.
I'm an old analog type of guy, so I guess I'll have to wait until the code is put to bed and released. Looks great, I must say.
mike
Mike, if you have a PC of some sort, you can play with Python and watch YouTube videos about it.
Some of the combox is done in Python. Very handy little language for controlling things with your computer.
Just have to play play and play and you eventually get the hang of it.
I played with Python for a while but not enough to be good at it. We can never spend the time to be real good at any one thing. Otherwise, we will forget what we DID get good at !
I preferred C language and assembler. It's all just a sequence of instructions.
A script so to speak.
boB
Quote from: boB on April 06, 2023, 04:03:29 PMMike, if you have a PC of some sort, you can play with Python and watch YouTube videos about it.
Some of the combox is done in Python. Very handy little language for controlling things with your computer.
Just have to play play and play and you eventually get the hang of it.
I played with Python for a while but not enough to be good at it. We can never spend the time to be real good at any one thing. Otherwise, we will forget what we DID get good at !
I preferred C language and assembler. It's all just a sequence of instructions.
A script so to speak.
boB
A few years back, I purchased a raspberry Pi thingiee, and had to install several programs one of which was Python. Took a long time to get it installed on my pc. In that case, it was a window's thing as the Python installer didn't like the window auto installer. I figured it out and was running a classic monitoring app. For the life of me, I can't recall who the author of the program was. I use it now and then, but prefer the android version that Graham coded
Several years back, I designed a remote antenna switch based on an Ardunio. I had even written up a construction article for QST. I'm no coder, and my attempt, while it did work, was some of the most half-assed constructed code ever unleashed my a human.
I scrapped the project and moved on.
73
Mike, wb8vge
My biggest issue when installing someone else's Python code is that usually there are all these
libraries that needed installing to make that one simple program work. It is not fun.
I can copy and paste functions pretty much though. Assembly language is easier for me than fooling around with all this.
Same thing with C++ programs and some times plain old C programs.
There are so many dependencies that I usually give up. OLD windows Visual studio 6 were easier when I had Microsoft's complete example libraries.
So, I usually prefer to write my own software from scratch where I am much more successful.
You are not alone.
boB
Quote from: boB on April 08, 2023, 02:21:37 AMMy biggest issue when installing someone else's Python code is that usually there are all these
libraries that needed installing to make that one simple program work. It is not fun.
I can copy and paste functions pretty much though. Assembly language is easier for me than fooling around with all this.
Same thing with C++ programs and some times plain old C programs.
There are so many dependencies that I usually give up. OLD windows Visual studio 6 were easier when I had Microsoft's complete example libraries.
So, I usually prefer to write my own software from scratch where I am much more successful.
You are not alone.
boB
Wayback, wayback, I got involved with Microsoft's Visual Basic. Using VB6, I managed to put together a rather slick program that would compute the number of solar panels, batteries, and so on for a given number of days. There was an internal database that held solar panel data (wasn't that many back then) and the solar data from the NREL database.
It worked pretty good. Looked nice, thanks to all those fancy (at the time) buttons and expanded menus from VB6.
Of course is had more bugs in it than a 2 week old corpse, but it did work.
I called it SunCad.
Mike
Okay time for a bigger update:
Midnite just replaced my original Beta units of HB and Barcelona. Both are on the wall and making power.
Some cool things:
1. Stella, my Rosie, remained in the system as she is fresh. HB and BAR both saw her and excepted the system settings From her. After a quick checking of the settings and everything was good to go. No setup needed. Just plug and play!
2. Midnite sent me a 125 amp breaker for HB. I plan to add another panel to the test array and see how close to the limit I can get. Now that it is becoming summer, the voltage should not climb due to the cold, so the extra panel should not be an issue. With this extra panel, I should be able to make 5000 watts or maybe just a little more during peak times of the day on HB and think about it, BAR should be able to handle nearly 10,000 watts at the same time. (How many micro controllers would one need to handle that much energy?)
2a. The heat signature still looks great. Air flow and heat management looks done. I did finally hear the fan on high when making close to 5,000 watts.
3. All the hardware just seems to fit together just a bit better. It is noticeable to me. I like it.
All in all, I can't explain the joy I get working with stuff like this. The maturity of the technology is obvious. The fact that we can now run a 5HP air compressor off a single 7000 watt inverter and charge over 5,000/10,000 respectively. Using solar, I'll be able to charge my EV, run the cabin, and shop with just a little energy management. Just a few years ago, that would have taken a lot more equipment.
Midnite is crushing it. And the B-17 is still to come!
Well, I am now a member of the +500 volt +5000 watts club. We just finally added the 12th panel to the system. No issues. I am draining the batteries a bit to see the maximum output of HB with the 12th panel added. It may take a few days as it is a bit cloudy right now. But I am hoping for 5500 or more!
Well it is hot and humid here in Texas and HB, Barcelona, and Rosie are running well. I almost never hear the fans even with this heat.
Well done.
Well here is a new one. My HB which has Arc fault and Ground fault installed, found an issue and warned me. It seems a rodent found my cabling right at ground level as it went to my breaker box and conduit to the barn. After a simple repair, I was back in business.
Quote from: Highflyer on February 25, 2024, 03:41:15 PMWell here is a new one. My HB which has Arc fault and Ground fault installed, found an issue and warned me. It seems a rodent found my cabling right at ground level as it went to my breaker box and conduit to the barn. After a simple repair, I was back in business.
Leave the poor animal a bowl of copper wire and lots of insulation to eat ;)