Wake Up Call

[plongson]

It's 0715 and my 250 controller didn't seem to wake up, it's still on float and not bulk MPPT. When is it suppose to wake up and what tells it to wake up?

This is the first I've noticed this but it is always on bulk as soon as there is any morning light.

I just upgraded to the latest firmware and made a small change to ending amps (7a) and Absorb time (minimum 1 min, max 4 hours). I can't imagine this would have caused this.

Paul

[boB]

It's 0715 and my 250 controller didn't seem to wake up, it's still on float and not bulk MPPT. When is it suppose to wake up and what tells it to wake up?

What time does your MNGP and Classic think it is ??    The updates and nite time should
happen at midnight, or actually  23:59:30

Please let us know if  the time is correct.

The MNGP Remote will bug you about setting the time but it only looks at the year.

A newly installed Classic or one that has lost its time will usually be sitting at year 2000...

boB

[plongson]

boB,

I set the time (it lost it when I did the firmware update) and it is correct. I had pump-house issues this morning and really didn't have time to sit with it so I just rebooted (shut off the power, then back on) and it went to BULK MPPT.

Where else should I look? The only setting that are different are, I set absorb time to MINIMUM 1 minute/MAX 4 hours then END AMPS at 7amps.

Paul

[boB]

boB,
I set absorb time to MINIMUM 1 minute/MAX 4 hours then END AMPS at 7amps.

Paul

OK, will look at the requirements for waking up but it's probably something to do
with the anti-click sensitivity in the Classic.
The Classic will stay in Float from the previous day until it actually does wake up.
Coming into summer now, I would think that it would wake up earlier, not later.

Are you in the northern hemisphere ?

boB

[plongson]

Yes. 38n 114w

[plongson]

Well, day 2 and it didn't wake up. It went from RESTING and then when the sun came up it went directly to FLOAT.

EDIT:
When I powered down yesterday to reboot and get it to BULK MPPT, I didn't realize I lost the time. I hope that is why it didn't wake up this morning. Anyway, the time is now correctly set. I sure hope it wakes up tomorrow, I'm running out of time to play with it, I'm back on the road nest week.

If it doesn't wake up, what do you think about going back to my original firmware?

Paul

[Halfcrazy]

Paul
I feel like it is do to the 1 minute min absorb time. I have no idea why but I am thinking this may be it. I have not seen any issue here with this behavior. I would run the Min time out to say 15 min and see what it does tomorrow.

Did the battery go to float yesterday? Also how full are the batteries in the AM? I would think being off grid they would be down some?

I still tend to think the 1 minute is somehow making the Classic think you want to defeat Absorb although it should not. boB will be along in a bit and he will have some thoughts I am sure? I will play with it here now just to see what I can create.

Ryan

[plongson]

Thanks Ryan, I bumped the minimum to 1 hour and the max to 4 hours with EA at 7a. Checked and rechecked the time, let's see what it does tomorrow.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
Paul

[Vic]

I have a stupid question ...
Recently,  noticed that one of the Classics had lost time info.  Got something like "invalid date/time" message when trying to look at the logs from previous days.

When one is done seting date/time,  must this info ge sent the MNGP by pressing enter?   Seems that if this was not sent to the MNGP,  and later the battery breaker for the CC is switched off, that possibly then the CC loses the time data(?).  Am at a different loaction now,  and cannot test this.   Thanks,  Vic

[niel]

not sure if this could be it either, but what of the battery in the mngp?

[boB]

I have a stupid question ...
Recently,  noticed that one of the Classics had lost time info.  Got something like "invalid date/time" message when trying to look at the logs from previous days.

Uh Oh !!   Vic, did you notice what the time/date  (mainly date) was on the MNGP

And did the Classic's power get turned off at any time since you set the time/date last ??

And try this...    Set the time/date in the MNGP then unplug the MNGP for a minute.

Plug the MNGP back in and check its time/date.  Did it change or stay correct ??
If it changed or reverted to year 2000 your coin cell battery may be dead.
It should be somewhere between 2.0 and 3.0 volts if it is OK.

boB

[Halfcrazy]

I would mention there has been a few occasions of the glue holding the "Remove" tag to the battery staying balled up on the battery and causing it not to make connection.

Ryan

[plongson]

Mine reverts back to 2000 every time I power down the controller. Is the battery pretty obvious when you pull the cover (the location)? What is the number of the coin battery?

Check these screen shots and tell me what they mean... I see the date of the firmware, and the correct date today, but what is the 11/09/2011??



pg

[Halfcrazy]

The second picture shows the date of the firmware revision. You have fairly old MNGP (Display) firmware and an update there may help as well. As for the coin battery it is right under the bottom right corner of the display. As soon as you gently slide the cover off the display it will be pretty obvious. I would check it for residue left over from you removing the white "Remove" tag with red letters. I do not have the Battery number in front of me but I will get it and I will also add a little blurb to the manual on the battery.

Ryan

[boB]

plongson,

The firmware version in your Classic is fine but your MNGP / Remote firmware needs to be updated.

11/09/2012   doesn't update the time and date inside the Classic nearly as well as the latest
firmware does.   So, this would be a good reason why your data logging time stamps might not be
as good as they could be and also why the Classic may not be updating its kW-hours and
starting a new bulk/absorb in the morning.  It is probably doing it sometime in the middle
of the day instead.

Thanks for posting those pictures !!

boB