Kid keeps flashing that WBJr is disconnected

[DougH]

When I first got my Kid in the new year for my travel trailer it was too cold to install it right away so I hooked the WBJr and Kid up to my trolling motor battery and inverter in the house to start getting a feel for its setup.
The first thing I noticed was it kept flashing that the WBJr was disconnected, so I read a post on here to touch the WBJr wire on the + of the battery, after 3 seconds green led turns on / stays on, every time.
Tried 5 or 6 different times/ways of installing its wire into the back of the Kid, it locked in good and tight every time and wouldn't pull out.

Now I've done the first step of my install into the travel trailer (cutting the cabinet to mount the Kid and installing new Rolls 260Ah AGM under the counter)

Kids still flashes saying WBJr is disconnected.
Any thought?

I'm going to check and post what firmware it is when I get home.

[TomW]

Are you sure you have the shunt polarity right?

That symptom sounds like the shunt  might possibly be in backwards? Others are more experienced with this and, hopefully, they will chime in..

Just a pre coffee thought.

Best of luck with it.

Tom

[brad.midnite]

Your shunt should be installed between the common negative of your system (e.g. battery negative of The Kid and loads) and the negative terminal of your battery(ies).

The negative terminal of your batteries should *only* tie to the shunt. Everything else connects to the other side of the shunt. If your shunt is tied to the battery positive it can potentially damage the Whizbang Jr. or even The Kid. Though we've tried to protect both devices.

But, using the battery test you did it would appear the Whizbang Jr. is working. At-least insofar that it powers up and detects there's no signal available (since you've tied it to a battery directly) and lights up SOLID.

Question: When you have the WbJr hooked to the Kid and The Kid states there's no Whizbang Jr connected, what does the WbJr do? Is its LED blinking or is it solid OFF?

Can you measure any voltage from the Kid's aux output to battery negative (of the kid)?

-Brad

[DougH]

Shunt is on the negative wire from the battery,
Purple wire from the WBJr is on the battery side of shunt,
All other negative wires are on the other side,

So there's only one wire from battery negative to shunt (line side) has the purple WBJr wire.
Other side of shunt (load side) has my three negative wires.

I've got a picture of the install on my iPhone I'm trying to post but can't resize it small enough?

An it flashes the disconnect msg on the kids so fast I can't even get a picture.

[Doug]

Hi Dough,

Just wanted to verify that the purple wire is installed as in the attached photo.

Thanks,
Doug

[xsnrg]

I too see this on occasion.  99% of the time the WBjr reports what it should be, but occasionally, I get a blip that would seem to indicate a connection was lost for a reading.  I chalked this up to noisey circuits with the single strand of wire acting like an antenna and did not pay it much mind.  I did try to move the purple sense wire around, and made sure it was tight in the clip in the KID.  I also tried to make sure no other wires were around the sense wire, but I still get it on occasion.  If you check out my live camera pointed at my KID, you are bound to see it flicker to WBjr not connected.

Here is a link:

http://www.howardweb.org/weather/solar/index.html

[DougH]

Yes, it is in the upper spot as marked, but mine is the "no tool" push in type.
Tried a couple different ways of pushing it in (with white tab pushed in at same time), restripped a couple times, bent wire over on its self a bit to make thicker, all the same out come.

Locks in good and tight, won't pull out unless the white tab is pushed in.

I've done a couple months of control wiring in 15 years of being an Electrician but this stuffs pretty small lol

[DougH]

What it's saying is

WBJr unplugged
Check wire

[Westbranch]

Hi Dough,

Just wanted to verify that the purple wire is installed as in the attached photo.

Thanks,
Doug

Doug, please , please seat those wires deeper into the connecting receptacle....  you have a potential short waiting to happen






http://midnitesolar.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2405.0;attach=3490

[Doug]

No power has or will flow through those test fit wires.
I always build things up before writing the manual to be sure I only tell true lies.

Good to point it out though,

Thanks,
Doug

[DougH]

Question: When you have the WbJr hooked to the Kid and The Kid states there's no Whizbang Jr connected, what does the WbJr do? Is its LED blinking or is it solid OFF?

Can you measure any voltage from the Kid's aux output to battery negative (of the kid)?

-Brad

Hey Brad
Green light seems to blink normal the whole time on the WBJr, but it also flashes the msg so fast you hardly have time to read both lines.
I will check the voltage soon, should it be the same as the battery voltage?
I can set my meter to save max or min voltage readings if your looking for a difference just when the msg pops up?

Thanks

[Raechel]

DougH- Please e-mail me at raechel@midnitesolar.com. Brad asked me to get in touch with you. We believe that an update to some Beta Kid Firmware might solve the issue you have been having with communication between your Kid and WBjr. Thanks! -Raechel