New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

ChrisOlson

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Joe_B wrote: »

I will modify my support settings to draw down my batteries to about 80% SOC.

Lead-acid's don't really like to be cycled from 80-100% SOC all the time. They really prefer 50-80%. You have to work 'em or you'll lose 'em. They die whether they're worked or not. And usually, just like people, they die faster if they set around and don't do anything.
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Chris

Joe_B

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

ChrisOlson wrote: »

Lead-acid's don't really like to be cycled from 80-100% SOC all the time. They really prefer 50-80%. You have to work 'em or you'll lose 'em. They die whether they're worked or not. And usually, just like people, they die faster if they set around and don't do anything.
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Chris

I know Chris, I was talking about my planned cycles. I also have frequent grid failures that cause some deep cycles. Typically I get a cycle down to about 60% about once a month. Also in the winter months, I don't get to 100% that often. Usually I don't like to be below 70% for more than a few days. I have about 5 years on this bank and knock on wood, hopefully I will get at least five more. Battery management is my most difficult issue with solar.

ChrisOlson

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Joe_B wrote: »

Usually I don't like to be below 70% for more than a few days.

So you got the REB's with the low specific gravity? Or do you have the ones that go up to 1.300 if you put the Big Cook to 'em?
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Chris

Joe_B

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Mine are the lower SG ones, the max I have ever cooked them up to was 1.260. According to Trojan, they wont have as much capacity as the hot ones but are supposed to last a lot longer. They are rated at 370 AH.

ChrisOlson

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Joe_B wrote: »

Mine are the lower SG ones, the max I have ever cooked them up to was 1.260. According to Trojan, they wont have as much capacity as the hot ones but are supposed to last a lot longer. They are rated at 370 AH.

Yeah, those are the good ones, IMHO. They take higher charging voltages and don't have the capacity of the hot ones. But from what I have seen they are more like the IND-series (Industrial) and they last longer too.
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Chris

Joe_B

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

I have been happy with mine, they dont seem to use a lot of water. I used to have T-105's and if I recall, they were up around 1.275. Those seemed to drink a lot of water compared to these. I do an EQ about twice a year and my float voltages are pretty high but they keep on ticking.

ChrisOlson

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

This is the type of information I find useful from the ComBox. We had relatively poor solar and wind conditions here today. After noon when our loads started to increase I made the decision to run our diesel generator. Then shut it off for an hour. Didn't like how much power we were using and the SOC of the battery (not much above 60% SOC all day). So I started it again and it's still running because the batteries are really low tonight.

Looking at the graphs that the ComBox provides, I can see that our prime generator output never exceeded loads except for one hour from 5:00 - 6:00 PM. This is what I like to see. We're not wasting gen power and fuel charging batteries. We're using it to reduce the load on the batteries and conserve their power because the RE didn't do its job today. The ComBox tells me that I'm making the right decisions as to when to run the diesel generator. And in the future allows us to make better informed decisions, based on loads, about when to use it. At 8.78 kWh/gallon of fuel with the diesel my hopes are that using it in this manner will cut our generator fuel bill by about 20% of last winter by never allowing the Honda to be used for battery charging - ever. Use those generators only for powering loads that the RE system can't meet.

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Chris

SkiDoo55

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Yes it does provide very useful system information and the ability to access anyplace on my network on any device is great. Well worth the cost. Like the logging as I don't have to worry about it.

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ChrisOlson

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

The ability to see real numbers and pull them up for any date and time is what I like. I have an old utility meter on the generators so I could measure that before. But not having to do all the math to figure it all out - and being able access it within seconds in one place, and compare it to other information it gathers, gives me a better handle on the fine details of our power system. Details that my wife and I can use to better manage it to make it more efficient.

The information it gathers on net current (and energy) to and from the battery on a daily basis is REALLY nice. I am not analyzing that yet as I want to collect a couple months worth of data. Then I can start looking seriously at battery efficiency vs daily cycle depth, and how to use prime power based on battery SOC and efficiency instead of basing it on loads. In a few weeks I'll have the information on that that I need to start taking a serious look at it.

Living off grid is not cheap. But this is definitely a tool that gives me the information I need to make it more affordable in the long term.
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Chris

SkiDoo55

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

I can really see where it would provide an offgrid system more information than it does for an GT only ongrid system. I like the quick diplay of infomation. Some information is missing on what it pulls frome the inverters but that may come on a firmware update I hope at some future date. Still have my RS232 logging going and my son is working on a custom multi-inverter version of it. Nice to have talented kids!!
Again great tool at a easy to digest price. Ability to update device and self firmware in itself makes it worth getting for most owners of the covered products.

Here is the Graphed data from the *.cvs form today on output. Production numbers are from the GT/SGT View programs.

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ChrisOlson

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

SkiDoo55 wrote: »

I can really see where it would provide an offgrid system more information than it does for an GT only ongrid system.

Admittedly, I know nothing about grid-tie systems. I understand in basic terms how they work, and lots of experience with generators on grid backup systems. But zero experience with GT inverters on solar. On the surface it looks much simpler than off-grid battery-based systems. I would imagine you cannot use the Loads screen? Because the inverter does not actually power the loads directly like it does on off-grid? And I would imagine you have no way to track the use of a standby generator? Because the inverter has no generator input? And probably no information at all on the battery screens?

It would be interesting to see the data from some of the various screens in your ComBox with a GT setup. I was wondering how they display all that info that, from a casual viewpoint, would seem to be tailored more for off-grid than GT.
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Chris

SkiDoo55

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Agree more beneficial to a off grid or GT hybrid XW system. Looking at adding in a EKM watt meter and bring info in on the RS485 to see how it displays. That may at least give me some grid input information?

Let me know what screens and selections on them you would,like to see. They display but with mostly blank information except for grid or PV information. Correct that GT inverter only load is the grid.

ChrisOlson

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Well, don't necessarily need to see the screens - just wondered how a GT inverter works as far as loads and grid. If I understand a GT inverter correctly, it just feeds the grid and no loads in the house pass thru it like a XW does if its grid tied? So in that case, it would show what it sells to the grid in the Loads screen (the one with the light bulb)?

Just trying to figure out how they tailored it to meet different kinds of system's needs for reporting information.
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Chris

BB.

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

With Schneider--You have two GT types...

The XW type where it has a "protected sub-panel"--So all AC line and (presumably) load and any "GT" supplied power, the XW inverter can keep track of all of that. If there are AC loads on the other side of the XW (upstream of the XW's AC input)--It could not know anything about those.

And then there is the Pure GT inverter (no batteries, just solar panels and a GT inverter). That is wired directly into the AC main breaker panel and the GT Inverter would only know about its own output, and nothing else.

-Bill

SkiDoo55

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

ChrisOlson wrote: »

Well, don't necessarily need to see the screens - just wondered how a GT inverter works as far as loads and grid. If I understand a GT inverter correctly, it just feeds the grid and no loads in the house pass thru it like a XW does if its grid tied? So in that case, it would show what it sells to the grid in the Loads screen (the one with the light bulb)?

Just trying to figure out how they tailored it to meet different kinds of system's needs for reporting information.



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Chris

The grid is essentially its only load. Feeds power to the buss bars in the load center and it either goes to grid or local loads from there. I can determine how much went where from either the smart meter counters, my TED system or by comparing meter reads vs reported system output. No loads are shown on the ComBox for the system. The screens do show, just with zero values.
Also logs zero values.

SkiDoo55

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

NAWS New price for Conext ComBox is $351 up from $211. Ouch!
Glad I bought early. Sure enjoying what it provides though!

NorthGuy

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

SkiDoo55 wrote: »

NAWS New price for Conext ComBox is $351 up from $211.

Must've been a success!

SkiDoo55

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Either a success which I believe, or they got the invoice for them. $351 puts it to the price of what the implanted was? Still would want one even at higher price, but would have had to think about it a little harder. So much fun that I am thinking of adding either an SW or XW 4024, MPPT60-150 for emergency back up and to put in use my 6 spare ET250 panels.

mike95490

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

has someone controlled their system with the combox ? I can see and monitor things, and reboot the inverter or SCP, but cannot find anyway to control or adjust any parameters with it.

SkiDoo55

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Instructions for changing Device Parameters starts on page 3-30 of the ComBox manual. If you don't have it can be downloaded fron NAWS site or Schneider site.

catcomexico

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Has anybody had problems setting up email on the Combox? I can't seem to get mine to generate even a test mail. Doing smtp.gmail.com, port 465, authenticated correctly...blah, blah.

frank.thomson

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

ComBox doesn't support SSL, so trying the gmail smtp is waste of time, I wish they said it straight in manual.

The way I got it to work was by using the SMTP of the ISP, so check who provides the connection and use the mail server they provide. Few don't even need authentication if you are behind the DSL that is provided by ISP. Once you get it to work, the ComBox is pretty good at sending out all the daily summary and fault emails. It also alows you to suppress the type of faults for which you don't want an email, i.e. in cases where there is weak-grid and XW are t-islanding couple times a week.

-Frank

frank.thomson

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

You have to log in as 'admin' to get access to the settings tab on the left side. If you login as 'user' it only shows the status and faults.

-Frank

catcomexico

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Thanks Frank! Ive posed the question to my isp. I'm in Baja and the private party isp, not telmex, is routing customers on their own wan via dhcp and nat, so I'm seeing 10.0.0.1 as the gateway. Very different from having my own range of ip's like back back home in California. Once I eventually get things squared away I'll post the solution.

n4wff

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

There is a way to get it to work with Gmail. It took some digging around on the Internet to find the correct settings. This worked for me.
Email Server Address ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
E-Mail Server Port 25
E-Mail Authentication Disabled
E-Mail User ID Use your gmail id and be sure to put @gmail.com

https://support.google.com/a/answer/176600?hl=en

catcomexico

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Thank you all. The Gmail ASPMX..blah blah didn't seem to work for me. Likely I mis-configured it somewhere along the line. What I ended up doing was doing a free trial of www.travelsmtp.com. Some of the guys at work have used it to get through clamped hotel or corporate firewalls when traveling. I'm up and functional finally! Thanks again, Chris

mike95490

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Looks like mine has died. no web activity. And if you can't log into reboot it, you have to hard power cycle it. I hope it's been keeping the log activity going. Should I pull the uSD card out hot, or leave it in ???

mike95490

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

After a hard reset/reboot, it's working, but I've lost 3 days of data logging.

Last event entry: (the automated daily reset ?)

2014/01/30 03:05:00 System Reboot requested by reboot command - rebooting in 5 seconds

SkiDoo55

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

Did you try just removing, waiting a minute then reinstalling the cat5 cable to reset that first? Have you rest your router or access point device.
i have even done firmware updates with MicroSD card left in with no data loss, and it retained all of the settings. Of course all I have it GT/TX grid inverters. Really like the logging that it provides without having to capture every night.

mike95490

Re: New SW and XW communication "Conext ComBox

SkiDoo55 wrote: »

Did you try just removing, waiting a minute then reinstalling the cat5 cable to reset that first? Have you rest your router or access point device....

Yep, did the easy stuff first, and the router had been assigning the same IP address to the combox, but something inside the combox got locked up, and halted stuff. Took a full power down to reset the works. And it kept the right time too. (I don't have network access for the power shed, so it didn't get NTP time)

I had to fall back to the Gateway to get rough power consumption logs, and the Morningstar MPPT server had kept working right along all the time too, all through the same router. But it's working again now.