Midnite classic auxiliary not working?

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solarpowernovice
solarpowernovice Solar Expert Posts: 134 ✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
I am trying to vent my battery box with a 12v relay that I bought on solar-electric.com and I have it all hooked up right, but the fan will not turn on. I set AUX in my midnite classic charge controller to "manual on" to test the auxiliary port but it is not reading 12v(or anything) on my multi-meter. I also set it to vent fan high but it wont turn on, even though my battery voltage is 12.6 and i set vent fan high to 12v. Shouldn't I be seeing 12v on my multi-meter when its set to "manual on" or "vent fan high"? I know my relay and fan are wired correctly but I dont understand why the auxiliary port will not produce any power to the relay.

I have + and - from AUX 1 to the coil of the relay... Then from the COM of the relay to battery + and from Normally Open of the relay to fan +, and fan - goes directly to battery. Here is how my jumpers are set inside the charge controller. Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? Attachment not found.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?

    I'm reading "To configure Aux 1 to use the internal relay .."
    And "... it does not provide 12 V at the Aux 1 terminals ..."

    I believe you are using an external relay and want 12 VDC at the Aux 1 terminals.
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  • solarpowernovice
    solarpowernovice Solar Expert Posts: 134 ✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?

    Yes I am using an external relay. So you're saying I need to set the jumpers like this? "When Aux 1 is used to supply 12v out, JP6 and JP8 have to be in the position shown in Figure 3.1." >>> Attachment not found. I am going to try this now
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?
    solarpowernovice wrote: »
    Yes I am using an external relay. So you're saying I need to set the jumpers like this? "When Aux 1 is used to supply 12v out, JP6 and JP8 have to be in the position shown in Figure 3.1." >>> Attachment not found.

    This would appear to be correct. Try it and put Aux 1 in "manual on" and measure the terminals for Voltage. Then try your high/low settings and you should see 12 VDC turning on and off.

    The other selection causes the terminals to act as a switch, providing contact between the two terminals.

    Caveat: I am basing this on what I read here; all the system owners of my real world experience are too cheap to buy a decent controller like the Classic! My ancient MX60 is the best one in the area.
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  • solarpowernovice
    solarpowernovice Solar Expert Posts: 134 ✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?

    Thanks again! it worked :D
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  • verdigo
    verdigo Solar Expert Posts: 428 ✭✭
    #6
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?

    Are these terminal voltages on the classic 12 volts regardless of system voltage?
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?
    verdigo wrote: »
    Are these terminal voltages on the classic 12 volts regardless of system voltage?

    Well you have a Classic and a 48 Volt system, right? Put a meter on and find out. :D
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  • verdigo
    verdigo Solar Expert Posts: 428 ✭✭
    #8
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?

    Good idea. Im gonna have the cover off it anyway today. Just got my wizzbang jr.
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  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?
    verdigo wrote: »
    Good idea. Im gonna have the cover off it anyway today. Just got my wizzbang jr.

    If the meter doesn't read 12 volts, there is something wrong with your meter or the classic :-)

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
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  • verdigo
    verdigo Solar Expert Posts: 428 ✭✭
    #10
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?
    verdigo wrote: »
    Good idea. Im gonna have the cover off it anyway today. Just got my wizzbang jr.
    Wizzbang dosn't line up with the current sensing screws on the shunt that came with my Midnite e-panel. Just my luck.
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  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭✭
    #11
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?
    verdigo wrote: »
    Wizzbang dosn't line up with the current sensing screws on the shunt that came with my Midnite e-panel. Just my luck.


    The WB Jr. should line up with the 2 side screws on the 500 amp/50 mV screws. Also Point the WB Jr. purple wire
    towards the actual battery minus terminal. Things might not be as easy the other way around with the minus bus-bar
    in the way.

    Seems there was one screw somewhere associated with the shunt that was kind of awkward with the WB Jr. but was
    definitely doable. I can't remember exactly what it was but it wasn't the two Whizbang Jr. to shunt mounting screws.
    Was probably one of the 2 screws to mount the shunt to the E-Panel chassis itself.

    The Classic Aux outputs 14 to 15 volts regardless of battery voltage. This comes from the internal auxiliary supply.
    I see that you found that Aux 1 has to have those jumpers set correctly to output voltage rather than the dry
    relay contact.

    boB
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  • verdigo
    verdigo Solar Expert Posts: 428 ✭✭
    #12
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?

    A while back I bought 2 e-panels on ebay and the one that I used for my system had a shunt that the Wizzbang Jr would not attach to as the current sensing screws were too far apart. I opened up the other e-panel box and used the shunt from that one. The one on the bottom of the pic is the one that the WB Jr. fit.

    shunts.jpg
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  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭✭
    #13
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?
    verdigo wrote: »
    A while back I bought 2 e-panels on ebay and the one that I used for my system had a shunt that the Wizzbang Jr would not attach to as the current sensing screws were too far apart. I opened up the other e-panel box and used the shunt from that one. The one on the bottom of the pic is the one that the WB Jr. fit.


    Hmmmm... Thank you for showing this. I will try to find out what was going on there.
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  • verdigo
    verdigo Solar Expert Posts: 428 ✭✭
    #14
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?

    I think that they (the e-panels) must be pretty old. One had three separate bus bars for the AC hot in, neutral, and hot out and even one on the end of the shunt (for additional battery negative connections) instead of the tinned copper plates. The newer one has what I would call terminal blocks for the AC connections. Once again I got these from some sort of a clearing house type e-bay store on line. The boxes they came in looked like they had been in storage for some time.

    epan2.jpg

    epane1.jpg
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  • verdigo
    verdigo Solar Expert Posts: 428 ✭✭
    #15
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?

    Sorry for jacking the thread..
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  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    #16
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    Re: Midnite classic auxiliary not working?
    verdigo wrote: »
    I think that they (the e-panels) must be pretty old. One had three separate bus bars for the AC hot in, neutral, and hot out and even one on the end of the shunt (for additional battery negative connections) instead of the tinned copper plates. The newer one has what I would call terminal blocks for the AC connections. Once again I got these from some sort of a clearing house type e-bay store on line. The boxes they came in looked like they had been in storage for some time.

    epan2.jpg

    epane1.jpg

    The top one is our current configuration but that shunt is not anything I have ever seen before. Very odd

    Ryan
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