Help Midnite Solar Classic 150 Experts - Resting not float

BB.

As the guys said above... You have an AC only Current Clamp meter. To measure DC current, you need a different AC/DC capable current clamp meter.

And your meter is set to measure Voltage--Which requires you to use your +/- lead plugged into the meter and touching the points you want to measure the voltage (in this case, the two Vpanel inputs for the Midnite Classic).

One way to practice using the meter is to use a car or truck battery to experiment and get a better feel for how the meter works. You know that the battery will be somewhere around 12.7 volts with everything off, drop to 12.5 volts or so with lights on, and go to around 14.0 volts for charging (when the engine is running).

This is also a good way to learn how to use a current clamp meter--But you need a different meter for DC current.

-Bill

Photowhit

Listen to @boB!

We are all trying to help, some of us even own these, but boB deals with these every day. Send it back "for surgery"(love that phrase).

While it's away, you might setup your array for best use of your panels, either 2 strings of 3, which wouldn't require a combiner box. Just a couple 'Y' or 'branch connectors.


Since you do have some extra panels, you could also set them up as 3 strings of 3 using a combiner box.

Sanmedrxgmppharma

okay thanks guys because now here in the phils time is 2:00am maybe later ill get back to my second house far away from the city. but all is shutdown because i need to be careful 

yesterday i just called midnite tech support but computer operator said pls leave a message 

Sanmedrxgmppharma

thank you so much guys 

Photowhit

Ouch, yes shipping will be difficult. Not sure what you will want to do, but I saw Midnite 'garage sale' Has some 'stripped' Midnite classic 250's for sale for $250. Built for a special order, only thing I can see that would be a problem for you is the inability to use the Whiz bang jr.  

I have 3 Midnite 150 lites. I was thinking of picking one up just for the display and having a backup around; I think I paid $150 just for the MNGP (display), this has an older version without speaker (fine for me)

http://midniteftp.com/forum/index.php?topic=4606.0

Sanmedrxgmppharma

yeah shipping fee maybe but i order in amazon and shipping cost 79dollars 

yes i always listen to all of you sir but i dont know the pv is okay the midnite is okay i check the midnite i open it and there is no sign of damage i look for fuse but i did not find fuse just to check if the fuse is broken 
there no sign of burn in the board 

Sanmedrxgmppharma

i mean the fuse that i know is like fuse from the car 

but i dont see fuse like fuse from the car so maybe ic but i did not everything i just look for it 

Sanmedrxgmppharma

how to order midnite combi box?

Sanmedrxgmppharma

ohhhh sorry i will to ebay

Photowhit

Sanmedrxgmppharma said:

how to order midnite combi box?

You don't need a Midnite combiner box, but should have each string fused. You can likely source them locally.  I think you are in the Philippines?

I need to go play pool (league they count on me) But if you could give me the town you live in, I'll see if I can find some local sources. I've used some midget fuse holders for car audio systems, and just build the with fuse holders. I'm sure you can find something local, maybe for boating/fishing industry.

Photowhit

Well, I think you are in the Philippians, I suspect you can find someone who can supply you with a simple PWM charge controller to get by with for a while. These are simple charge controllers and won't produce as much energy as the Midnite classic, but can function with your solar panels.

This will require, again, a different configuration of your array (solar panels), but will provide some charging while your Midnite Classic is being repaired. I had hoped to find a supplier there but I have had no luck.

Something like this 30 amp PWM Charge controller, can work with all 10 of your panels to charge your battery bank. The difference is IT WILL NOT CONVERT FROM THE HIGHER VOLTAGE! So the input voltage would have to be no more than a string of 2 of your panels.

This charge controller will work with your 48 volt battery bank, I was helping a friend find a cheap PWM Charge Controller for his 4 - 24 volt nominal panels (you have 24 volt nominal panels, They can charge a 24 volt system with some loses or a 48 volt system in a string of 2 panels)

https://www.amazon.com/PowMr-Controller-Compatible-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B07STYT56M/ref=sr_1_3

It's nothing fancy but has been working for him for 18 months, here are a couple pictures from Facebook;


His batteries were in poor shape when we got him started
Here he's flipping through the menu, if this works a video from Facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/michael.stitt.96/videos/1750673035004890/

We figured out it was made by Y-Solar who makes a lot of charge controllers which get rebranded.

It doesn't have any of the features of the Midnite Classic, but might be small enough it would ship cheaply.

To use this you would have to configure your array into, up to, 5 strings of 2 panels. Combine them with fuses or breakers. You could use 4 panels, 2 strings of 2 panels without fuses or breakers. My friend has 4 panels and uses a simple 'Y' connector to combine them;



If you look around at auto parts place you are likely to fine 4 and maybe 5 way fuseblocks for AGU fuses;

dgarneau

My Classic 250 is always staying on resting now event if it's sunny. Voltage is good but no output the error code is : 

ReasonForResting = 1    Wake state, (Vpv < PreVoc AntiClickSenstvty  (MB Addr. 4236)


Any idea what does that mean ??? it was working fine before (i have the lastest firmware version)

I have 221V in ... and 48V battery bank ...

Raj174

I believe it is indicating that the array VOC is too high. Is that 221V in reading, VMP voltage? What is the ambient temperature?

Estragon

Yes, way too high!  IIRC, a C150 on 48v bank should go into "hyperVoc" (stop charging) at 150v, but is okay up to 198v.  221v well above that, and may have fried something.

I would turn the classic off, and check actual PV voltage at the PVin terminals ASAP.

Edit: just realized you have a 250 (this thread was titled 150), so not overvoltaged. 

Estragon

I'd start by looking at wiring and for any obvious problems with panels.  Maybe the pv voltage is collapsing when the classic tries to sweep for MPP?  Is there shade on the panels?  

Can you expand on your setup (esp. panel and string/array details, how long installed)?

dgarneau

I have 6 solar panel in serie (37V)  ... so what i'm reading is accurate .. arround 221V (Dont forget i have a MidniteSolar 250). The ambiant temp is around 5 celcius (41F)  Batterie temperature is around 8 Celcius  (46F).  

I bought my solar panel 5 year ago ... but my midnide 250 is 3 month old. Its was working fine before ...  i may have a little bit of ice on my panel but not all of them ... (probably the 2 bottom one) but the top one are perfectly clear .... But they are in serie so those 2 panel should not affect the rest ...... am i wrong ?

Estragon

Partial shading of a series string with ice could reduce output a lot, but IIRC it may be a different RFR code.  As I understand it, the RFR 1 shows when the pv voltage collapses to below charging voltage during Mpp sweeps.  The classic sees good pv voltage, but when it loads the circuit to charge, no joy.  

Have the PVin terminal bolts been retorqued since installing the new controller?  I'm wondering if a connection has become loose, and is now not able to handle high charging current.  That could happen anywhere in the PV circuit, but the classic input terminals is where I'd start. If not retorqued ~1day after install, it's surprising how much they can loosen.  I'd give the battery connections a check as well.

dgarneau

When i read the error con the spec sheet from midnite ..


ReasonForResting = 1 Wake state, (Vpv less than PreVoc AntiClickSenstvty (Possibly adj. ModBus 4236)
http://www.midniteftp.com/support/kb/faq.php?id=72

Possibily adj. Modbus 3246 .... Does that mean to adjust a setting ? maybe i have a wrong setting somewhere

Estragon

Modbus can be somewhat ambiguous in register/address numbers, some counting from zero, some from one.  

4236 is (duplicate?) absorb time according to MN Modbus spec.  It may actually be 4237 "AntiClickStvty" given the ambiguity though    I don't know if there's a way to set in MNGP or LA,  and the doc notes for this say "Best Left Alone (varies)".  My guess is it's a value that's meant to stop having the controller repeatedly try hitting MPP needlessly, like a relay chatter threshold.  More guessing... even if you could adjust it, you're likely not solving the root cause problem.

Raj174

If you haven't done so yet,  contact Midnite tech support on this issue.

boB

This is kind of an old thread isn't it ?

The numbers look like it should be waking up and charging though.  RFR # 1 as shown on the special LCD screen, I think, may mean partial shading is occurring but I think this thread is from the middle of summer ?   Maybe you are in the southern hemisphere though which would be the opposite and correct maybe for partial shading in July.

BB.

dgarneau is probably out of Canada....

-Bill

mike95490

here's a bit of an old thread from Midnight

reason for resting:
http://midniteftp.com/forum/index.php?topic=2034.0

You can see if the Classic is pushing out negative current into the PV array by looking
at the middle - numbers in the "secret screen" from main status...   Hold he left arrow key
down and tap the ENTER key to get into this display from main status.  If the BATT -  number
is higher than around 50, then this may just be the issue.

When you see this happening, please try setting this Floating Classic's mode to OFF so
it goes to Resting and wait a little while to see if the temperature drops down.

ncvolmd1

We have Midnite Classic 150 and accidentally input in 270 Volts (6 panels). Now no power going to 48V battery bank. Classic staying in RESTING. Suggestions? Corrected to two arrays yielding 135V each.

Vic

Hi ncvo..,  Welcome to the Forum.

Open the circuit breaker that connects the PV array/s to the Classic,  then tell us, what is the Vin reading from the main status screen.

This overvoltage is quite excessive,  and probably,  Power FETs (transistors),   capacitors,  and voltage measuring parts have been destroyed.

Contact MidNite Tech support for more guidance,   Good Luck!   Vic

littleharbor2

Hyper VOC is great but it has it's limitations. This one's on the guy who didn't verify the input voltage.

boB

Yeah, 270 V DC  is a bit above the HyperVoc spec.  If the input voltage isn't sitting at zero volts then maybe the FETs aren't blown ?

Probably not too much chance of this though but who knows ?  Miracles can happen.  But if it's Resting all the time then that kind of says it is broken.