Schneider XW6848+ and MPPT-60 are displaying different battery voltages

Dave Angelini

rpvietzke said:

Dave Angelini said:

rpvietzke  It would log this on combox in history, but nice try

What make is your distribution panel? Is there one? I say this because the stock 250 amp Schneider breaker in their panel only shuts down the XW. The DC bus stays on and maybe you are not interrupting DC to the mppt? Just checking.

Dave -
Boy, I wish the combox could log wiring issues like this, but there were no errors or other issues.

This was a mind tease for my dual MPPT setup for months and I also thought it had been lightning that fried one unit. The schneider folks tried to troubleshoot it and had gone to the trouble of RMAing and swapping the second unit only to have the same problem. (And then I had three, so I swapped the first unit two. Same results.) It was at that point we figured out the negatives from the panels needed to be isolated and have a clean run in to the MPPT separate from the other panel string and battery negative.  Apparently the MPPT's sense on the negative side from the panels to run their charging algorithm and when the two sets of panels shared a ground bus in the combiner box, it messed up the 2nd controllers ability to do its thing. Since we figured this out and gave the 2nd array a direct feed to the MPPT(2), its been working absolutely great.

Rob

This should have caused a gfci issue. A warning and then a fault with a blown 1 amp fuse.   Did you disable gfci Rob?

This happens alot when an older outback controller was wired in a system.
They definitely sense this and because the way the whole system works, one does not need to wire shunts. A really great feature. I dislike shunts immensely.

Tech support has various levels of help BTW. Different training levels and skills. I was told it is a place to start in the company.
I am lucky that i can go straight in to Engineering and bypass that most of the time. They know the date from the serial and so old equipment is not going to get as much help, I think.

Only one BTS should be in a system. More than one can cause issues and the range is not much more than a volt at temp extremes.

KenMorgan

mcgivor said:

QuintanaRoo said:

Thanks I have downloaded installed all new firmware, still the same issue.
I tried emailing Schneider but after a day and a half only got a mediocre response, is there a tech support number?

Schneider tech support is so hit and miss, I asked a question, waited two and a half months for an answer, followed up with another email, they said will get back as soon as possible 3 days later nothing. Other times been excellent, prompt response..... like Morningstar is, always.

Makes  me have second thoughts about my choice of equipment, the first cooling fan failure was 6 months after installation, they said ship it in for replacement under warranty, way more than 10 times the cost of a replacement fan, not to mention down time, second fan lasted 3 months longer, i replaced them with cheap commonly available fans which have outlasted the original ones, probably voids warranty but honestly I don't care, there are other brands at much lower cost which are available , even my $250 2000W PSW "no name" brand inverter has been on and running twice as long without an issue, using a fraction of the standby energy.

Sorry about the rant, it's actually good equipment, let down by by poor service at times, all news is bad news, but they tend to bring it upon themselves at times.

Sincerely I hope you have better results than I've had as of late with support and your issues are addressed 

I have see zantrex  listed as schneider as well as several other brands.  not being snotty but I think they are either buying up names or simply rebranding.  not sure which.  My first inverter was a freedom 1800 in my camper from zantrex but it is often commonly listed and sold on amazon and eGhey as a schneider...  so YMMV  in regards to support as one fo the two of the companies are full of shyte.

Estragon

Schneider bought Xantrex some years back...

http://www2.schneider-electric.com/corporate/en/press/press-releases/viewer-press-releases.page?c_filepath=/templatedata/Content/Press_Release/data/en/shared/2008/07/20080728_schneider_electric_strengthens_its_position_in_renewable_energy_soluti.xml

BB.

Xantrex seems to be supporting vehicles (RV, Ambulances, etc.).

Schneider brand seems to be more focused on homes/larger/NEC based installations.

Years ago, I worked at a company where we worked hard to have the same system/software/R&D/Mfg/components used across broad product lines (small offices to central office systems). Bought by a larger company, and the small company was split up (small systems to one market, large systems was another market/company). -- That was after I left, but I always wondered how/why it "made sense".

-Bill

Dave Angelini

BB. said:

Xantrex seems to be supporting vehicles (RV, Ambulances, etc.).

Schneider brand seems to be more focused on homes/larger/NEC based installations.

Years ago, I worked at a company where we worked hard to have the same system/software/R&D/Mfg/components used across broad product lines (small offices to central office systems). Bought by a larger company, and the small company was split up (small systems to one market, large systems was another market/company). -- That was after I left, but I always wondered how/why it "made sense".

-Bill

It was the same with HP for me Bill. The company gets too big to be focused in my opinion. The HP instrumentation business, a world class group from WW2 era just got too big. They split it off to Agilent technology in the end of the 90's and then Keysight 10 years back which is the current instrumentation group. Once the owners are dead or out it becomes easier to divide.

To "make sense" I think you need to look at the company fundamentals, Stock, and market in general.

Schneider Electric Solar group has many markets but their web page for the offgrid stuff I do, has none of the ambulance, marine, RV gear. It is why they abandoned the Xantrex name to distance themself from it.