HELP!!!! Midnite solar classic 150 and 150 light problems and issues

Here is a link the best explains the problems that I am currently suffering with my bank of 4 midnight solar classic 150 and 150 lights.
https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/2015-midnite-classic-problems/
my most recent issue is that the charge controllers continue to send my batteries in to equalize mode sometimes for as long as four hours....... the longest my battery should stay in equalize mode is 1 hour.... and they have completely destroyed a bank of surrette rolls s-480s 8 of them to be exact they lasted less than a year....... I have since replace them with 4700 amp hours of GB industry forklift batteries....... last week I have had all of the auto equalize counters set to zero including the voltage but this does not fix the issue it just stops them from going in to equalize the classics continue to try and equalize and then immediately go out of equalize because equalize counts as absorb I get absolutely no charge unless I go reset the charge controllers enough times to make them finish a full charge cycle......
I am very seriously considering a class action lawsuit due to the fact that I have more than 90 people who are having the same problem and Midnite solar continues to refuse to accept there's a serious flaw in their new charge controllers. The issue with the arc fault and the ground fault false alarms are nowhere near as large as the issue with the equalize mode so far they have cost me the price of 4 charge controllers and roughly $16k in batteries.
I would love to hear any information or ideas for remedy that you guys have as well as coordinate with others were having this issue.
https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/2015-midnite-classic-problems/
my most recent issue is that the charge controllers continue to send my batteries in to equalize mode sometimes for as long as four hours....... the longest my battery should stay in equalize mode is 1 hour.... and they have completely destroyed a bank of surrette rolls s-480s 8 of them to be exact they lasted less than a year....... I have since replace them with 4700 amp hours of GB industry forklift batteries....... last week I have had all of the auto equalize counters set to zero including the voltage but this does not fix the issue it just stops them from going in to equalize the classics continue to try and equalize and then immediately go out of equalize because equalize counts as absorb I get absolutely no charge unless I go reset the charge controllers enough times to make them finish a full charge cycle......
I am very seriously considering a class action lawsuit due to the fact that I have more than 90 people who are having the same problem and Midnite solar continues to refuse to accept there's a serious flaw in their new charge controllers. The issue with the arc fault and the ground fault false alarms are nowhere near as large as the issue with the equalize mode so far they have cost me the price of 4 charge controllers and roughly $16k in batteries.
I would love to hear any information or ideas for remedy that you guys have as well as coordinate with others were having this issue.
100% Off-grid in the White Mountains of Arizona. 36 Kyocera 265w mounted on four DPW 9 module pole top mounts, midnite solar combiners, breakers, & lightning arresters, 1 midnight solar classic 150, & 3 classic 150 lights, 3 x 1574 AH GB Industries forklift batteries total of 4722 AH @24v. Feeding a Outback power systems FW500 with 2 x VFX 3624, with the x240. 2 Honda EU3000is gensets with the 240 combiner and control box running LP, and 1 Honda EU2000is Gas.
System #2 is a off grid water system @ 1590w (6 Kyocera 265's) on a 6 module DPW top of pole mount. Feeding a Granfas deep well pump and pump controller at 580 feet. 2 x 2800 gallon above ground poly storage tanks, and 1 x 1200 gallon underground cistern and a Granfas 24v booster pump feeding a 90 gallon carbon fiber pressure tank.
Vag woodstove for heat.
Follow our journey at
https://www.facebook.com/ShawnpHarvey
System #2 is a off grid water system @ 1590w (6 Kyocera 265's) on a 6 module DPW top of pole mount. Feeding a Granfas deep well pump and pump controller at 580 feet. 2 x 2800 gallon above ground poly storage tanks, and 1 x 1200 gallon underground cistern and a Granfas 24v booster pump feeding a 90 gallon carbon fiber pressure tank.
Vag woodstove for heat.
Follow our journey at
https://www.facebook.com/ShawnpHarvey
Comments
Sorry, I haven't experienced the problem. Have you spoken to Midnite your self?
On a separate note, do you understand that GB over rates their forklift batteries by about 20% at the 20 hour rate? Thought I'd let you know now, there is some information here though I have a hard time searching this forum.
I also have a GB battery of reported 800ah, though in reality it's around 650Ah, and so it goes...
I recently went back and reread Handy Bob's thoughts. If I were you I would post my own, he seems to go in too many bad directions, The lacking manual is a joke, it's been around since well before he purchased his units. The Classic is basically a bunch of computer controller switches. I haven't received a manual with any computer I've owned in the last 15 years! Look on line for current manual, firmware and drivers...
His idea of considering Outback's charge controller as "too complicated" and then buying a Classic which is designed to do more...
Arc Fault has been and will continue to be difficult to implement. If you must have it, Midnite was the first to 'meet code'. I have Classic Lites so no Arc fault. If you don't have to have it and find issues, shut it off, particularly if your panels aren't on your roof.
Thank you for the information I way over purchased batteries anyways, so it's not really that big of a deal to be offset by 20% per battery if it becomes an issue I'll bring it up with them. As far as the charge controller issue I'm glad you have not suffered it yet and I hope you never do...... it's been awhile since I have been on the form how's lif treating you?
System #2 is a off grid water system @ 1590w (6 Kyocera 265's) on a 6 module DPW top of pole mount. Feeding a Granfas deep well pump and pump controller at 580 feet. 2 x 2800 gallon above ground poly storage tanks, and 1 x 1200 gallon underground cistern and a Granfas 24v booster pump feeding a 90 gallon carbon fiber pressure tank.
Vag woodstove for heat.
Follow our journey at
https://www.facebook.com/ShawnpHarvey
Ralph
You're missing what I'm saying we are not leaving it to the machine the machine is doing it without our permission all of my counters are set to zero and it is set to manual but it will still run through an equal I cycle without my permission and Midnite solar refuses to accept the problem and fix it
System #2 is a off grid water system @ 1590w (6 Kyocera 265's) on a 6 module DPW top of pole mount. Feeding a Granfas deep well pump and pump controller at 580 feet. 2 x 2800 gallon above ground poly storage tanks, and 1 x 1200 gallon underground cistern and a Granfas 24v booster pump feeding a 90 gallon carbon fiber pressure tank.
Vag woodstove for heat.
Follow our journey at
https://www.facebook.com/ShawnpHarvey
System #2 is a off grid water system @ 1590w (6 Kyocera 265's) on a 6 module DPW top of pole mount. Feeding a Granfas deep well pump and pump controller at 580 feet. 2 x 2800 gallon above ground poly storage tanks, and 1 x 1200 gallon underground cistern and a Granfas 24v booster pump feeding a 90 gallon carbon fiber pressure tank.
Vag woodstove for heat.
Follow our journey at
https://www.facebook.com/ShawnpHarvey
Shawn-H,
I am with Ralph Day ... EQ is always a manual event, which I monitor (as is generator use).
Personally set EQ voltage to Absorb voltage (or 0.1 V above Vabs), and EQ time to 00:00 Hrs/Mins.
I HAVE seen an EQ initiate when I am navigating around Menus, using the MNGP (LCD Display/pushbutton module), but only twice in about 5.5 years of use). But, at least, I was standing in front of the Classics, and did notice that an "EQ Started".
I had proposed that MN allow Veq to be set to Vfloat, as further protection.
I HAVE seen that perhaps two or three users of MidNite Classic CCs had noted having this issue, on the MidNIte Forum.
I had wondered if handybob worked for, or was a Shill for Morningstar, as his Rants seemed to one-sided and unfair (IMO).
MidNite Forum:
http://www.midniteforum.com/
These are just my opinions, Vic
So Just disable the EQ and do it manually, Should have learned from the first batch of batteries, that not changing the setting would not give any different results. I have 3 ways to log and track my system and have never seen an unauthorized EQ occur,
(and I have Morningstar and Classic)
|| Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
|| VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A
solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,
The new LI batteries will eliminate these problems and probably create some new ones.
http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
E-mail [email protected]
As a work around for the EQ popping up, first the voltage is set to Absorb by default but you can also set the EQ time to zero and then it should not actually do an EQ cycle although I hear that it will (or may ?) say EQ DONE. This doesn't happen to everybody and we are not certain why that is still.
boB
Hi boB,
Thanks for the added info on EQ.
Am running FW 1849 on all four Classics here. When I start an EQ, get the MNGP status of "EQ Started" and EQ, or EQ-MPPT, and then "EQ Done" (IIRC) with a normal Manual EQ.
Personally, I would very much like to be able to set Veq below Vabs, probably would like to be able to set Veq to Vfloat, AND EQ time = 00:00. Always set EQ time to 00"00 when not doing an EQ.
Often, when have added water to the FLA banks, want to increase Vabs to something near an EQ voltage. But, then the Veq in the Classic is raised to that new, high Vabs, as a result. This necessitates resetting the Veq as well as the Vabs on all Classics that are on Follow Me when this hot Absorb is done ... it is quite a bit of resetting. Do know that the Local App will allow easy setting of the charge parameters from its memory, but just do not have computers at all sites that we deal with ... and so on.
FWIW, Thanks 73, Vic
My suggestion to anybody who has an off-grid system is the check your logs at the same time you check your batteries do not wait until the generator fires up at 8 o'clock at night after a sunny day.
System #2 is a off grid water system @ 1590w (6 Kyocera 265's) on a 6 module DPW top of pole mount. Feeding a Granfas deep well pump and pump controller at 580 feet. 2 x 2800 gallon above ground poly storage tanks, and 1 x 1200 gallon underground cistern and a Granfas 24v booster pump feeding a 90 gallon carbon fiber pressure tank.
Vag woodstove for heat.
Follow our journey at
https://www.facebook.com/ShawnpHarvey
boB
PS. are you using more than one Classic and using the Follow-Me cable ?
System #2 is a off grid water system @ 1590w (6 Kyocera 265's) on a 6 module DPW top of pole mount. Feeding a Granfas deep well pump and pump controller at 580 feet. 2 x 2800 gallon above ground poly storage tanks, and 1 x 1200 gallon underground cistern and a Granfas 24v booster pump feeding a 90 gallon carbon fiber pressure tank.
Vag woodstove for heat.
Follow our journey at
https://www.facebook.com/ShawnpHarvey
Hi again Shawn-H,
Shawn, What Firmware VERSION NUMBER is each of the four Classics and Classic Lites running??
Have you ever updated the Firmware in any of these Classic?
Second, you said, "... the fact that I have more than 90 people who are having the same problem and Midnite solar ...".
SO, are you saying that you know of 90 people who are having this problem?
I do NOT recall anyone on this Forum, stating that they have seen this self-initiated EQ on a Classic CC. In five years of using Classics here, I HAVE seen this situation only twice. And, each time, it appeared to have been initiated by my navigating through Menus, using the MNGP, attached to a Classic. AND, it is immediately apparent when this self-initiated EQ starts, as the Classic/s say that they are starting an EQ, on the MNGP, and the battery voltage begins to rise to the EQ voltage setting, if the Veq is set above Vabs. It seems to not be a secret, ... at least to me.
Once again, here is the MidNite Forum site:
http://www.midniteforum.com/
I HAVE seen several references to the self-initiated EQ on the MidNite Fourm, where there may well be about one thousand or so users of MN Classics, BUT only a very few members there seemed to have mentioned this.
Just IMO, the reference to 90 users of Classics that you know having this issue seems incredible to me ...
One thing about FollowMe; The settings on each Classic must be the same, and the Firmware version MUST be identical on EACH Classic in FollowMe. There are a few of the User's settings, like Offset voltage, etc, that can be different between all of the Classics in FM, believe.
We DO run FollowMe on the Classics in use here, and have not ever had an issue with having all of the FollowMe cables connected properly.
You might check that all of those cables are correctly connected, as noted in the Classic Manual, and that each connected Classic's Blue LED flashes every few seconds (visible through the Vent slots, above the MNGP or MNLP.
Thank You for any detail of the Firmware VERSION NUMBER that EACH Classic in this system with the issues is running.
Vic
I believe that the 90 people he refers to are Handy-Bob's people, maybe.
boB
As you know, I'm one of these few guys who have had EQ problems in the past but as Vic said it only happened when navigating through the MNGP. To be honnest, I didn't see it started on its own since a few years on recent firmwares. I don't know where Shawn found 90 people when there should be only three or four guys who really saw this kind of problems in the last 5 years.
Anyway, I would not trade my 5 years old Classic for two brand new Moningstar controllers, lol.
A+
Erik
Hi Erik,
Very, very well-stated! The MidNite Classics are really the Swiss Army Knife of CCs. They have many, many useful functions built-in, at no extra cost. Seems to me, that all of these extra functions, can simply be ignored, if one does not want to use them. They seem to Default in the correct state, for me (IIRC).
AND, there are many Classics being used. Many members here, and of course on the MidNite Forum are here to help as much as we can. Founders of MidNite and Engineering persons frequent this site fairly often, as well as at the MidNite Forum. On the MN Forum, Engineering, Tech and Founders are regulars there.
MidNite is not trying to hide anything, or from anyone. They are a very open company.
Once again the MidNite Forum is here:
http://www.midniteforum.com/
And, boB thanks for continuing to look for that bug. intermittents are usually very hard to find. I have not seen this EQ thing for about 18 - 24 months. And, as stated before, would not use, or recommend using Auto EQ, with perhaps one exception.
I am very fond of MidNite products, almost without exception. And do admire the ethics of the company. I have no axe to grind, just am very impressed with what MidNite does and how they do it.
Thanks, Vic
I wish they would take larger wire and the fans can be noisy, but have worked for over 3 years on all 4 of them. I would buy them again. I should probably upgrade the F/W so they are all the same, but hey, they work just fine.
Yes, the default for EQ is Absorb just in case it does get put into EQ mode but it is not supposed to have a mind of its own.
Please hold off on updating firmware for a couple or 3 weeks because there may be a newer version coming up to help this problem but it has not been tested yet.
Thank you for your input on this !
boB
Four Classics (All purchased from NAWS), none in follow me mode, but I often have 2 go to the same bank of batteries (2 48 volt strings of 1040 AH each). My theory is if I have different panels I can work it out with paralleling Classics to get the desired increase in amperage to the batteries. I worked out a system where I use Midnite breakers to switch strings of panels to different charge controllers depending on how I want the power to be distributed. From a string of panels to a breaker, then the output of that breaker gets split to 4 outputs to breakers that feed the bus bar (Again Midnite) to each different Classic 150. I do have to be careful to only have one switch on at once so I don't send a string to more than one Classic at one time. It has worked great for over 2 years on the 4 banks of batteries, almost all purchased used. The Dream is to have an off-grid Aquaponics farm. You are helping to make that happen.
The one that most often goes into an EQ mode is on FW CL3703. Usually does it when I press MENU and go to CHARGE then press ENTER. The curser is ABOVE the EQ setting and sometimes right then it goes into an EQ mode. 3 Keystrokes. When I hit MENU to go back out a screen to the main menu area I will notice that the EQ mode is engaged. Not a big deal to me, just a work-around.
I don't check this too often, sorry it took so long to reply. Thanks again for all of your efforts, you guys rock!
Skip
What firmware is in your Classic and MNGP ?
b o B
Hi b o B,
The Classic 150 in question that I know occasionally goes into EQ mode without me pressing the EQ option is:
MNGP 1056 6/29/12
Classic 1070 8/13/12
Here is a way that I know it has done it.
At Main Menu screen
Highlight CHARGE
Press ENTER key
That puts the cursor on the VOLTS option.
I have pressed the STATUS key, it takes it to the Status menu and occasionally it shows EQ mode, but not all of the time. I like to leave these on the Status screen so I can see how much harvest there is. Keep in mind that the cursor never went to the EQ option.
Of the 4 Classic 150’s only 2 of them have the exact firmware. I will play with them all this weekend and see if I can make the EQ happen without me telling it to go to EQ.
Thanks again for all your work, I know how tough intermittent issues are,
Skip
You need to upgrade that, before wondering why it doesnt work right.
http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar