MX-60 "American Idol"

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Advanced Solar Electric Technical Forum #1
My system has been up and running a year now, and I have read manuals and learned a little. One thing that I can't find in the manual (yet): My MX-60 "sings" sometimes. Sounds like a muted 3-5 second computerized Asian jingle. Not always the same "melody". Nothing seems to be wrong, batteries may be floating, or absorbing or whatever. Maybe it has to do with a "snooze" alarm? Maybe a "wake up"?
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  • crewzer
    crewzer Registered Users, Solar Expert Posts: 1,832 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: MX-60 "American Idol"

    The "singing" is caused by a resonance in the controller's big inductors when the array voltage drops close to the battery voltage. It's not uncommon when the nominal array voltage is the same as the nominal battery voltage, i.e., 48 V / 48 V. I suspect you see this more in the summer than the winter.

    The best way to deal with this is to wire your array for "60 V" (i.e., five "12 V" modules in series) for connection to your "48 V" battery system. You might want to consider turning off the controller's "extended play" mode. See here for more info: http://www.outbackpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1676&highlight=extended+play

    HTH,
    Jim / crewzer
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #3
    Re: MX-60 "American Idol"

    Always such great help at this site!
    It seems that the singing does'nt have any negative effects on the equipment from what I've gathered, so as the system is in a utility shed 100 feet from the house I guess I can let it sing - it won't bother me!
    Thank you
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: MX-60 "American Idol"
    shed 100 feet from the house I guess I can let it sing - it won't bother me!

    Any problem with the mechanical vibration abrading the enamel insulation on the transformer windings ?
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || 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 ,

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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #5
    Re: MX-60 "American Idol"

    It would always be better if you could reduce the ringing of the components... Nothing may happen, but you can have solder fractures, work hardening of the copper coils, hermetic seal failures of components, etc...

    Will it fail sooner because of the "singing"--don't know.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #6
    Re: MX-60 "American Idol"
    mike90045 wrote: »
    Any problem with the mechanical vibration abrading the enamel insulation on the transformer windings ?

    I have an Nvidia 6600GT graphics card that has power inductors that "sing" as well, always has since day one - still works great and shouldn't be a big issue but wear may be more of a problem on a transformer vs an inductor. Either way I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you can easily change it so that it doesn't sing.
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  • crewzer
    crewzer Registered Users, Solar Expert Posts: 1,832 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: MX-60 "American Idol"

    I haven't heard of any problems or failures as a result of the "singing". I gather that turning off the "extended play" mode reduces if not eliminates the noise by "raising the floor" of the MX' sweeps and keeping the array voltage sufficiently above the battery voltage.

    HTH,
    Jim / crewzer
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  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: MX-60 "American Idol"

    The singing won't hurt anything... It is coming from the inductors. One thing that has been done to quiet them down is to varnish the inductors. Another thing that has been done was to stuff something soft or paper-like between the outside windings and the inside of the core to dampen them.

    So, how old is this unit ? Serial number ? Those inductors were originally supposed to be varnished from the inductor factory and eventually were, but that has been a few years now. Maybe they've stopped the practice ?

    boB
    :D
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #9
    Re: MX-60 "American Idol"

    The unit was installed a year ago. It was pretty much "factory fresh".
    Since my solar ranch is 200 miles away, it'll be a week or two before I can look at the unit to see what the sn etc is.....
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