diy solar

diy solar

How can Current Connected improve?

Madcodger said:
Or, really, any situation in which it might be needed. Just charge an extra 3x the part cost and include it, with a copied sheet that tells the customer when and how to use it. No engineering required - just a warning about what can happen if you don't use it, and instructions on how to avoid that.

Based on your support for the community here, I plan to purchase equipment from you later in the year. I live an hour away from a Home Depot, much less an electrical supply house, and must order most things online. So while I'll have wire and lugs and crimpers and such, like most people, I wouldn't have this tiny but important part just laying around. If I didn't find this in my order for a complete system because I didn't know, or forgot, that I need it, I'd be ticked. It's the little things that set a great supplier apart from the crowd. At the very least, have a checklist of likely necessary things, and have the customer go down that list prior to finalizing their order.
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excuse me , but i don't get the resistor thing...
Every modern bms has this limiter on board now a days ( and certainly the batteries sold by CC)...
if one chooses to build a battery themselves one could expect this little part to part of their build / though process ?
 
Maybe start a list of local contractors that are willing to work with DIY solar systems. Mobile and stationary. People have problems all over and travel. There are very few contractors around that specialize in solar power systems.
Not a recommendation but just who might be in the area.
 
Partimewages said:
Maybe start a list of local contractors that are willing to work with DIY solar systems. Mobile and stationary. People have problems all over and travel. There are very few contractors around that specialize in solar power systems.
Not a recommendation but just who might be in the area.
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We have found that few contractors with the proper experience want to jump into systems that someone else started (and possibly messed up). They often want to start with a clean slate, and provide the equipment that they make the markup on to add to their labor expenses. If you know anyone that we could put on the list then please let us know.


I appreciate everyone's positive feedback. We actually printed out a bunch of your kind words and posted them on the wall here at the office. I'll take a picture and post here soon.
 
umm get the chargeverters in stock and change your name to anything other than Dexter... :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: for all of you uptight folks. I am currently building a running joke. It takes time so relax.
 
I live in Rural Missouri. UPS service is much better than Fed-Ex, who drives me a bit nuts. For instance, Wednesday I received a e-mail that my Victron unit and related supplies were going to be delivered on Thursday between 10 and 2:30pm. Thursday morning received an e-mail that my stuff on was a truck and out for delivery. I got to my office at 9am, just in case, and stayed until 10pm, with no delivery. Fed-Ex status updates confirmed everything was on a truck and would be delivered by end-of-day, which they define at 8pm. No delivery happened, costing me 13 hours in my office with little freedom. Units did show up this morning. (Signature required, thus I had to stay near the office.)

If Current Connected would give an option for UPS, I would select it each and every time. The "local" fed-ex office is close to 45 miles away. UPS is only 15.
 
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KevinC_63559 said:
I live in Rural Missouri. UPS service is much better than Fed-Ex, who drives me a bit nuts.
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Rural Maine here. Exactly the same situation. A delivery notice for a UPS shipment means I can plan on delivery as described. A notice from Fedex means, "It left the shipper and will be at your place within about three days either side of when we're telling you. Maybe. Unless we decide to just go back to the depot with it, and not bother to tell you." And btw, this only started when Amazon stopped using Fedex, at least in our area. Before that, they were very reliable. If you ship only via Fedex, that's not great for us, and increases the probability of problems exponentially.
 
houseofancients said:
excuse me , but i don't get the resistor thing...
Every modern bms has this limiter on board now a days ( and certainly the batteries sold by CC)...
if one chooses to build a battery themselves one could expect this little part to part of their build / though process ?
Click to expand...
Never built a battery. Don't plan to. Keep seeing advice to use a resistor when starting up a new system, but no idea what resistor, etc. The point being, if it's not a tool/part one would typically have, at least suggest it. Feel free to charge for it. Just please don't expect we'll have one laying around. Some of us can't just run down to the local store and pick stuff up, 'cause the closest place might be an hour or more away.
 
Madcodger said:
Never built a battery. Don't plan to. Keep seeing advice to use a resistor when starting up a new system, but no idea what resistor, etc. The point being, if it's not a tool/part one would typically have, at least suggest it. Feel free to charge for it. Just please don't expect we'll have one laying around. Some of us can't just run down to the local store and pick stuff up, 'cause the closest place might be an hour or more away.
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my advice just order a 5 or 10 watt resistor at 10 or 20 ohms and keep it around. easy to pre-charge inverters, BMS's, SCC etc without "jolting" them. you can get by without but it does make it easier on your gear long term. give me an hour and I will send you a link i spent about 4 or 5 days last year researching this, and if I walk my lazy backside out tot he shop I can get a photo and exact details.... its -5 out might need a nother beer to fortify the internal heating unit prior to going out though.

edit: they cost less than the shipping to you BTW.
 
Daddy Tanuki said:
my advice just order a 5 or 10 watt resistor at 10 or 20 ohms and keep it around. easy to pre-charge inverters, BMS's, SCC etc without "jolting" them. you can get by without but it does make it easier on your gear long term. give me an hour and I will send you a link i spent about 4 or 5 days last year researching this, and if I walk my lazy backside out tot he shop I can get a photo and exact details.... its -5 out might need a nother beer to fortify the internal heating unit prior to going out though.

edit: they cost less than the shipping to you BTW.
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Thanks! I have to travel out to civilization in a week or two and can probably pick one up then at an electronics store that still exists, near my destination. I started my system a couple of years ago without one (never knew it was advised) and all survived, but if it's good practice, I'll do it.
 
10 watt 50 ohms . This is a fancy one with heat sink but a basic resistor would be fine as well. I can imped a ring terminal one one end for my setup you may or may not need
 

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Madcodger said:
Never built a battery. Don't plan to. Keep seeing advice to use a resistor when starting up a new system, but no idea what resistor, etc. The point being, if it's not a tool/part one would typically have, at least suggest it. Feel free to charge for it. Just please don't expect we'll have one laying around. Some of us can't just run down to the local store and pick stuff up, 'cause the closest place might be an hour or more away.
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My point here is..
With an modern lifepo4 battery ( either server rack or wall mounted), these limiters are build in to the BMS and therefor completely unneeded
 
Daddy Tanuki said:
yeah.. what is the quality level? only you can determine that. whats wrong with some insurance? might as well vote democrat.
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Well

1. Quality agrument is none sense...
Seplos, EG4 , pace, jk server, tangalunga cover 95% of the server rack batteries
Wouldn't call low quality

And I hate discussing politics on forums, but I do vote democrat, what's your point ?
 
Here is a little thing: When working with a "first time" customer ordering their first gear - make sure they have the tools needed to install the system. I just bought my first Victron Multiplus II and the AC connections require a ferrule tips on the input and output AC lines. Not a big deal, a kit that will enable me to hook this up is all of about $30. I'll get mine on Tuesday. But would have been a "nice to know" in advance.

To be honest - this is why I'm starting small and building systems in stages - to learn about all the little things.
 
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