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diy solar

Need some help with EG4 6500 EX

tashabay716

New Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2022
Messages
26
My first post and many thanks to Will for starting me on my Solar experience. Based on Will's youtube EG4 48v offgrid build video, I embarked on building a duplicate. I have ZERO experience with DC and solar, but am pretty fair with AC installations. So I purchased two EG4 6500 EX's and wired them in parallel with six EG4 48v 100ah batteries. Everything is working pretty well since I got 1335 watts of solar panel going to each PV1 on each inverter. Batteries are charging well and I have 240v at the main load box. However I do have three issues I cannot resolve.
1. I am getting fault code 61 intermittently both in standby and "on" mode. I can make it go away for a while by switching unit back and forth between stand by and "on". No alarm for an hour or two and then the dreaded beeping. I have battery setting to "EG4", and I have RS485 cables attached from inverters to batteries. Cable from inverter 2P1 is attached to top battery and cable from inverter 2P2 is attached to bottom battery. The RS485 cables that attach between each battery are not installed yet as they were out of stock at Signature Solar when I picked up order, but I am picking up those cables tomorrow along with 36 more solar panels. I read the thread on this forum on assigning battery type to "user" and then defining menu items 26,27, and 29, but darn it these are EG4 inverters and EG4 batteries and they should work together with out any fault codes, lights or beeping.
2. Item 18 on the menu is "Alam control" to turn beeping on or off. System will let me access item 18, system will let me select "off", but system will not save the off selection. I have attempted to select "off" in standby and "on" mode and inverter will default back to "on" for the alarm. I will probably put the alarm to on later, but would like it off for right now.
3. Early in my install, when I would turn the inverters "on" the light bar would run through a sequence of lights and end up with a blue light illuminated all the time. Now, I get no start up light show and the light bar is dark when the inverter is on and working. I do not know what I did to disable the light show.

Long winded questions for a first post, but any help the members can give me would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I placed a tech support call to SS (signature solar) last week and left a message- no call back as of today on that one. Called 3 times today and got kicked out of the que while waiting, finally left another message today-no call back yet. Sent tech support message through their website today-no answer as of yet, so I am seeking help from forum members.

I am approaching this solar adventure as a hobby, because there is no way I can re-coup the $$$ I have spent thus far, and I would have NEVER attempted such a project with out Will's video guidance. I thank him for giving an old guy a new learning experience and having a great time generating energy from the sun.
Cheers!!!
 
Has Signature Solar helped you yet?
Not yet. I did get a text message from Peyton at SS and he is going to call me Monday at 3PM. I did read on this forum where some members with EG4 batteries set the battery type to "user" which is user defined to defeat the dreaded fault 61. I changed the battery type from "EG4" to "user" and left menu items 26,27 and 29 at default for "user" batteries. I also set my dip switches on my batteries to address 02-07. Since the "user" battery change, no more fault 61's. However I find it amusing that a generic "user" setting is less fault prone than the EG4 battery with the EG4 inverter. I was also able to get the alarm sound "off" to stick, so no more beeping. I still do not have any disco lights on when the inverters are on, but I can live with that.
 
Overall, the system is working great! I did a test hook up to my house today and it ran everything excluding the central a/c fine including two 30 amp hot water heaters, two freezers and three refrigerators and of course all the lights, laptops, etc. All this with with only about 1/4 of the solar panels hooked up so far. Just have to work out a few niggles with Peyton on Monday. I have attached image of system. The PV input wires are a little messy right now, because I am just testing different arrays. I will clean these up when arrays are permanently installed.
 

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Overall, the system is working great! I did a test hook up to my house today and it ran everything excluding the central a/c fine including two 30 amp hot water heaters, two freezers and three refrigerators and of course all the lights, laptops, etc. All this with with only about 1/4 of the solar panels hooked up so far. Just have to work out a few niggles with Peyton on Monday. I have attached image of system. The PV input wires are a little messy right now, because I am just testing different arrays. I will clean these up when arrays are permanently installed.
Do you find any part of the system getting hot or warm to the touch, like the battery cables? I fully intend to put everything in flexible conduit when I get to that point. I have purchased about the same system, but have not received it yet, with 24 PV, 4 EG4 batteries. I am in the same boat as you, Will Prowse lead me into doing this. And Thank You Will Prowse . I have wanted to do this for about 6 months. That video where he explained, this is what you need if you want 30kw. Oh I was hooked like a fish.
Thanks, Steve
 
The inverters produce a little heat, but I have not touched the wiring at the peak of the day. I will do that today and report back. And congrats on the purchase, You will have a great time putting this system together and you will make some small errors/mistakes. Will could not cover every small detail in the video and the manuals for the EG4 inverters and batteries leave something to be desired. I had most of the tools just from general electrical work, however if there was one tool I wish I had before I started, it would have been the Weicon No. 7 wire stripper made especially for double insulated solar wire. I tried four different strippers that I had and would cut 1-5 copper strands every time and it took forever being careful. The Weicon looks like a gun and you just insert the cable and pull the trigger-perfect strip every time. I purchased on Amazon. The Klien J63050 heavy duty cable cutters that Will suggests in his tool section are a must also. The Klien 11063W wire strippers he suggests are great for wire up to 10 awg THHN, but do not strip 10 awg solar. Oh yea, if you do not have a good way to crimp your large 2/0 wire lugs get a Temco hammer lug crimper- cheap and works great. You can PM or email with any specific questions when you get into your project. See you on the other side of the Solar System!!!
 
Thank you for your generosity in helping me. The Weicon tool will help greatly. Now when you say No.7, do you mean No.7 solar or No.7 magic on amazon?
I have purchased a Goplus 16 hydraulic wire crimper on Amazon for the battery cables. If you can suggest anything more please feel free to do so. Still learning and trying not to learn the hard way. No magic Smoke for me I hope.
 
I am starting my 6500 install and have a couple questions if you have time. My configuration looks the same as your except I am doing a critical loads panel next to the main panel and was wondering for the AC input breaker in the main panel, did you use a single 120amp breaker or, two single pole 60amp breakers ?? My plan was to use the 120amp dual pole which would obviously switch both inverters on/off at the same time, just had the thought that maybe that's not a great idea ?? thanks
 
Thank you for your generosity in helping me. The Weicon tool will help greatly. Now when you say No.7, do you mean No.7 solar or No.7 magic on amazon?
I have purchased a Goplus 16 hydraulic wire crimper on Amazon for the battery cables. If you can suggest anything more please feel free to do so. Still learning and trying not to learn the hard way. No magic Smoke for me I hope.
No 7 Solar, I think it is yellow in color. No smoke for me yet either. Wife and I just finished putting 10 more 370w panels on our roof with the S-5 attachment system. Only 20 more panels to go. I like the S-5 mounting alot - no rails and it is quick.
 
I am starting my 6500 install and have a couple questions if you have time. My configuration looks the same as your except I am doing a critical loads panel next to the main panel and was wondering for the AC input breaker in the main panel, did you use a single 120amp breaker or, two single pole 60amp breakers ?? My plan was to use the 120amp dual pole which would obviously switch both inverters on/off at the same time, just had the thought that maybe that's not a great idea ?? thanks
I know Will and EG4 recommend using a double pole breaker for the input to the main panel in case you want to add more than 2 inverters. I do not think I will ever add a third inverter so I just connected one leg of the inverter AC output to one of the main lugs and connected the other leg from the other inverter to the other main lug. Works great and saved me some breaker spaces on my main panel. I used one of the breaker spots for a 120v plug for a 12000btu window AC unit about 3 feet from the inverters so the Solar System powers its own cooling even when not under other loads.
 
PV is cooking pretty good already this morning, batteries charging and under small 800w load. Per the inquiry yesterday, I touch all the wires and all are cool to the touch. I will check them again when under heavy load.
 
Also, I tried the DC disconnect for the PV inputs, but I am pretty sure I was losing some amps in that disconnect, so I went with 1000v 125 amp DC breakers as shown below (and similar to Will's setup). The boxes for the breakers only come with two glands, so I ordered a gland kit from Amazon. I assembled the first box just like Will with two breakers per box and both positive and negative cables going through one medium sized gland. It is a tight fit and you have to bend the cables in the box to align them with the breaker terminals. So on the next box I used eight of the smaller glands that were in the Amazon kit and drilled to holes to line up with the breaker terminals. So much easier to install the cables coming in and out of the PV disconnect box.
 

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No 7 Solar, I think it is yellow in color. No smoke for me yet either. Wife and I just finished putting 10 more 370w panels on our roof with the S-5 attachment system. Only 20 more panels to go. I like the S-5 mounting alot - no rails and it is quick.
Ok thanks for you help.
 
The inverters produce a little heat, but I have not touched the wiring at the peak of the day. I will do that today and report back. And congrats on the purchase, You will have a great time putting this system together and you will make some small errors/mistakes. Will could not cover every small detail in the video and the manuals for the EG4 inverters and batteries leave something to be desired. I had most of the tools just from general electrical work, however if there was one tool I wish I had before I started, it would have been the Weicon No. 7 wire stripper made especially for double insulated solar wire. I tried four different strippers that I had and would cut 1-5 copper strands every time and it took forever being careful. The Weicon looks like a gun and you just insert the cable and pull the trigger-perfect strip every time. I purchased on Amazon. The Klien J63050 heavy duty cable cutters that Will suggests in his tool section are a must also. The Klien 11063W wire strippers he suggests are great for wire up to 10 awg THHN, but do not strip 10 awg solar. Oh yea, if you do not have a good way to crimp your large 2/0 wire lugs get a Temco hammer lug crimper- cheap and works great. You can PM or email with any specific questions when you get into your project. See you on the other side of the Solar System!!!
Thank you, I probably will contact you later, but it will be a long time. It's very hot 95 to 100 degrees daily and no rain. I am a one man show, that does not tolerate heat like I use too.
 
Yep, me too. Wife and I work outside until around 10 am and then inside work for rest of the day. 100+ degrees every day. Central Texas BTW
 
104 degees here right now. I am inside researching surge protectors, lightning protection, etc. You plan on using any surge protection on your solar array PV input?
 
104 degees here right now. I am inside researching surge protectors, lightning protection, etc. You plan on using any surge protection on your solar array PV input?
I have not research it very much, so at this point I have a lot on my plate already. I would like to protect my system.
 
Talked to Peyton at SS today. He said SS was still fighting the fault 61 issue while using battery code "EG4". He said it was either a cable issue or firmware issue. He said once a fix is found all users will be updated. In the mean time, the fix is to set battery code as "user" and adjust menu items 26,27 and 29 as needed. I also discussed the PV input display with Peyton. I was under the assumption that I could monitor my PV arrays output on the inverter screens. Apparently that is not the case. I have observed that the system will only display the amount of watts it currently needs to handle the current loads. So for instance if I have two arrays PV1 and PV2 wired to one inverter and lets say PV1 has 800w and PV2 has 3700 watts and the only load on the inverter is 1200 watts for battery charging. If I turn on PV1 first then turn on PV2 second, the display will show 800w for PV1, but only 400w for PV2. If I turn on PV2 first and then PV1, the display will show 1200w for PV2 and 0w for PV1. If I put on outside loads of course the values for both PV's will jump up, but I only get to view the "throttled" watts that the inverter "needs" not what the arrays are generating. This makes array trouble shooting more difficult. I wish the inverter would should total PV wattage available for the inverter in addition to the "throttled" wattage. Looking for a digital meter to put between the array and disconnect to show me total array wattage. If anybody has any ideas?
 
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