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Midnight introducing Rosie the Inverter and Barcelona & Hawks Bay SCC

Hedges

Hedges

I See Electromagnetic Fields!
Joined
Mar 28, 2020
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I've bought a few products made by Midnight Solar (through other retailers, not directly.)

One retailer, Stella Volta, just sent an email regarding webinar given by Midnight to introduce Rosie the Inverter and Barcelona & Hawks Bay SCC

Rosie is an eagerly awaited (long time coming) high frequency split-phase inverter with performance of a low-frequency inverter. We've been reading stories about it starting air compressors.

Barcelona is a 600V input, 48V 200A (2 x 100A) output SCC.

These are from the guys who created the industry decades ago, early Trace inverters that gave off-grid homesteaders all the comforts of on-grid homes.

web link: https://us06web.zoom.us/wc/83092365499/join

zoo link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83092365499#success

Coming to you Live tomorrow, Ryan Stankevitz with MidNite Solar will be speaking about their product lineup.​

MidNite Solar Webinar with Ryan​

mail
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MidNite Solar has launched exciting new products including:
Learn from Ryan Stankevitz with MidNite Solar and content creator for the popular channel "Around the Homestead with Sue & Ryan." Ask details about their new products or their existing product lineup.
 
It is a great company.

The only real challenge that I have ever had with their products have been related to the wire path bends and some challenging mounting concepts on the Kid.

It will be good to see them actually bring these products to market.
 
@SpongeboB Sinewave

The Midnite Barcelona manual states that the battery wire terminals should be checked and retorqued monthly.

This is not an uncommon limitation, it seems to be the standard in all charge controller battery connections, although the indefinite monthly torquing advice may be unique.

Was a bolt and lug terminal considered in the design process and is there some unexpected regulatory or other factor that limits charge controller designs to using these direct compression terminals instead?
 
hwy17 said:
@SpongeboB Sinewave

The Midnite Barcelona manual states that the battery wire terminals should be checked and retorqued monthly.

This is not an uncommon limitation, it seems to be the standard in all charge controller battery connections, although the indefinite monthly torquing advice may be unique.

Was a bolt and lug terminal considered in the design process and is there some unexpected regulatory or other factor that limits charge controller designs to using these direct compression terminals instead?
Click to expand...

I would say to check or re-tighten once more after the first install. Wait 1 or 2 hours (while you're there thinking about it) should be good enough. I had not seen the "once a month" part but I know that re-tightening/torqueing an hour later is sometimes necessary with the CBI breakers.

Compression with that big of wire ? I don't think I have seen a connector like that that is affordable ? Haven't been looking at that lately myself. Once in a while a connector company will come by the plant showing us their full line of neat connectors like that and also feed us a sandwich and potato chips and I may have seen one then :)

boB
 
SpongeboB Sinewave said:
Compression with that big of wire ? I don't think I have seen a connector like that that is affordable ? Haven't been looking at that lately myself. Once in a while a connector company will come by the plant showing us their full line of neat connectors like that and also feed us a sandwich and potato chips and I may have seen one then :)
Click to expand...
I may have used terms inaccurately, or not by their industry convention.

My question is why don't we just a good old post and lug?

Maybe it's just convection. But I wish we could use these instead, like every other battery DC connection in my system:
1712519161981.png
 
Most DIY people probably want to put a battery cable under a screw terminal, not buy a heavy crimper.
If inverter had removable lugs mounted on a stud, could satisfy both.

I opened up a failed Sunny Island I bought, and one lug was missing. I just bolted on another I had. (Then while trying to operate encountered the failure messages.)
 
Good to see you still keeping busy Bob…. Just retired my vfx3048e on fw500 hardware that’s been running continuously since 2007 - only retired it because the building it was located in needed to be demolished and it won’t fit on the wall in the house…
 
Hedges said:
Most DIY people probably want to put a battery cable under a screw terminal, not buy a heavy crimper.
If inverter had removable lugs mounted on a stud, could satisfy both.

I opened up a failed Sunny Island I bought, and one lug was missing. I just bolted on another I had. (Then while trying to operate encountered the failure messages.)
Click to expand...
Hydraulic lug crimper is <$50 these days, no excuse not to have one.
 
Yes but, it takes a few tries to get one with dies that actually fit terminals.
I think the "2/0" die with my Harbor Freight crimper are just about right for awg #4.

I'm in the market for something that can do up to 4/0 cables properly.
 
Hedges said:
Yes but, it takes a few tries to get one with dies that actually fit terminals.
I think the "2/0" die with my Harbor Freight crimper are just about right for awg #4.

I'm in the market for something that can do up to 4/0 cables properly.
Click to expand...
Agreed, it’s the same over in mm2 land, the dies are always mis-marked. These things take a modicum of intellect to figure out, and if you lack the ability to see that then you probably shouldn’t play around with solar and ess stuff.

I’ve since switched to a mechanical dimple indent crimper, it seems to do a better job as is fully adjustable.
 
Hedges said:
Yes but, it takes a few tries to get one with dies that actually fit terminals.
I think the "2/0" die with my Harbor Freight crimper are just about right for awg #4.

I'm in the market for something that can do up to 4/0 cables properly.
Click to expand...
I find I just have to go one size down on my cheapy crimper from Amazon, i.e. 4AWG die for 6AWG, and it does make a "wing".
 
Hedges said:
Yes but, it takes a few tries to get one with dies that actually fit terminals.
I think the "2/0" die with my Harbor Freight crimper are just about right for awg #4.

I'm in the market for something that can do up to 4/0 cables properly.
Click to expand...

My Temco set does 4/0 right. There is a plus size as well. So you can do 3/0 plus, 4/0 or 4/0 plus. After that it goes on up into the MCM sizes. I got the large 12ton kit
 

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hwy17 said:
But aren't most DIYers dealing with lugs already for their batter? I think a lot of us just buy pre made cables instead of a crimper.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I did. Bought a set of 4/0 from eBay vendor which jump between my batteries and to fuse holders & busbar.
I made some 2/0 (with difficulty using wrong size die from Harbor Freight) to feed four inverters.

Now that I have a couple more banks to assemble, will consider that Temco recommended by RobBob.
For now, they're jumpered with 4 awg or 2 awg, system not fully loaded.
 
Thanks,

How about dieless? Aren't there some of those which are actually UL listed?
 
I don't want a glorified hammer crimper with long handles. Was thinking of a Hex dieless crimp.
I don't want sharp edges that cut me or insulation.

The hex die I do have for my 8 ton hydraulic tend to leave wings.
What is the truly professional version?
 
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