Capt Bill
Sailing Options
The EG4 3000 EVH-48 is listed for Off Grid application, and is not specifically designed to be used as I configured it as an Automatic Home Backup Power Supply wo Solar IN; (posted in thread titled "EV4-3000EHV-48 configed as Auto Home BackUp wo Solar"); ... but it has many configuration options, including networking units together for more amps in single phase, split phase, triple phase; and the EG4 options include what I successfully configured.
Here is My Learning Curve Story ... on the specific unit I received , configuring via the button pressing method (as I have not yet tried the computer program interface). Here's my record of initially confusing ... EG4 configuration challenges that I encountered during my set up and testing phase, that were successfully resolved ... by my Configuration Work Around Choices.
My Most Notable Challenge appeared when I was Testing for Automatic Grid sourced battery charging. When I Applied Grid Input to my EG4 unit after it was powering 120Vac circuits via just the battery, wo solar, to initiate a grid sourced battery charging cycle; ... I got the EG4 battery charger cycling on, then off, and on, and off, and on, ... repeatedly, in about 5 second intervals. My Learning Curve Lesson: I had configured "Power Saving" Enabled; and it needed to be Disable (its' default) to get the grid source battery charging to function properly. Changing my EG4 3000's #32 Bulk Charge Time setting from its default Auto setting, to 15 or 20 mins, ... may have also been a resolution factor. Got past that one, and it is working how I want now.
A Related Lesson from my dialog with Signature Solar Tech Support: I believe the EG4's Power Saving Mode only works when configuring for Solar Only for battery charging and AC loads. I was told by Signature Solar Tech Timothy ... "It is designed to work Only with Solar ONLY configured for Charging the Battery." When I ask about the EG4 6000XP's Power Saving Mode option; I got .. "the EG4 6000XP, with "Green Function mode," the inverter will shut off if the load output is less than 60 watts for more than 10 minutes. The system will need to be turned back on manually. In "Battery Eco mode," the system will switch from battery to grid bypass mode until the batteries have been recharged. ... I personally think there is room for EG4 improvements in their arena of power savings options.
Some Other (for lack of a better word) Quirks I encountered: To Set #9 from 50 Hz to the USA standard 60 Hz; ...I had to plug in and supply 120 Vac 60 Hz Input to the EG4; ... & then it automatically changed the default 50 Hz setting to 60 Hz. When trying to set that up via push buttons. that # 9 setting was otherwise stuck at 50 Hz, with no way to change it. ... To set the # 28 AC Output Mode to SIG for single phase 120vac output, when it was stuck on PAL for a parallel network / same story: I had to supply single phase 120 Vac to the EG4, and it then automatically changed the #28 setting to SIG for single phase. I believe Off Grid folks configuring the EG4 3000 (& possibly other model or brand All In Ones) for 120 Vac, 60Hz, Single Phase Output may initially need 120Vac Inverter Generator input to the All In One unit (NOT from an older non inverter type generator) to make these types of configuration changes.
I have two other area of work around insights from; Testing my EG4 3000EHV-48, & my dialogue with Signature Solar. I will add my lesson notes later when this thread gets some attention and comments.
Despite My Initially Challenging Learning Curves : I Do Like the EG4-3000EHV-48 for its evolution of abilities. I am thinking of the EG4 6000XP for my next LiFePO4 Battery Wagon Build.
... Happy Days, & Best Wishes for All Your Endeavors ... from Capt Bill
Here is My Learning Curve Story ... on the specific unit I received , configuring via the button pressing method (as I have not yet tried the computer program interface). Here's my record of initially confusing ... EG4 configuration challenges that I encountered during my set up and testing phase, that were successfully resolved ... by my Configuration Work Around Choices.
My Most Notable Challenge appeared when I was Testing for Automatic Grid sourced battery charging. When I Applied Grid Input to my EG4 unit after it was powering 120Vac circuits via just the battery, wo solar, to initiate a grid sourced battery charging cycle; ... I got the EG4 battery charger cycling on, then off, and on, and off, and on, ... repeatedly, in about 5 second intervals. My Learning Curve Lesson: I had configured "Power Saving" Enabled; and it needed to be Disable (its' default) to get the grid source battery charging to function properly. Changing my EG4 3000's #32 Bulk Charge Time setting from its default Auto setting, to 15 or 20 mins, ... may have also been a resolution factor. Got past that one, and it is working how I want now.
A Related Lesson from my dialog with Signature Solar Tech Support: I believe the EG4's Power Saving Mode only works when configuring for Solar Only for battery charging and AC loads. I was told by Signature Solar Tech Timothy ... "It is designed to work Only with Solar ONLY configured for Charging the Battery." When I ask about the EG4 6000XP's Power Saving Mode option; I got .. "the EG4 6000XP, with "Green Function mode," the inverter will shut off if the load output is less than 60 watts for more than 10 minutes. The system will need to be turned back on manually. In "Battery Eco mode," the system will switch from battery to grid bypass mode until the batteries have been recharged. ... I personally think there is room for EG4 improvements in their arena of power savings options.
Some Other (for lack of a better word) Quirks I encountered: To Set #9 from 50 Hz to the USA standard 60 Hz; ...I had to plug in and supply 120 Vac 60 Hz Input to the EG4; ... & then it automatically changed the default 50 Hz setting to 60 Hz. When trying to set that up via push buttons. that # 9 setting was otherwise stuck at 50 Hz, with no way to change it. ... To set the # 28 AC Output Mode to SIG for single phase 120vac output, when it was stuck on PAL for a parallel network / same story: I had to supply single phase 120 Vac to the EG4, and it then automatically changed the #28 setting to SIG for single phase. I believe Off Grid folks configuring the EG4 3000 (& possibly other model or brand All In Ones) for 120 Vac, 60Hz, Single Phase Output may initially need 120Vac Inverter Generator input to the All In One unit (NOT from an older non inverter type generator) to make these types of configuration changes.
I have two other area of work around insights from; Testing my EG4 3000EHV-48, & my dialogue with Signature Solar. I will add my lesson notes later when this thread gets some attention and comments.
Despite My Initially Challenging Learning Curves : I Do Like the EG4-3000EHV-48 for its evolution of abilities. I am thinking of the EG4 6000XP for my next LiFePO4 Battery Wagon Build.
... Happy Days, & Best Wishes for All Your Endeavors ... from Capt Bill
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