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Near Real Time Sol-Ark 12K Monitoring

Sol-Ark screens are set to turn off after X number of seconds. The time is adjustable. You can turn the feature off where the screen stays on all the time but it's stated in the manual if you leave it on all the time, it will void the warranty on the screen if your screen somehow ever breaks or gets burned in from being on all the time. Not sure if it gets burned in or would die prematurely, but either way its stated that its best to use the "auto off" (or whatever its called) feature on so the screen blanks out. I think I have mine set to 2 minutes and then it blanks out. To turn it back on , you have to touch the screen.
 
I wouldn't say sneaky, they are pretty clear about it. Sneaky would be having a part fail, you call on the warranty and they have some excuse as to why something is not covered. I think they probably had a few screens get "burned in" (ghost image appearing), or maybe even failing pre-maturely so they had to put in something to cover or protect the screen. I like the auto dim feature and I would use it even if they didnt mention the thing about the warranty. You don't have to worry about screen "burn in" as much as you had to back in the old CRT days of computer monitors. I imagine they just had a number of screens start failing because they were left on 100% of the time.
 
They could program the firmware to always turn off after 2 minutes regardless, with no choice of time or on/off.
 
timselectric said:
I didn't say that I didn't believe it.
I said that it's "odd".
Maybe I should have said "sneaky".
Click to expand...
I just don’t think they want to replace a bunch of screens because people left them on.

Wonder if MPP replaces there’s under warranty or Deye?
 
Biasjo said:
I just don’t think they want to replace a bunch of screens because people left them on.
Click to expand...
I'm 100% sure that's the reason.
But the fact that they void your warranty, for using a setting that exists in the firmware. Just confirms the fact, that they don't have anything to do with the firmware.
 
I would personally be okay if they removed the DIM feature and just hard-coded the screen to go blank after 4 minutes. No checkbox, no slider. My PC, my phone and my tablet and the TV in my living room all go blank after X number of minutes unused.
 
Thanks everyone for this thread! Got my Sol-Ark 8k working with SolarAssistant, been so nice to just check my phone to see how my system is doing rather than running to garage every hour. Plus I was able to easily hookup the MQTT message broker to my HomeAssistant for other automation purposes (like when I have excess power generation I have it turn on a heater that warms my garage and my water heater).
 

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timselectric said:
Sol-ark is just a rebranded Deye inverter. Which is a Chinese inverter manufacturer. That's why it's monitoring app is a Chinese app.
Click to expand...
Sol-Ark actually isnt just a rebranded Deye, I know Sol-Ark did much of the design work for their inverters and I think I have even seen Deye give substantial credit to Sol-Ark for the design, manufacturing procedures, and material selection. My current understanding is that Sol-Ark has exclusive rights in the North and South American markets, but it sounds more like a co-engineered system than just a white label type bull shit that most companies do. As far as the protocols others of you are asking about in this thread I could not tell you if they work any different.
 
Nightrider said:
Sol-Ark has exclusive rights in the North and South American markets,
Click to expand...
Yes
They asked for those rights, from Deye.
Possibly, some money was also involved.
But, since Sol-Ark was already selling the majority in those markets. It wasn't hard to convince Deye to agree to it.
Probably a smart business move for both parties.
 
silencedogood said:
Thanks everyone for this thread! Got my Sol-Ark 8k working with SolarAssistant, been so nice to just check my phone to see how my system is doing rather than running to garage every hour. Plus I was able to easily hookup the MQTT message broker to my HomeAssistant for other automation purposes (like when I have excess power generation I have it turn on a heater that warms my garage and my water heater).
Click to expand...
That’s Cool!!
Not heard of the MQTT message broker before. How does it work with Home assistant to tell the Inverter to dump excess to the water heater??

BTW love the Moniker!
 
Not sure this is a good comparison or not, but a lot of new cars come with various parts from other manufacturers. I know some of the Honda Pilots came with Chrysler transmissions in them from the factory. Honda didn't have time to build a 9 speed for the Elite models so they got theirs from Chrysler. I don't see any problem with Sol-Ark and Deye as long as its like you said, an agreement and they both know and keep their places and stay in their lanes. Hondas warranty backed the Chrysler transmissions just like they would have if it were a Honda transmission. It seems that's how business is done these days with globalization. I don't agree with it all but some stuff if done correctly, just makes sense.
 
silencedogood said:
Thanks everyone for this thread! Got my Sol-Ark 8k working with SolarAssistant, been so nice to just check my phone to see how my system is doing rather than running to garage every hour. Plus I was able to easily hookup the MQTT message broker to my HomeAssistant for other automation purposes (like when I have excess power generation I have it turn on a heater that warms my garage and my water heater).
Click to expand...
I D/L SA and have it running on a PI 4.
Setup URL.
Plugged in the USB to 485 cable.

Go to inverter settings and selected Solark but it will not connect? It sees the usb to 485 adapter
But just keep getting “No response. Retrying “
If I click settings next to that I get internal Server error??

Any ideas?
 
Biasjo said:
I D/L SA and have it running on a PI 4.
Setup URL.
Plugged in the USB to 485 cable.

Go to inverter settings and selected Solark but it will not connect? It sees the usb to 485 adapter
But just keep getting “No response. Retrying “
If I click settings next to that I get internal Server error??

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Is the cable plugged into the Battery Canbus port?
Are you using pins 6,7,8 on the port?
You have to have the Lithium battery set to 00
 
timselectric said:
Yes
They asked for those rights, from Deye.
Possibly, some money was also involved.
But, since Sol-Ark was already selling the majority in those markets. It wasn't hard to convince Deye to agree to it.
Probably a smart business move for both parties.
Click to expand...
Clarification:
Deye didn't give Sol-Ark the rights to those markets.
They just gave them the approval to be the sole distributor of the split-phase model. (Which is the model widely used in those markets) a better comparison would be the GM truck (Deye). You can buy a Chevy (Sol-Ark) , from one dealership. Or a GMC (SunSink) , from another dealership. They are both GM (Deye) trucks. They just come with slightly different options and cosmetics.
Sol-Ark, SunSink, LionEnergy, and several others. Are just distributors (resellers), of the Deye inverters.
 
robby said:
Is the cable plugged into the Battery Canbus port?
Are you using pins 6,7,8 on the port?
You have to have the Lithium battery set to 00
Click to expand...
Yes Canbus batteries port.
Not idea what pins it’s using.
It’s a cable form SA so I would assume the right one.
Set lithium to 00 on the inverter?
It’s set to Lithium 0. Don’t see a 00
 
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Biasjo said:
Yes Canbus batteries port.
Not idea what pins it’s using.
It’s a cable form SA so I would assume the right one.
Set lithium to 00 on the inverter?
It’s set to Lithium 0. Don’t see a 00
Click to expand...
Sounds like you have everything right. Shoot them an email and see what they say about the problem.
 
Zivva said:
Works perfectly with a Deye, no reason it would not with nothing else but a rebadged Deye.

Only issue is the rs485 / USB converter chip (FTDI) seems to require quite some power from the PI. At least on my PI 3B I had to change the power supply from a 2.5A to a 3A.

You can buy the rs485 / USB cable from Solar Assistant (expensive shipping out of SA) or buy an equivalent locally. It's nothing more than a 10usd standard Cisco console cable.

Here for example :
Click to expand...
I am not too sure about nothing more than a standard cisco cabe. I have DEYE 8KW and I bought the below cables and have not been able to get them work with Solar Assistant. I have tried the 2 console cables below.
They connect but does not read any data. CRC errors. So I had to resort to.
This one here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0759HSLP1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
 
Sorry to read, maybe I got lucky with the console cables I tried.

Another option which involves using an RS485 / USB converter & making your own cable :

diysolarforum.com

Sol-Ark and Solar-Assistant DIY cable...

Hi Guys, I'm trying to "make" a cable to connect my 12k Outdoor Sol-Ark, to my Solar-Assistant in a Raspberry Pi 4. This is my Sol-Ark Model: And this is my USB to TTL RS485 Serial Converter: I'm trying the RJ45 Pin 6 to the Ground port of the converter, Pin 7 to A and Pin 8 to B, but...
diysolarforum.com diysolarforum.com
 

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Super Fly said:
I am not too sure about nothing more than a standard cisco cabe. I have DEYE 8KW and I bought the below cables and have not been able to get them work with Solar Assistant. I have tried the 2 console cables below.
They connect but does not read any data. CRC errors. So I had to resort to.
This one here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0759HSLP1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
Click to expand...
Hey Thanks for that!! I will try it!!
 
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