EG4 6500ex parallel - I am done with Signature Solar

Well I got everything wired up, and it won't charge from the generator. I have spent at least 8 hours on hold with Signature Solar, and cannot find a single tech who will tell me the same settings to get this thing to work. When I fire up the generator the inverters show 120v sitting there, but the battery does not charge. One tech told me that gas generators can't be used with parallel systems. That was interesting. Quite literally no two techs will give me the same settings. I sort of think there is a problem with the inverters, but I can't tell because nobody knows what combination of settings to use to charge from a generator.


I am tearing this out. Does anyone have a recommendation of a comparably sized split phase system? I am done with Signature Solar, they just don't have their act together.

What generator are you using?

Lt.Dan said:

What generator are you using?

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Harbor freight 9000 watt. It works great with my EG4 6000ex. Freaking loud but charges at 60Amps. I wanted to upsize my 6000 so I can run a water heater, coffee pot and circular saw all at the same time.

1. On the front panel Settings menu I think its item #11 where you can select the charging rate, what is that rate set to?

2. On item #16' charger source priority, if set to OSO then it will only charge from Solar (Only Solar for charging)

For item #16, I have mine set to SNU, solar and utility. My Predator3500w pushes a single 6500ex at 40A into the bank of 6 EG4-LL batteries. Sucks lots of fuel but works no problem.

Mind you, mine is in single mode atm, and will be powered by the little 12kw Isuzu diesel (240v split phase) when I get the. 6500s mounted and wired.

John, I forgot to ask, are you powering the inverters via the 240v out from the PREDATOR® 9000W?

As an FYI, I also have the pair of 6500ex AIOs and the PDP, but mine is still in uh ... testing mode.
?

You cannot run a single phase 120 volt generator into a split phase 240 volt inverter system.
Your solution is to use the 240 volt outlet on your generator if it has one or maybe look at the chargeverter unit.

With all due respect, if I were SS and saw that picture, why would I spend tech time helping someone integrate a DIY battery pack, if they didn't buy the battery system from me?

Also... I trust that is a _very_ temporary system. It needs:-

a) a lot of tidying
b) some insulation around those prismatics
c) some compression, or at least, secure holding of the prismatics - those bus bars are not going to last long / work well like that.
d) is that bare copper earth wire I see? If so, that needs some sleeving on it before it shorts out something else. Especially with no fuses the battery side of your battery bus bars.

Just my 2p. Sorry in advance if I have been too blunt.

SeaGal said:

is that bare copper earth wire I see? If so, that needs some sleeving on it before it shorts out something else

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Sleeving on ground wires is not required in the USA, beats the shit out of me but there you go LOL

Understandable out in the terrain etc. but not around the indoor installation.
What happens when another cable touches that bare copper?
He has a long way to go cleaning up that install. IMO.

I'd just get a chargeverter since its already installed.

It will happily run off any generator you have so your future proof on whatever you might end up swapping to also so its a safe bet too.

JohnPickett said:

View attachment 184501


Well I got everything wired up, and it won't charge from the generator. I have spent at least 8 hours on hold with Signature Solar, and cannot find a single tech who will tell me the same settings to get this thing to work. When I fire up the generator the inverters show 120v sitting there, but the battery does not charge. One tech told me that gas generators can't be used with parallel systems. That was interesting. Quite literally no two techs will give me the same settings. I sort of think there is a problem with the inverters, but I can't tell because nobody knows what combination of settings to use to charge from a generator.

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I see you have a line going into the AC In for each inverter from the panel on the left of the image, so I'm gonna assume you're using the 240v outlet on the harbor freight generator.

As far as settings go:
- 11 controls max AC In charging - you could set that down to 2a to start just to see if you can get it working at a lower rate
- 2 controls the max charging current from both solar and AC IN. You'll want to make sure that's high enough to compensate for both
- 16 controls the charging source priority. Make sure it's set to 16 to allow charging from AC IN.

now for the kicker...
- 1 controls the output source priority. In order to charge from both solar and utility at the same time, you have to be in USB mode. If you're in another mode and you have any solar coming in at all, the system will act as "Solar First" (16) and only start charging from AC IN after solar goes away.

edit: if you want to skip the hassle though, as mentioned earlier, I would go the chargeverter route.

JohnPickett said:

I am tearing this out. Does anyone have a recommendation of a comparably sized split phase system? I am done with Signature Solar, they just don't have their act together.

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I've been happy with my Victron 5kVA system. Solved a lot of my 6500 problems.

Hi John! I'm so sorry you're feeling this way! I'd love to try and figure this out either way. Could you post some more detailed photos of your system?

SignatureSolarJess said:

Hi John! I'm so sorry you're feeling this way! I'd love to try and figure this out either way. Could you post some more detailed photos of your system?

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That first picture he posted looks pretty detailed

Crowz said:

That first picture he posted looks pretty detailed

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I'm so sorry! I guess I mean close-ups!

SignatureSolarJess said:

I'm so sorry! I guess I mean close-ups!

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I don't think you want to see close pictures of that set up LOL

Quattrohead said:

I don't think you want to see close pictures of that set up LOL

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...don't you? could be an excuse for some more ?

Probably too late now to try and use a chargeverter. Few high freq inverters play nice with generators, especially cheap generators with high THD numbers. If it would have ever charged using the generator and a chargverter, likely it never will now.

Unless you are using a 25kWh generator, (or better) with THD less than, I believe 2%, straight to the inverter, you probably smoked the thing.

Quattrohead said:

I don't think you want to see close pictures of that set up LOL

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Aw, I would like to see if there are any small issues we may have missed or that you guys might be able to identify. It's Christmas, It'd be lovely to get his system working for the holidays!

To the OP, @JohnPickett:
This forum is the best place on the internet to find people who can help you solve a problem that you're having with your DIY power setup. Just look at all the posts above with people genuinely trying to help! There's a ton of know-how and experience here, and also a surprising amount of genuine expertise. If you want help fixing your problem, ask for help. You will get it on this forum.
But honestly, coming here and bitching about a vendor that has spent multiple hours, with multiple techs trying to help you, doesn't make them look bad, it makes you look like an ungrateful jackass. For example, the fact that you say different techs gave you different settings means they're trying to trouble shoot this problem for you. There may not only be one group of settings that will fix the problem, if it's fixable at all. You may be trying to do something that you shouldn't do, or that the equipment isn't capable of doing.

I've never bought anything from Signature Solar and have no relationship with that company, but I'm getting tired of seeing a bunch of trash posts on the forum about them from people who are probably not remotely close to qualified to install the equipment they've purchased and are absolutely LIVID that SS's tech support can't perform miracles and/or won't provide a bunch of free engineering or design work for them.

Adam De Lay said:

I see you have a line going into the AC In for each inverter from the panel on the left of the image, so I'm gonna assume you're using the 240v outlet on the harbor freight generator.

As far as settings go:
- 11 controls max AC In charging - you could set that down to 2a to start just to see if you can get it working at a lower rate
- 2 controls the max charging current from both solar and AC IN. You'll want to make sure that's high enough to compensate for both
- 16 controls the charging source priority. Make sure it's set to 16 to allow charging from AC IN.

now for the kicker...
- 1 controls the output source priority. In order to charge from both solar and utility at the same time, you have to be in USB mode. If you're in another mode and you have any solar coming in at all, the system will act as "Solar First" (16) and only start charging from AC IN after solar goes away.

edit: if you want to skip the hassle though, as mentioned earlier, I would go the chargeverter route.

I've been happy with my Victron 5kVA system. Solved a lot of my 6500 problems.

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Good morning Adam, here is what I have now:

1) SBU
2) 60A
5) USE
11) 30A
12) This is the first "unknown" setting I am hitting. One evening with tech support we set this up to 51v, which is the max, and the system charged for about 4 hours, quit and hasn't charged again. Another tech said raising this number shouldn't have anything to do with charging.
13) 54v
16) SNU
29) Another tech suggested changing this setting, but his advice was vague in an email. I have it set to 48v, which is default.

This all seems appropriate. I used similar settings in an EG4 6000ex, and it charged with my Predator 8750 with no problem.

If it is the boxes, I would love to just exchange because my whole shack is designed around parallel 6500s. Not a huge deal, but this system is what I had in mind when I started.

Thanks for the help!!!!!! If I can just get the batteries to charge I can finish and start tidying up my install.

Then the pump house system....