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You can use a cheap ethernet A/B switch to toggle the MT50 between the 2 SCCs for convenience. You'll need 3 total cables. Any ethernet cables should work fine.

I never got around to building the container, but I got as far as purchasing this filter after a little bit of homework: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KVTJERO

If you have a regular frost-free, full size fridge, it will draw a lot on its defrost cycle. So monitoring with a kill-a-watt meter over at least a couple of days, to catch that cycle, will give useful info for planning.

I've had a 4215BN fed with 2 kw of panels since last fall with no issues. I set up the array as 2S4P. Voc is about 70v and the unit barely gets warm even at its self-limit of 40a output. The overpaneling usually gives me 10a or more into the 24v batteries even on cloudy days. Unfortunately I...

Do you have access to a clamp meter, so that you can measure the actual amps to the inverter under the high load? Also it may be helpful to check amp draw at each battery, to see if they are each contributing roughly the same amount. (Those draws are likely going to be fine though.) A 250a...

Something to verify: If you disconnect the bms from the battery, upon reconnecting you many have to "activate" it again to power it up. My cheap ANT bms is activated on a separate set of 2 wires.

Setting the disconnect at 12/24v would be fine. If you still get nuisance trips, as low as 11.5/23v under a short-term, heavy load is ok. If you know the batteries are in good shape, then even lower for heavy loads may be ok -- that's a question for the battery manufacturer. The best scenario...

Do you have heavy enough wire and good connections between the batteries, and also from the batteries to the inverter? The inverter is drawing about 150 amps if the oven is using 1500 watts. (1500 / 12 volts / 0.85 assumed efficiency = 150 amps.)

I see, for a mobile use. Good solution also because the inserted converter (charger) prevents overtaxing your alternator.

That's likely ok, if the settings are correct, but you probably want to check with MPPSolar support on what you're doing. So I guess you have no grid power or generator available?

Just be careful not to exceed the battery's max charge rate, and stay below the bms' shutoff amperage setting. Set the output voltage per the battery's manufacturer recommendations (i.e. use the proper "charging profile").

There are great resources, including some system "blueprints", on this forum, just search on some common terms. There is also a spreadsheet that you can use to total your loads and figure out your needed capacity, which is the first thing you need to do. How old are those batteries, and have...

To get a feel for the watts needed: I used to heat an 18' aboveground pool (7500 gal) just a few degrees, over 8 hours or so, using two 4500w heating elements. Say, to raise 85F water to 90F.

That should be fine. Have fun experimenting!

When designing, if you want to insulate behind the panels you'll want have a backup for coolant circulation, so that a pump failure won't cause the panels to overheat. The convection cooling that normally occurs under the panels would be blocked. Don't know if this would cause damage - it may...

I guess you want to build the SSR as a project for fun? Nothing wrong with that! Just checking, because they are quite cheap, especially when rated for 60v or less on the load side.

To clarify, you measured with a voltmeter and got 3.30v on all four cells, even when #1 is reported as 2.9v by the bms? That's good news!

Verify, good idea. If verified, unfortunately, it doesn't look good. Since the cells are in series, a bad connection is unlikely to be the culprit, and the bms is not involved since the cell returns to normal with no load. You could test for internal resistance (maybe the bms provides that...

Some will say it would be better, if you're paralleling all 4 packs together, to parallel the individual cells rather than parallel the 4s (i.e. 12v) packs. But with new and balanced cells, the difference is not very significant. As far as charging each 4s pack one at a time, versus all at...

Since your cells are all balanced, I don't see any problem with making four 4s packs and placing them in parallel to charge them with a 4s LiFePO4 charger. I would monitor each cell from time to time for the first few charges. 5a is pretty small, charging will take a while. I don't know if the...

That thread is mostly about cooling the panels, rather than practically capturing and transferring the heat. Systems that use piping (water/antifreeze) to transfer solar heat to a tank, or alternatively to use PV to electrically heat a tank, can be more complicated than it may seem at first...

I have this ATS, it works fine and switches to grid quickly (10 ms if I remember the spec correctly). I have not tried it with a computer, but motors/compressors (2 fridges and a freezer) don't miss a beat (not too many cycles are missed during 10 ms). The only down side to this device is if...

Yes I think the software was a work in progress years ago that never got finished. It does work to read and write settings to the controller, so it's got that going for it. :giggle: . I wonder if the new controllers have web servers and web software, that would be nice.

Yes, the last paragraph is the situation of concern. For the 3rd paragraph, I don't quite follow but I am probably misunderstanding. In what circumstance would a controller draw more amperage than Isc from an array? Or are you referring to the controller's output amperage? My 25a array fuse...

One day maybe I'll play with 600Voc strings, ha! Hmm, probably not! I didn't fuse each of my 2-panel strings, so there is only a fuse after they are combined. That's because they are on ground-mounts with nothing combustible around, are only at 70Voc, and I'm cheap. As far as operating a...

I have a TemCo hammer crimper, use a 3-pound hammer on a concrete floor, and get what seem to be mechanically good crimps. But if a crimp could be "overdone" with this method then I'm willing to use something that gauges the crimp depth, like the tools above. (My impression is that you can't...

Is the concern with the hammer crimpers, that the crimp could be either "over crushed", or "under crushed"? The anvil for the die-less type looks the same as a hammer type.

I have a one-year-old 4215BN, it can be used for Li just fine. But you must set the battery to "User" and make sure the boost and other voltages are set properly, and below your bms trip points. What are your boost, equaliz, float and charging limit voltages? All of them need to be well below...

Cool, that was what I'd hoped it would do. Soon you'll be up and running with two controllers, nice. I have zero complaints with the 4215BN, which has been operating since last fall. At max output, it hardly even gets warm.

Good info, thanks!

- You would not need to go from #12 to #10 for the series panels - only the voltage is increasing, not the amperage. Even after combining two strings in parallel for a potential of 17a, #12 is still fine, for the short runs in an array. At the point all 4 strings have come together in...

I hope it worked out. I think it is unlikely that it would be harmed being connected to the batteries.

I didn't use a scientific approach. At 40 amps delivery to my 24v batteries (the max that my SCC can deliver, and a rare occurrence), I saw at most about 21a draw from the array. So I "tried" a 25a array main fuse. This has never blown, so I never changed it. A 30a fuse would be fine as well...

Can you get to the menu? If so, try re-selecting the battery type. I think there's also a factory reset setting, not sure. I have the 4215BN. Also, it's not referring to PV voltage is it?

Even at only 200w, a selectable 12/24v input and a 110/220vac output, for $53? I'm sure it's true :)