Arc Fault Error and Weird? Noise on Midnite Solar Clasic 200 Charge Controller. Any experience?

[TricityWuf]

There's a guy I've been helping with getting his little cabin off grid power. And his charge controller had tripped out due to an arc fault. I checked all the connections on the PV side, tested resistance and all tested good for the amount of wire there was. No excessive voltage drop from the solar panels to the controller. And it is very intermittent if it trips or not. Went most of the day without tripping.

But I head this sound (video attached) it sounds vaguely like an arc inside of the controller to me. I don't recall hearing this sound before, and it seems pretty random. This is the first time I've worked with one of these controllers so I don't know how it should sound. If anyone knows if this sound is normal and that it's probably something else, that would be much appreciated!

Thank you

 

[Culchee]

There's a guy I've been helping with getting his little cabin off grid power. And his charge controller had tripped out due to an arc fault. I checked all the connections on the PV side, tested resistance and all tested good for the amount of wire there was. No excessive voltage drop from the solar panels to the controller. And it is very intermittent if it trips or not. Went most of the day without tripping.

But I head this sound (video attached) it sounds vaguely like an arc inside of the controller to me. I don't recall hearing this sound before, and it seems pretty random. This is the first time I've worked with one of these controllers so I don't know how it should sound. If anyone knows if this sound is normal and that it's probably something else, that would be much appreciated!

Thank you

Sounds dodgy...?

 

[TricityWuf]

Thats what I was thinking xp
All the equipment is outside under an overhang also. I told him they should be inside some sort of enclosure, but thats just where he had them. I wouldn't be surprised if that could have something to do with it if it is an issue with the controller.

 

[Prince Of Darkness]

Inspect all DC cable connections inside the Classic, and on all breakers for PVs and Battery cables, and retorque all of these connections, too.

Cannot see/hear any video of this in the OP Posts ...

When the input voltage to the CC is within about 6 volts, or less of the battery voltage that the Classic "sees", then, the inductors in the Classic can "sing" a bit. But this should not cause an AF trip.

As an aside, the AF sensitivity is adjustable in the Tweaks Menu of that Classic (IIRC, that this in the Tweaks menu).

FWIW, Good Luck, Luke