EG4 18Kpv generator dry contacts not working?

[wpns]

While I had fhis working before, I can no longer get the Generator dry contacts on my 18Kpv to close.

It feels like a software (or cloud) problem, is anyone able to get the EG4 cellphone app or the https://monitor.eg4electronics.com website to activate the “Start GEN Exercise” function? You don’t even need a generator or any wiring, just see if you can get the software to acknowledge that it’s started the 20-minute generator test.

On mine it pops up the success window but after a few seconds offers me the start option again.

Didn’t work on FAAB-1A1A, tech support upgraded me to FAAB-1B1C (yeah, and borked my offgrid setup), now want to downgrade me to something they claim is the gold standard.

If anyone can make this work, please tell me what firmware you are running!

 

[smmarczak]

While I had fhis working before, I can no longer get the Generator dry contacts on my 18Kpv to close.

It feels like a software (or cloud) problem, is anyone able to get the EG4 cellphone app or the https://monitor.eg4electronics.com website to activate the “Start GEN Exercise” function? You don’t even need a generator or any wiring, just see if you can get the software to acknowledge that it’s started the 20-minute generator test.

On mine it pops up the success window but after a few seconds offers me the start option again.

Didn’t work on FAAB-1A1A, tech support upgraded me to FAAB-1B1C (yeah, and borked my offgrid setup), now want to downgrade me to something they claim is the gold standard.

If anyone can make this work, please tell me what firmware you are running!

I'm having the same issue, though I have a generator connected. I use a chargeverter for now, but would like the 18kpv to work got gen boost function. Also on 1b1c.

 

[wpns]

I'm having the same issue, though I have a generator connected. I use a chargeverter for now, but would like the 18kpv to work got gen boost function. Also on 1b1c.

I've escalated to the next level of tech support, hopefully it doesn't take them too long to sort things out. I've gone to the full @timselectric ChargeVerter scheme by setting the output voltage to 52.0 volts and leaving them on all the time. Kinda wasteful, but it looks like it'll prop up the batteries to around 25 percent at night, and shouldn't draw much power when the sun is shining.

Even the automatic generator run functions are broken, I set it to start at 50% SOC and stop at 60% just to see what would happen, and when I woke up at 2AM SOC was 40% and dropping. Sigh.

 

[Lasttrain]

I've escalated to the next level of tech support, hopefully it doesn't take them too long to sort things out. I've gone to the full @timselectric ChargeVerter scheme by setting the output voltage to 52.0 volts and leaving them on all the time. Kinda wasteful, but it looks like it'll prop up the batteries to around 25 percent at night, and shouldn't draw much power when the sun is shining.

Even the automatic generator run functions are broken, I set it to start at 50% SOC and stop at 60% just to see what would happen, and when I woke up at 2AM SOC was 40% and dropping. Sigh.

Hi, any luck with this? Today I finally got around to wiring my Generac for 2 wire start and it works great if I just join the wires together inside the 18kpv. But nothing happens when using the NO1 and CO1 contacts and the Start Gen Exercise button. I'm on 1B1C too.

 

[wpns]

Hi, any luck with this? Today I finally got around to wiring my Generac for 2 wire start and it works great if I just join the wires together inside the 18kpv. But nothing happens when using the NO1 and CO1 contacts and the Start Gen Exercise button. I'm on 1B1C too.

Even though I am in off grid mode, I had the grid connected, so that I could log voltage and frequency. Apparently, this keeps the generator dry contacts from working, because reasons. Maybe this is your problem?

I turned off the grid input and the dry contacts closed immediately. Which was weird. Then this morning I did a normal Exercise program and it ran for 20 minutes and everything was fine. As always, not sure what happened, but it seems to be mysteriously working again. This is on the primary inverter, the secondary still doesn’t do the generator exercise thing, but maybe it’s not supposed to?

 

[Offgrid Jungle]

Being a lifelong career generator guy I instantly noticed the lack of generator support in wiring diagrams and code. It jumped out at me. For your situation, why would a generator be handled any differently than a PV or a battery, both are power sources too. My $2000 Torini 8kw diesel gen is a better value than another $2000 battery in my stack. It's essentially an endless battery as long as I keep fuel in it. I guess to each his own...

 

[Lasttrain]

Even though I am in off grid mode, I had the grid connected, so that I could log voltage and frequency. Apparently, this keeps the generator dry contacts from working, because reasons. Maybe this is your problem?

I turned off the grid input and the dry contacts closed immediately. Which was weird. Then this morning I did a normal Exercise program and it ran for 20 minutes and everything was fine. As always, not sure what happened, but it seems to be mysteriously working again. This is on the primary inverter, the secondary still doesn’t do the generator exercise thing, but maybe it’s not suppo

Yes, I am grid connected. I read that the generator will not start unless the grid is down and another condition is met. I'm not sure I like this feature because I would like to charge my batteries from the generator from time to time when the grid is up.

But would the grid being up also cause the Start Gen Exercise feature not to work too? Doesn't make sense. Oh, and what firmware did you end up on?

 

[wpns]

But would the grid being up also cause the Start Gen Exercise feature not to work too? Doesn't make sense. Oh, and what firmware did you end up on?

It does exactly that, sensical or not. Staying with FAAB-1B1C, “change is bad”

 

[EG4TechSolutionsTeam]

Hi, any luck with this? Today I finally got around to wiring my Generac for 2 wire start and it works great if I just join the wires together inside the 18kpv. But nothing happens when using the NO1 and CO1 contacts and the Start Gen Exercise button. I'm on 1B1C too.

What model is the Generac?

 

[Offgrid Jungle]

He’s already proven that his gen will start when he shorts his start contacts so why does it matter what model he has?

 

[EG4TechSolutionsTeam]

Depending on the model, Generac generators require the red wire to be connected to NO1 and the white wire to be connected to the common terminal for the dry contact relay to function properly.

 

[wpns]

Depending on the model, Generac generators require the red wire to be connected to NO1 and the white wire to be connected to the common terminal for the dry contact relay to function properly.

View attachment 228218

Umm, it's dry contacts, as long as you don't exceed the contact rating, why does it matter which 'polarity' you connect them in? Either way you are connecting the 12V to 'Transfer', no?