RESOLVED: EG4 6500EX and 6000EX Lights Flickering FIRMWARE

[42OhmsPA]

The 6000ex / lvx6048 / tp6048 / lv6048 is 3kw per leg. I tried using 6awg with my tp6048, I like overkill, it wouldn't fit so I used 8awg.
The 6500 / lv6548 / tp6548 is 6.5kw per leg, I'd absolutely use 6awg.
This is all covered in the manuals and the forum search feature.
If you want a budget aio look at SRNE. I wish I went that route to start instead of the 6048, the old lv6548s are solid too.

 

[DIYPV]

Is it 6000W per leg or 6000W between 2 legs for the 6048EX inverter?

And you only have a single unit not 2 in parallel?

If it is 6000W split between 2 legs, then 10AWG would be correct. I was thinking you have a 6500EX. You might have to add another unit in parallel to power inductive loads and loads at startup.

It’s 3000w per leg. I have a single unit.
Thanks for the clarification.

 

[SolarPhoton]

Looks like to me, that my freezer plugged into the EG4 6500ex produces a power bump that causes my lights to blink. I did update to the most latest and greatest firmware and that hasn't helped my freezer bump problem. I may have a capacitor going out in that freezer, I don't know. I'll have to investigate. The freezer dates back to the 1960's. So it's a dinosaur freezer with that age!

I have an APC ups model 1500 and I may try it hooked up between the solar and that freezer.

Chow!

 

[Quattrohead]

Wow that is an antique freezer. Yeah try replacing the capacitor nothing to lose at this point.

 

[fmeili1]

We are releasing a firmware update on our website and here in this post that resolves the flickering light issue on the most recent batch of EG4 6000 and 6500 inverters.

• Who does this affect: people with EG4 6k and 6.5k units Shipped after November first who are experiencing lights flickering when PV is charging the battery (these units only have gray larger terminals, not all gray terminal units have this issue though)
• Who this does not affect: People buying new units today (full reflash and usb cable packed in for future use. People with units that have black terminals, people with gray terminals that have not experienced light strobing/major flicker.
• What happened: An unauthorized minor component hardware change was made at the Voltronic factory on the standard 6500 and 6000w rectifiers inside the All-in-one inverters; We use the same factory as MPP solar, Sungold, Rich Solar, and other 6000/6500 units, Our units are specced with exclusive money-saving added features but this issue came down to Rectifier management; the firmware starved the rectifier by not allowing battery power to be prioritized on a board level. This caused the rectifier in PV charge and some grid circumstances to shift frequency slightly and make lights flicker.
• What we did: Around late November/December we started receiving units with this issue from the factory, we did not detect this use case in our standard Quality control check (a lot of points have been added for future units). When we began receiving units back with the issue we tried to get support from the factory but the team was in full denial of the issue, after a week as well as seeing that this issue was popping up with other high-volume Voltronic OEMs that weren’t sitting on old stock. We dispatched our lead engineering team to Taiwan and they took over the situation this week, yielding this firmware.
• What we did wrong: We too too long to recognize the issue as new and rush the inverters back, our warrnty dept insisted that procedure was followed on information gathering before a claim went through, on several occasions this just ended up in a hard headed gridlock where customers with legit issues were charged back
• What we will do better:
  • Quicker response and recognition, this is an agenda setter for us going forward aand new tools and procedures too catch this are being set up
  • Additional air tightness added to our quality contracts enforced on future production
  • More points added to batch quality test
  • All units are being reflashed before shipment and all units will have an update cable packked in (no other voltronic oems on this yet I think)

Hello James,

are there any plans to release an additional EG4-6500EX firmware update to try to improve the LED pulsing (flickering) problems which still exists with the current firmware version 79.71? My whole house runs on LED and about 1/4 of them are flickering at about 5 Hz?

The load of the inverters does not play a big role in the LED flickering effect. It's nearly the same if the inverters (six inverters in split phase setup) drive only 500W or 25kW - it may be a little bit better under high load... The flickering happens even when running the inverters only from battery (no PV).

If flickering LED's are switched on and flickering occur, the inverters output voltage also starts fluctuating between 118V to 120V. Without using the flickering LED's the output is stable at 120V.

For me it looks like the PID controller to regulate the PWD inside the inverter gets "irritated" with some sort of LED lights and their driver electronic and interfere with them and starts oscillating. I suppose, the PID controller in the EG4-6500EX is implemented in software to be able to improve the situation with a firmware update.

I think about doing a quick test and wrap the phase wire of one of the flickering LED with some windings around a ferrite core. I guess there are high frequency distortions between the inverter PID controller and the LED's electronic which causes the oscillation. With the ferrite core I want to give this idea a try to damp this distortions.

 

[HighJingo]

Hello James,

are there any plans to release an additional EG4-6500EX firmware update to try to improve the LED pulsing (flickering) problems which still exists with the current firmware version 79.71? My whole house runs on LED and about 1/4 of them are flickering at about 5 Hz?

The load of the inverters does not play a big role in the LED flickering effect. It's nearly the same if the inverters (six inverters in split phase setup) drive only 500W or 25kW - it may be a little bit better under high load... The flickering happens even when running the inverters only from battery (no PV).

If flickering LED's are switched on and flickering occur, the inverters output voltage also starts fluctuating between 118V to 120V. Without using the flickering LED's the output is stable at 120V.

For me it looks like the PID controller to regulate the PWD inside the inverter gets "irritated" with some sort of LED lights and their driver electronic and interfere with them and starts oscillating. I suppose, the PID controller in the EG4-6500EX is implemented in software to be able to improve the situation with a firmware update.

I think about doing a quick test and wrap the phase wire of one of the flickering LED with some windings around a ferrite core. I guess there are high frequency distortions between the inverter PID controller and the LED's electronic which causes the oscillation. With the ferrite core I want to give this idea a try to damp this distortions.

Any response on this? I have four EG4-6500EXs with 79.71 and the bonding screws present. LEDs flicker like crazy. Level 1 tech support keeps throwing things at the wall hoping something sticks, but nothing fixes it. The latest was that since my load across the four inverters varies, that is likely the cause and I need to move circuits around to better balance the load. Inverters are normally running at 5-7% load unless I fire up the clothes dryer, air fryer, curling iron etc. I'm doubtful moving circuits will fix it. I see voltage output variations frequently and randomly and think this is the cause. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Adam De Lay]

Unfortunately, EG4 has sunset the 6500ex as well as the 6000ex and the 8k.

EG4 6500 Firmware Changelog - Updates

diysolarforum.com

I know in my case I had crummy bulbs as well as some devices causing my lights to flicker. Took me a long time to narrow things down.

Can you shut down one set of inverters and see if the problem is isolated to a specific set of inverters?

 

[Zwy]

Any response on this? I have four EG4-6500EXs with 79.71 and the bonding screws present. LEDs flicker like crazy. Level 1 tech support keeps throwing things at the wall hoping something sticks, but nothing fixes it. The latest was that since my load across the four inverters varies, that is likely the cause and I need to move circuits around to better balance the load. Inverters are normally running at 5-7% load unless I fire up the clothes dryer, air fryer, curling iron etc. I'm doubtful moving circuits will fix it. I see voltage output variations frequently and randomly and think this is the cause. Any thoughts or suggestions?

One inverter bonded on each leg, not 2.

Where is your grid bond? Is this completely off grid?

 

[Sundown]

I know in my case I had crummy bulbs as well as some devices causing my lights to flicker.

Really, bulbs are the issue and not the EG46500EX?

From the guy that, after replacing two 6500EXs with Victron Multiplus-II inverters, posts a video in which he states that "99% of my flickering light issues have been resolved since I put these inverters in".

Faulting bulb quality or washing machines rather than truthfully admitting the 6500s are poor performing inverters that are energy hogs and have issues, but they are "economical"...... (idle consumption 168Wph vs 36Wph = 3.2kW savings per 24 hour period)

Any response

Knowing what I now know, I would have opted for refund when I had the first set of inverters RMA'd rather than replacements. Some issues were resolved with the replacements and firmware updates, but these are not the same level of quality as the ones to which Mr. De Lay upgraded.

 

[Adam De Lay]

Really, bulbs are the issue and not the EG46500EX?

From the guy that, after replacing two 6500EXs with Victron Multiplus-II inverters, posts a video in which he states that "99% of my flickering light issues have been resolved since I put these inverters in".

That’s fair. I should have said that’s what I found out to mitigate the problem (of course it shouldn’t have had to be done).

 

[HighJingo]

That’s fair. I should have said that’s what I found out to mitigate the problem (of course it shouldn’t have had to be done).

It's not the bulbs with my inverters. I replaced 50% of my LEDs in key areas with Philips Flicker-Free bulbs and they still flicker with bonding screws and 79.71. It doesn't matter whether my load is 5% or 35% and similar across all four inverters or varied. They still flicker.

 

[Adam De Lay]

It's not the bulbs with my inverters. I replaced 50% of my LEDs in key areas with Philips Flicker-Free bulbs and they still flicker with bonding screws and 79.71. It doesn't matter whether my load is 5% or 35% and similar across all four inverters or varied. They still flicker.

Unfortunately the unresolved flickering seems to be one of the reasons people are abandoning the 6500s. In some cases, the 6500s can't handle certain devices being powered and they end up causing some kind of distortion on the AC output, causing the flickering. I won't begin to think I know exactly how it all works. All I know is I had 1 (of several) mac mini and a heated blanked that whenever they were plugged in caused all the lights on that phase to flicker. If they were unplugged, no flickering. When I switched to Victron inverters, no flickering.

I'm guessing you have AC IN? I've heard of a lot less reports when people don't use AC IN. What do you have setting 42 set to?

 

[Jbird2000]

We are releasing a firmware update on our website and here in this post that resolves the flickering light issue on the most recent batch of EG4 6000 and 6500 inverters.

• Who does this affect: people with EG4 6k and 6.5k units Shipped after November first who are experiencing lights flickering when PV is charging the battery (these units only have gray larger terminals, not all gray terminal units have this issue though)
• Who this does not affect: People buying new units today (full reflash and usb cable packed in for future use. People with units that have black terminals, people with gray terminals that have not experienced light strobing/major flicker.
• What happened: An unauthorized minor component hardware change was made at the Voltronic factory on the standard 6500 and 6000w rectifiers inside the All-in-one inverters; We use the same factory as MPP solar, Sungold, Rich Solar, and other 6000/6500 units, Our units are specced with exclusive money-saving added features but this issue came down to Rectifier management; the firmware starved the rectifier by not allowing battery power to be prioritized on a board level. This caused the rectifier in PV charge and some grid circumstances to shift frequency slightly and make lights flicker.
• What we did: Around late November/December we started receiving units with this issue from the factory, we did not detect this use case in our standard Quality control check (a lot of points have been added for future units). When we began receiving units back with the issue we tried to get support from the factory but the team was in full denial of the issue, after a week as well as seeing that this issue was popping up with other high-volume Voltronic OEMs that weren’t sitting on old stock. We dispatched our lead engineering team to Taiwan and they took over the situation this week, yielding this firmware.
• What we did wrong: We too too long to recognize the issue as new and rush the inverters back, our warrnty dept insisted that procedure was followed on information gathering before a claim went through, on several occasions this just ended up in a hard headed gridlock where customers with legit issues were charged back
• What we will do better:
  • Quicker response and recognition, this is an agenda setter for us going forward aand new tools and procedures too catch this are being set up
  • Additional air tightness added to our quality contracts enforced on future production
  • More points added to batch quality test
  • All units are being reflashed before shipment and all units will have an update cable packked in (no other voltronic oems on this yet I think)

anyone encounter this flicker with the 12K hybrid inverter?

 

[Shinzul]

For what it's worth, I had terrible flickering running off grid with 2 EG4 6500 EXs to I was really hoping they could do the job, because for that price point it was hard to beat. Unfortunately I also had massive voltage fluctuations as well, even on the latest firmware, and so swapped up to the 18kpv. So far, zero issues using that, it worked perfectly out of the box without flickering in the same wiring configuration.

 

[fmeili1]

deleted... sorry, I've posted the text to the wrong thread... (this is the correct one... )

 

[HighJingo]

Unfortunately the unresolved flickering seems to be one of the reasons people are abandoning the 6500s. In some cases, the 6500s can't handle certain devices being powered and they end up causing some kind of distortion on the AC output, causing the flickering. I won't begin to think I know exactly how it all works. All I know is I had 1 (of several) mac mini and a heated blanked that whenever they were plugged in caused all the lights on that phase to flicker. If they were unplugged, no flickering. When I switched to Victron inverters, no flickering.

I'm guessing you have AC IN? I've heard of a lot less reports when people don't use AC IN. What do you have setting 42 set to?

Lights flicker whether I have the AC in set on or off via a breaker. 42 is set to ENA per SS. I've tried both settings for 42 and still have flicker.

 

[Adam De Lay]

Lights flicker whether I have the AC in set on or off via a breaker. 42 is set to ENA per SS. I've tried both settings for 42 and still have flicker.

I have a thought, if you're willing to test it.

I know you said you turned off the AC IN breaker, but can you try removing the AC IN from the inverters temporarily (just turn off the breaker and pull and tape the wires from inside the terminals in the inverter)? A lot of issues seem to revolve around having AC IN connected to the inverters. I'm curious since you have constant flickering, if you completely disconnect the AC IN, does the flickering go away? You would probably also need to Disable option 42 during this test as well so that the G/N bond relay is activated.

 

[Sundown]

can you try removing the AC IN from the inverters temporarily (just turn off the breaker and pull and tape the wires from inside the terminals in the inverter)?

You mean like...off grid, like this person? Posted 2 days ago.

RESOLVED: EG4 6500EX and 6000EX Lights Flickering FIRMWARE

The 6000ex / lvx6048 / tp6048 / lv6048 is 3kw per leg. I tried using 6awg with my tp6048, I like overkill, it wouldn't fit so I used 8awg. The 6500 / lv6548 / tp6548 is 6.5kw per leg, I'd absolutely use 6awg. This is all covered in the manuals and the forum search feature. If you want a budget...

diysolarforum.com

here is another off grid:

RESOLVED: EG4 6500EX and 6000EX Lights Flickering FIRMWARE

SS solar responded and requested the firm ware version (79.67 & 61.12) and said "Also, I am being told Solar Assistant has been causing some issues with our units as of late; I am getting more information on this, though. It was suggested that I ask you to use DESS Monitor for a bit and see if...

diysolarforum.com

 

[Adam De Lay]

You mean like...off grid, like this person? Posted 2 days ago.

RESOLVED: EG4 6500EX and 6000EX Lights Flickering FIRMWARE

The 6000ex / lvx6048 / tp6048 / lv6048 is 3kw per leg. I tried using 6awg with my tp6048, I like overkill, it wouldn't fit so I used 8awg. The 6500 / lv6548 / tp6548 is 6.5kw per leg, I'd absolutely use 6awg. This is all covered in the manuals and the forum search feature. If you want a budget...

diysolarforum.com

here is another off grid:

RESOLVED: EG4 6500EX and 6000EX Lights Flickering FIRMWARE

SS solar responded and requested the firm ware version (79.67 & 61.12) and said "Also, I am being told Solar Assistant has been causing some issues with our units as of late; I am getting more information on this, though. It was suggested that I ask you to use DESS Monitor for a bit and see if...

diysolarforum.com

Thanks. I've seen so many of these posts I can't keep them all straight. Guess that shoots down my one idea.

 

[HighJingo]

It's frustrating that SS is now absent from this thread/discussion and not responding to my emails. I now believe they know they have a problem and their firmware "solution" was not a solution. I'm a huge fan of SS because of how their customer service department helped me with another matter, but that is being eroded quickly by their technical support team.