RESOLVED: EG4 6500EX and 6000EX Lights Flickering FIRMWARE

[Zwy]

Is anyone still getting flickering LEDs, even with latest firmware? I don't get it as often, but every once in a while I will open the fridge or turn on a light and it'll be flickering. A few hours later, no more flickering...

Gas oven igniter, lights in another room, outside security light. Any random load sets the flicker off.

I recieved an email regarding RMA of only 1 inverter and they want me to ship it to them before they send out another. Of course, shipping on my dime after selling me 2 defective inverters.

I'm pretty certain after this episode I won't be purchasing anything from them again. Let's just say I'm a little PO'ed at this point. Both inverters cause the light flicker.

Maybe taking a trip to TX and throwing 2 inverters out on their front step or thru the window isn't such a bad idea after all. At this point, I'm tempted to just eat the cost and move on.

I'll be sure to rate them on the BBB website and add to their one star ratings if they don't step up to the plate.

 

[jmjack]

Gas oven igniter, lights in another room, outside security light. Any random load sets the flicker off.

I recieved an email regarding RMA of only 1 inverter and they want me to ship it to them before they send out another. Of course, shipping on my dime after selling me 2 defective inverters.

I'm pretty certain after this episode I won't be purchasing anything from them again. Let's just say I'm a little PO'ed at this point. Both inverters cause the light flicker.

Maybe taking a trip to TX and throwing 2 inverters out on their front step or thru the window isn't such a bad idea after all. At this point, I'm tempted to just eat the cost and move on.

I'll be sure to rate them on the BBB website and add to their one star ratings if they don't step up to the plate.

Wow, unbelievable. It is really hard to believe a company that says they stand behind their products and customer support will only RMA 1 inverter and make you pay for the return. The either don't know what the problem is, or they do know but won't admit it. If they admitted to knowing they could be on the line to replace who knows how many units. Hope they come back and are willing to work with you on a better resolution.

For me, still nothing, no updates from SS support at all. Guess I will call them again tomorrow.

 

[mountkay]

EG4 Type it is set to 58v and unless your batteries are nearly perfectly top balanced...58v will alarm everything,

I just wanted to point out that in EG4 setting, the voltage will not reach anywhere near 58v as far as I have seen. The 58v is merely a placeholder. When I had 4 Lifepower batteries, each inverter (split phase) would limit itself to 10a around 55.0v. And then it would use the 10a to creep up to 56.4v. Now that I have 6 Lifepower, around 55.0v 1x inverter limits to 10a the other to 20a. Then eventually both limit to 10a. I have never seen the voltage go above 56.4v.

 

[Markus_EG4]

Gas oven igniter, lights in another room, outside security light. Any random load sets the flicker off.

I recieved an email regarding RMA of only 1 inverter and they want me to ship it to them before they send out another. Of course, shipping on my dime after selling me 2 defective inverters.

I'm pretty certain after this episode I won't be purchasing anything from them again. Let's just say I'm a little PO'ed at this point. Both inverters cause the light flicker.

Maybe taking a trip to TX and throwing 2 inverters out on their front step or thru the window isn't such a bad idea after all. At this point, I'm tempted to just eat the cost and move on.

I'll be sure to rate them on the BBB website and add to their one star ratings if they don't step up to the plate.

Please send me your info. I want to solve this for you

 

[Zapper77]

I just wanted to point out that in EG4 setting, the voltage will not reach anywhere near 58v as far as I have seen. The 58v is merely a placeholder. When I had 4 Lifepower batteries, each inverter (split phase) would limit itself to 10a around 55.0v. And then it would use the 10a to creep up to 56.4v. Now that I have 6 Lifepower, around 55.0v 1x inverter limits to 10a the other to 20a. Then eventually both limit to 10a. I have never seen the voltage go above 56.4v.

Current Limits start at 95% and drop again at 99%. I have 6 LP4 95% limit is 20/10 and 99% is 10/0. Using EG4 battery Type. If your LP4 batteries are balanced they will hit 58V without going over 3.6v per cell if you use Eg4 battery Type. 6500EX manufacture date 04/2022 March 2023 Firmware.

 

[Zwy]

Please send me your info. I want to solve this for you

Ben has my info.

 

[Zwy]

Wow, unbelievable. It is really hard to believe a company that says they stand behind their products and customer support will only RMA 1 inverter and make you pay for the return. The either don't know what the problem is, or they do know but won't admit it. If they admitted to knowing they could be on the line to replace who knows how many units. Hope they come back and are willing to work with you on a better resolution.

We shall see. I went thru my system looking for a possible fault in the house and eliminated any possible causes. My conclusion is with the scope captures and the other data these units were defective from the start.

For me, still nothing, no updates from SS support at all. Guess I will call them again tomorrow.

Tech support sent an email on Saturday morning it was passed on to a resolution specialist. Received email from resolution specialist Monday afternoon. Surprisingly quick actually.

 

[Markus_EG4]

We shall see. I went thru my system looking for a possible fault in the house and eliminated any possible causes. My conclusion is with the scope captures and the other data these units were defective from the start.


Tech support sent an email on Saturday morning it was passed on to a resolution specialist. Received email from resolution specialist Monday afternoon. Surprisingly quick actually.

Have you ever read any other inverter with that same scope?

 

[Quattrohead]

Have you ever read any other inverter with that same scope?

Really Markus? Are you sure you want to go there.
I am seriously starting to think that signature solar people should just not be on this forum, they worse than the Donald with his outbursts on public media.

 

[Zwy]

Have you ever read any other inverter with that same scope?

Either an inverter puts out a clean sine or it doesn't. One can expect some noise or transients. The videos are out there, this isn't noise or slight transients.

I know quite a bit about scopes. I own 4 and use them often. I'm well versed in sample rate, aliasing and bandwidth.

 

[Markus_EG4]

Either an inverter puts out a clean sine or it doesn't. One can expect some noise or transients. The videos are out there, this isn't noise or slight transients.

I know quite a bit about scopes. I own 4 and use them often. I'm well versed in sample rate, aliasing and bandwidth.

Here is my reading with the o scope you need a true ground to connect to to get the proper reading not doubting your ability at all

 

[Zapper77]

Here is my reading with the o scope you need a true ground to connect to to get the proper reading not doubting your ability at all

Is that done under low load when lights are strobing

 

[Markus_EG4]

Is that done under low load when lights are strobing

What firmware are you using?

 

[Quattrohead]

What firmware are you using?

The faulty version along with faulty hardware ??

 

[Zapper77]

What firmware are you using?

79.63, 61.12 Not grid connected.

 

[Zwy]

Here is my reading with the o scope you need a true ground to connect to to get the proper reading not doubting your ability at all

You need to learn what aliasing is.

If I turn up the ms per div I can get the "perfect sine" as the processed signal has data points dropped. Using 2 channels cuts sample rate in half because half the time the scope is sampling the other channel. I learned all of that over 20 years ago.

Crank it down to 2ms per div and only use one channel with 1Gs/s (which is my scope, twice your sample rate of 500MSa/s) and get back to me. I'd like to see it. Then get a light strobing and lets see what you get at that same 2ms and only one channel, 1Gs/s.

And yes, I used true ground in all my scope captures.

 

[Zwy]

What firmware are you using?

I had the latest and greatest but hear there might be another that came out this week. Made the flicker worse. Sent this photo to tech support this week.

 

[Zwy]

Gas oven igniter, lights in another room, outside security light. Any random load sets the flicker off.

I recieved an email regarding RMA of only 1 inverter and they want me to ship it to them before they send out another. Of course, shipping on my dime after selling me 2 defective inverters.

Update, received an email that now states to RMA both inverters rather than originally just one.

I had a plan to use the remaining 6500EX just as a charge controller and install the LV6548's I have in place of the 6500EX's and start testing. And see if any flicker occurs.

I thought it might be a great comparison.

New plan: Install both LV6548's after removing 6500EX's. Just charge batteries off grid power and run the LV6548's.

 

[BenFromSignatureSolar]

Update, received an email that now states to RMA both inverters rather than originally just one.

I had a plan to use the remaining 6500EX just as a charge controller and install the LV6548's I have in place of the 6500EX's and start testing. And see if any flicker occurs.

I thought it might be a great comparison.

New plan: Install both LV6548's after removing 6500EX's. Just charge batteries off grid power and run the LV6548's.

Ultimately wanted to get you two units that would have the newest FW and best version of the hardware. Sending one unit did not make much sense towards actually solving the issues you were having. Don't want to see you continue to waste your time.

 

[Quattrohead]

The only sensible outcome to this particular fiasco.

 

[Zwy]

Ultimately wanted to get you two units that would have the newest FW and best version of the hardware. Sending one unit did not make much sense towards actually solving the issues you were having. Don't want to see you continue to waste your time.

Thank you, I want to publicly thank you.

I just informed my wife about the LV6548 install while the 6500EX's are out and testing those as they are highly regarded as trouble free. She just rolled her eyes.

When the 6500EX replacements arrive, I will install those and test again.

I am a data oriented person plus I want to know a cause for a problem. Having other units to compare can help others.

Like I said before, you are a good guy.

 

[Gavin Stone]

Thank you, I want to publicly thank you.

I just informed my wife about the LV6548 install while the 6500EX's are out and testing those as they are highly regarded as trouble free. She just rolled her eyes.

When the 6500EX replacements arrive, I will install those and test again.

I am a data oriented person plus I want to know a cause for a problem. Having other units to compare can help others.

Like I said before, you are a good guy.

As someone that has done the swap quite a few times. I would advise to just wait. It’s such a pain. The pv part is hard because they need mc4 connectors. But the worst is the ac wiring. The 6500’s have those large terminals which makes it so nice. But, it can be sorta fun in a way I guess.

I would predict you won’t have any issues like this at all with the newer pair.

 

[Zwy]

As someone that has done the swap quite a few times. I would advise to just wait. It’s such a pain. The pv part is hard because they need mc4 connectors. But the worst is the ac wiring. The 6500’s have those large terminals which makes it so nice. But, it can be sorta fun in a way I guess.

I would predict you won’t have any issues like this at all with the newer pair.

I won't be attaching PV. My strings are 400VOC and I'm not pulling another pair of wire 420 feet. I'd have to reconfigure my strings to 4S instead of 8S.

I never saw any flicker with PV, always seemed later at night and was after any PV input was available. So I only need to wire in the battery cables and AC output and input. Only time the AC input will be on is to charge the batteries.

The LV6548's were never installed, heck they could be DOA. Purchased over 2 years ago.

 

[Gavin Stone]

I won't be attaching PV. My strings are 400VOC and I'm not pulling another pair of wire 420 feet. I'd have to reconfigure my strings to 4S instead of 8S.

I never saw any flicker with PV, always seemed later at night and was after any PV input was available. So I only need to wire in the battery cables and AC output and input. Only time the AC input will be on is to charge the batteries.

The LV6548's were never installed, heck they could be DOA. Purchased over 2 years ago.

That will make it a lot easier. Aside from the ac wiring that is. If you have 4 awg you are going to struggle big time. But it can be done. The terminals are just a hair higher in the LV’s also. So you’ll need a small amount of of slack in the wire.

 

[Zwy]

That will make it a lot easier. Aside from the ac wiring that is. If you have 4 awg you are going to struggle big time. But it can be done. The terminals are just a hair higher in the LV’s also. So you’ll need a small amount of of slack in the wire.

I have 4AWG but I'll get it done. On some I can change to 6AWG as it's only a few feet to the breaker after the inverters and neutrals. Only AC input on L1 and L2 would be a problem if it came down to wire size. I have some short lengths of 6AWG here, but would prefer minimizing any changes due to wanting a test with same wiring in place.