My best guess is two fold.
I'm using cables provided by SS to connect the Pi. Same cables needed for firmware updates.
No worries bud, I was skeptical when it was first posted. They've offered me a return label for troubleshooting and shipping me either it repaired or another unit (I assume a refurbished unit which so long as it works and the warranty continues I'm cool with). The rma team haven't reached out yet but I'll keep everyone up to date. I unfortunately won't be able to take the system down until the end of the month but I'll work that out with them. Maybe I can put a cc on file and they could ship me the replacement before I ship back the unit? I dunno, but I'll ask. They could still mess it up, but we'll see where the process takes us and if nessesary a little helpful nudge from Travis to keep things on track.
Not surprised...I think the Pi is just a red herring. Wondering what SS position would be if you could run Solar Assistant on a full size linux PC? Would that be unapproved as well?
The tech I was working with insisted it happened every time one particular customer hooked up SA to the inverter...fried the communication board on three of them with 30+ volts from a 5 volt system. Not very believable.
Right, when the problem first arose I checked out some rs232 to rj45 pinouts, did some probing and checked against the industry standard pin out a standard cable won't work, which seems silly to me. I mean standards are there for a reason. If memory serves pin 4 and 6 are data high and low and I think 8/9 are ground on the serial side, on the rj side they're supposed to be like pins 4 and 6 but they're 8 and 9 on the adapter provided with the unit.
I think that highly leads to my postulation of ac voltage leakage on the rs232 rj45 port and using a standard cable causing it arc out. Basically allowing the eg4 to fry itself because they use a non standard pinout and seems to be failing to isolate the data board.
They remind me of the jackleg HVAC guys around here that throw tons of systems in and never go back again for warranty or out of warranty service. Guess what they have in common? Cheap. Everybody likes that good deal…until it breaks.
So continuing this discussion...SS provides a cd/dvd with SolarPower software to use as a monitoring platform for the inverters. It needs a physical connection to the inverter, via RS232 and the adapter cable. Does this void the warranty? Similar hardware involved: computer and adapter cables. Or is SS claiming that the SA software can send a charge into the inverter?
Personally I hope they use peanut oil to boil me, betcha I come out like a deep fried turkey! But I agree it's a culture thing that comes from the top down. I don't fault the techs at all for it. They're just doing their job and I bet they're doing what they can to ensure they keep it.
Sounds like the guys that put in my AC. Right after I bought my house, both AC units died (even though the home inspector said they tested out fine). Of course it was summer, because that's when people move. So, I got taken to the cleaners bad.. I wasn't given time to shop around by the rest of the family to get a good deal, or find the most reputable company (as if one would have been available). Now, that company seems to have vanished.
diysolarforum.com
Wasn't targeting him at all. I realize he reviews a lot of products and seems to have much better support from the vendors than you or I might expect. Wonder why that might be?Will's enthusiasm for products is contagious. It's hard for him to really determine the quality of after sales support for the products though. It's not like it comes out and physically zaps him, or shoots out smoke, like some of the cruddy products he might get to review.
For the price, the eg4 product line is really hard to beat. For my needs it was impossible to justify the additional cost of other systems in the market at the time. I think so long as you don't mention solar assistant you should be smooth sailing. Their tech staff is smart and can troubleshoot with you over the phone and can help you pinpoint issues. I do wish there were more resellers in the US for eg4 though. Competition is important to the market.I have to admit, I'm really, really new to solar. I watched Will's videos and found his opinion on the EG4 6000ex split-phase inverter useful and it convinced me that the 6000 was the right product. I wanted simplicity so I got EG4 LifePower4 batteries as well. It's working for my needs but I'm starting to question my decision. Support seems iffy...and there seem to be hints that SS/EG4 may be discontinuing some of the inverters, including the 6000.
Eg4 inverter future
Scrolling signature solars website I noticed they no longer offer the 6000ex as a retail item, only refurbished They recently came out with the load center PDP for the 6500ex which implies they are still investing in its future Just read another post of a member recently buying the megarevo...
If you can get them on the phone. I had to wait over 30 minutes on most of my calls just to reach a human being.
