darinheath
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2021
- Messages
- 2
Hello all. I purchased a Midnite product, a Classic 200, just recently to replace an Outback FM60 because I wanted more panels. Its only been in service for a week or two, and I'm noticing some strange PV input voltage behavior on the Classic 200. It will start by recognizing the entirety of my PV voltage input (140-150v) and then immediately start falling to 120v on the display. It will hover there for about 6-8 seconds, then the Classic will start cutting off the PV voltage / wattage input until it gets below 18v, then the process starts all over again with the Classic 200 jumping back up to actual full PV input of 150v.
To try and troubleshoot the issue, I checked the amps and volts on all my panels separately; they are all working properly. When I have all 1300 watts in series, they also measure correctly (140-150v and 10 amps).
I followed the basic LifePO4 setup for my bank concerning charging settings from Midnite Solar instructional videos, nothing else weird or unrelated was messed with yet in the menu.
It will charge at a respectable 70ish amps into my bank when it accepts all 140-150v from my 1300 watts of panels, but just for about 5 seconds of every 60, then that trickle down to 120v, then the gradual fall down to 18v input process kicks in over and over and over for the remaining 55 seconds of every minute.
I returned it to Midnite, and they couldn't replicate it. When I received it back, it ran without these issues for 3+4 days, which explains why they didn't see anything wrong, but for no explicable reason, this issue started back up again. Midnite says my wiring from the panels to the charge controller needs replaced, but a meter show the voltage and amps at the end of the cabling as holding steady and at expected volts / amps.
Any ideas? Troubleshooting steps?
Thank you in advance for any help
To try and troubleshoot the issue, I checked the amps and volts on all my panels separately; they are all working properly. When I have all 1300 watts in series, they also measure correctly (140-150v and 10 amps).
I followed the basic LifePO4 setup for my bank concerning charging settings from Midnite Solar instructional videos, nothing else weird or unrelated was messed with yet in the menu.
It will charge at a respectable 70ish amps into my bank when it accepts all 140-150v from my 1300 watts of panels, but just for about 5 seconds of every 60, then that trickle down to 120v, then the gradual fall down to 18v input process kicks in over and over and over for the remaining 55 seconds of every minute.
I returned it to Midnite, and they couldn't replicate it. When I received it back, it ran without these issues for 3+4 days, which explains why they didn't see anything wrong, but for no explicable reason, this issue started back up again. Midnite says my wiring from the panels to the charge controller needs replaced, but a meter show the voltage and amps at the end of the cabling as holding steady and at expected volts / amps.
Any ideas? Troubleshooting steps?
Thank you in advance for any help
