Victron 'Smart' Solar MPPT's / Manual on/off

[Spartaqus]

I run six Victron 100/50 smart solar chargers at my house to two batteries banks. Just for emergency power. I have really enjoyed my selection of MPPT. But if the phones are down, like they were for me last week, how do you manually turn them on or off. Bluetooth is great, but if the phones are down, I couldn't turn the suckers on. I sure didnt think that one out.

(not being an electrical 'genius'.....I was thinking of turning them all on and put some sort of Blue Sea on/off inline switch on the solar in cable before the MPPT.
thanks,
Jay

 

[scrubjaysnest]

I use Midnight Solar breakers between pv and cc and cc to batteries.
Turn off pv first.

 

[Spartaqus]

I use Midnight Solar breakers between pv and cc and cc to batteries.
Turn off pv first.

Thanks!

 

[Spartaqus]

How do you mount them? I saw "MidNite Solar MNBABYBOX Baby Box Enclosure" it looks like it will hold four of the breakers. I may have to get two if I go that route. Thanks again.

 

[scrubjaysnest]

The mini holds 4 and the big baby holds 6. The din rails are standard 35 mm and there cheap plastic boxes that hold more breakers. I'm old school and prefer metal breaker boxes even at 2 to 3 times the cost. Square D QO breakers will work but they are only rated for 48 vdc.
There are other metal boxes but you will have to order 35 mm din rail and make a plate to go over the breakers.

 

[740GLE]

By the phones being down, you mean your cell phone or tablet or computer doesn’t have Bluetooth for some odd reason? Does Victron smart connect need cellular data?

I mean if something takes those out, what makes you think your SCC would still be able to work?

 

[grizzzman]

By the phones being down, you mean your cell phone or tablet or computer doesn’t have Bluetooth for some odd reason?

I mean if something takes those out, what makes you think your SCC would still be able to work?

Ya something does not add up here. You mean when the phone battery is dead?

 

[timselectric]

I'm just confused about why they are constantly being turned on and off.

 

[Brucey]

Sounds like he's using the maintenance mode to turn the chargers on and off.

 

[740GLE]

But why have them off? My only guess is he doesn’t want the batteries to see max voltage each day?

Float voltage should be able to be set low enough such that no damage is done to the batteries?

 

[Q-Dog]

I'm just confused about why they are constantly being turned on and off.

I keep coming back to this thread because I don't understand that part either. I never turn mine off, except for when adding/removing panels.

 

[AmpD]

Phones break. I’ve yet to get all my pieces together to see how the software side works. Do you need an isp or just a local network? In a remote location sometimes one the other or both are just not available.

 

[Partimewages]

Why do you need to switch them off and on regularly?

 

[timselectric]

Sounds like he's using the maintenance mode to turn the chargers on and off.

Yeah, I understand what they are doing.
The question is why so frequently.
There should be a manual disconnect installed for maintenance. But even that should not be used frequently.

 

[Brucey]

Phones break. I’ve yet to get all my pieces together to see how the software side works. Do you need an isp or just a local network? In a remote location sometimes one the other or both are just not available.

It's a purely optional control you can access via Bluetooth using the Victron connect app. You don't need to connect to run it, by default it will be on at all times and charge when conditions allow, and you can adjust it to the Victron lfp charge profile using the configuration dial on the front.

 

[Spartaqus]

Thank you for the breaker box info scrub, that was perfect.

FYI

I only use solar for test runs for power outages. I run them fairly frequently to stay proficient. I use solar mostly to run two deep freezes and one fridge and lights. I can run one room only for air conditioning. My solar panels arent roof mounted.

So to keep my batteries (17k ah, 12v) in their happy spot of about 85% charged, I turn the MPPT's off when I am not testing, practicing. Each practice run, provides a new learning experience. The phones going down, probably would not have kept me from powering them up, I wasnt home when ATT went down a week or so ago, but the question of how to run them without a phone seemed like a good idea, from a minimalist viewpoint.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Spartaqus]

Why do you need to switch them off and on regularly?

I only use solar for test runs for power outages. I run them fairly frequently to stay proficient. I use solar mostly to run two deep freezes and one fridge and lights. I can run one room only for air conditioning. My solar panels arent roof mounted.

So to keep my batteries (17k ah, 12v) in their happy spot of about 85% charged, I turn the MPPT's off when I am not testing, practicing. Each practice run, provides a new learning experience. The phones going down, probably would not have kept me from powering them up, I wasnt home when ATT went down a week or so ago, but the question of how to run them without a phone seemed like a good idea, from a minimalist viewpoint.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[timselectric]

None of this makes sense.
But.......
If you really don't want to fully charge your batteries. Just set the chargers accordingly.
And leave them on. Simplicity is always the best option.

 

[Q-Dog]

I don't understand why you want to throw away 15% of your battery capacity?

 

[Sky-HHI]

Download the manual for your mppt from Victron energy web site and in section 13.12 it tells you how to do a on/off switch. Larger mppts have a built in on/off switch. I use my cerbo to control my mppt remote on/off ,thru the VRM system but that is thru the internet.