plaasjaap

Thanks for all of this info Mike. Turns out i have also put up a similar wind turbine from the same supplier a few months ago and really am glad to see how others find it operating. Firstly, you have AWESOME wind... I knew our night time wind isn't great and my main motivation was for generating additional charge during cold front weather when solar doesn't manage to replace used energy. But, in the interior, even on cloudy, partly windy days i think the 3kw of panels still generate more than the 2kw turbine over 24h... Yes, it does contribute but ZAR/watt I could've added another 3kw of panels and floated batteries every single day, no matter what the weather be like I think. Since May when i put it up, i can count on my one hand the nights where wind managed to hold the battery bank above 50v. I have 16 x 190ah batteries installed. The turbine looks cool though... I installed it using an old 9m high windmill stand. It was an old farmhouse we converted into living units, rented out. Daily use is ave of 10kwh per day(24h) between 4 living units, 6kwh is during night time unfortunately with 6 tv's, 4 laptops and 5 fridge/freezers. During initial installation i was always going to add more panels to the 3kw so plan was 2 x 5kva axperts (to allow for adding more kw solar - 3kw solar on each) and small backup generator for poor weather patches. the turbine then looked attractive as it's cost was equal to the saving now on one axpert, 1 kw of panels as well as the genny. But i am afraid the turbine is not bringing in the power and options i would've i had hoped for. We just do not have the wind resource here... So starting to think maybe to try and revert back to original plan, adding the second axpert and more panels. Any one want to buy a basically new 2kw Zonhan (with extra long blades for 'low wind'), controller, dumpload and perhaps awesome vintage stand... (YES, we moved and re-erected it just as DESCRIBED HERE earlier on the thread... how it is done on the farm with tractor, people cables and chaos... can send photos at a minimal cost). Anyhow, it was an experiment for me... If anybody else in the interior is wondering, it does help/supplement, but not enough I am afraid...

You are correct...but to get off-grid and avoid the nasty R1500pm Eskom 'line-fee' in a rural (bundu) setting it is sometimes worth it.. Mostly (ideally) it is only needed the one or two times per month that very cloudy weather is around and batts are not properly recharged by solar the day before

Awesome, thanks Chris. I will have to try the firmware upgrade then. I get your point TTT, the genny in question, however, is a fairly decent low noise diesel one which is definitely better (i guess and hope) than the ones you guys are describing which i also have experience with. It's frequency reading where fine and steady on the Axpert previously, even though the internal changeover still didn't want to happen... Is the best way to have a genny autostart using a Victron battery monitor as peter has (guessing the dry contact signal provides what is needed at the set voltage?) What other options are there?

Reviving this thread... Would love to know if you managed to solve the issue via the firmware upgrade Peter?? I have the same issue at a friend's installation. Would try it if it seems to do the trick. At my own place the only way I was able to use a generator through axpert eventually by buying an inverter-generator. but these are small and expensive...

Thanks super. Yes, I understood that from someone after I posted... What confused me I suppose was my outback flexmax that has a 12V output that can switch on a relay.

HI triple T Very wide range: 1 x 2.5kva oldish builders warehouse chinese petrol jobbie (the 2.4kw axpert actually took it even though V and Hz clearly not great) 1 x 1kva yamaha 'normal' generator 1 x 6,5kva Honda (rental in very good nick giving good readings) 1 x 6.5kva Diesel (silent type boxed) - also chinese I suppose, not well known make, yellow in colour. gives good readings 1 x 6kva tractor engine real farm genny on trailer. I have an Outback 3048GTVX as well and it took the Honda very well after i couldn't get my Axpert to take it.

Hi guys I have been working with quite a few axperts, mostly 5kva. So glad I am finding other who also use them to help me in the stuff I can't figure out.... Has anybody used the dry contacts with success? Am I right in saying if I measure across say the NC & C with the batterye volt below/above the set value(s) as per the little table in the manual is should give me power(250V) - I can't get it to 'send' any signal. What am I doing wrong? Was hoping to use it either (think it is and either or?) for starting generator (on low voltage set) or start extra load (on high/float voltage) via a contactor. thanks in advance

Hi all New to this forum - please show me to the newbie introduction section if there is such a place? SilverNodashi - I came across this thread as I have exactly that same problem.. In fact, I have tried about 5 different sized gennies (all AVR, from 2.5kva-6.5kva of various qualities) on about 5 different axperts mks 5kva setups and I can't get any to 'transfer' across to take the ac input. it reads, flickers and 'clicks' as if to transfer but doesn't take the frikken thing... Eventually, yesterday I took a demo 3.5kva Inverter-Generator from the hardware and tried that... The axpert takes it very nicely (as it does eskom or power from another inverter fed into it...). Was really hoping someone has found the solution? I was also at the point of doing the firmware upgrade, but somehow I don't think it's gonna sort it... I have actually connected one or two gennies to the 2.4kw axperts and that worked fine... So I also think its the 4kw units that are just too sensitive for the quality of current from seemingly any 'normal' AVR genny...