The_Jelly

Okay so I have checked out the luxpower unit. It seems very interesting. A tiny bit more cash for dual mppt's and better interface and WiFi. Seems a no-brainer on paper. Also on Enway's listing it states compatibility with Hubble batteries on its BMS. So all in all its looking like the best option. From what I have found, it carries a 2 year warranty. RCT and Mecer are the same and Kodak looks to have a 3 year. so the only question I have is what is the support like and who can repair them? The axperts are a dime a dozen so having these looked at, problem solved and repaired will be easier. Sunsync have thier repair centre in JHB. So who looks after Luxpower from a repair or problem solving perspective? If I can confirm this then I might be looking at the luxpower unit as the one to get. and can anyone confirm that they Share boards or components with an Axpert? Thanks for everything this far!

The only worry I have with luxpower is it's not as well known or widely used. So there isn't a whole lot to go on. I went to have a quick look and agree with you, it seems great value for money. I just need to dig in deeper before truely considering it as an option.

Awesome thanks for your input, the more options available the better. Things are beginning to feel alot clearer. I have a spreadsheet going with models, pricing and specification differences, so as I get feedback from here I'm adding to the list to try narrow down best bang for buck.

Yeah I hear what you saying, I really do feel the writer is being misinterpreted. Awesome! So basically can't really go wrong sticking to Mecer and RCT. Compatibility and local support.

Copied from point 2 of the article: "The KODAK Home Inverter has been updated to a new version, a tried and tested Voltronic system it’s one among the hottest and affordable inverters on the market. It is basically an Voltronic clone and does have the same features as the VMIII above." I am not trying to discredit any brand merely doing some research to avoid any issues. The writer potentially used a poor selection of words? I however thank you for your valuable input and reccomendation. Sad that the BMS is limited. I have had a look on the Hubble website and they also stipulate there, that it's not compatible and voltage based charging will need to be used. I was considering the cloud link, but there are many that aren't happy with it, but it seems to only be with the AM-5 batteries. I did not even consider fan noise or PWM so it's a very interesting feature to watch out for. PWM fan control seems like quite a no brainer and can't see it adding crazy costs to implement. All inverters should have this! Thank you for afirming the Kodak and it's support. I will look into the VMIV and the OG 5.6 and concur with you that the extra 600w will be welcomed. I will check for pricing and compare everything.

So in researching the VM III I came across this article which under point 2 states that the kodak is a clone. https://10best.co.za/home-inverters/ I will still do more research but would be great if more people chime in to confirm. Once again thank you for all the assistance you have provided!

Hi there, thank you for the very informative reply. We are not considering solar at this time. It's for UPS as you discribed. The house however has a very large unobstructed roof so I will ensure we purchase a higher voltage MPPT unit for future use. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Another great point raised with the second battery. I never considered this. I completely understand the charge rates now so I will now search for something that can also accomodate this if price allows. Their usage however will be quite low as we are being strict with what is to be considered essential. I was actually looking at the Kodak's in particular, but read on another post that the kodak was a clone. Thanks for confirming this. How does the mecer and RCT units fair against the Kodak/Synapse/phocos? Lastly growatt and luxpower are these reputable brands with back up/repair locally? And should these be considered? These do not seem to be voltronic units and I have left them out as options becuase of this.

Hey man, thanks for your response. It's greatly appreciated. And thank you for confirming the charge times, I completely understand now.

Hi guys, I have been doing some research on voltronic axpert inverters. My dad will be purchasing one very soon for His house. He asked my opinion and I would like to help him as best possible given his limited budget. We are looking for a 5kw unit to run essentials during loadshedding(some lights, TV,fridge WiFi etc) nothing major. However upon diving into a myriad of different models it got a little overwhelming. The inverter will be coupled to a Hubble AM-2/5kw battery. I have narrowed down the selection to the Axpert VM III for its affordability and its rich features. Could I get your guys input in whether this is a good option? I read in the user manual that this unit has BMS that can communicate with lithium batteries? My first question is does it work well? And is it worth having over the normal voltage based setup on most other Axpert inverters? Question number 2, is that it has a lower AC charge amperage of 60 amp when compared to other axperts like the king that have 100amp charging. I know the Hubbles charge reccomendation is 0.3c-0.5c however it is marketed to have 100a max charging current(1c) how can I calculate rough charge time? Would it it be wrong to assume the Hubble is 100ah battery, so charging at 0.5c would be 50amp and as such it would be a rough 2hour charge to full? The concern obviously being charging the battery between loadsheds. Having a higher charging current would be better to have for options. But high charging currents aren't great for the battery's longevity, so I just want to ensure 60a charging with regards to speed will be sufficient? Please feel free to reccomend any other axpert based inverters and brand. Or brands to stay away from. Looking to spend between 10-13k. Thanks a mil!

Hi guys, So I have recently installed a sunsynk inverter and Hubble battery. Everything is working as it should and I am very happy with it. I currently do not have any solar and am fully grid tied. I have been trying to get some solid advice on how often I should cycle the battery and to what percentage to discharge too, in order to keep the battery healthy. From what I have read it needs to be cycled regularly as keeping it fully charged all the time if there is no loadshedding is not a good idea. All the articles I have read have been somewhat confusing or the data has been all over the place. Can anyone recommend to me some guidelines and good practice in keeping the battery in tip top shape. Thanks guys!

Hey man, please don't use my diagram as gospel as I have a few questions regarding layout that I'm hoping someone on here can assist with. But it's a basic idea of what needs to happen. On the neutral bonding from my research it seems when the inverter moves to battery power there is nothing bonding earth and neutral. Earth and neutral are bonded by the grid as a default to ensure neutral does not get a floating voltage. From my understanding this is very much needed because if it is not there you can get voltage on your neutral which can damage appliances as well as make your neutral dangerous. This again is my basic knowledge through the research I have done. Some guys have reported measuring up to 100v on the neutral which is not good at all. My advice would be install the relay and don't take a chance.

Thanks for the heads up. I have seen @Leshen name pop on several posts I'll be sure to pop him a DM. Thanks man!

Awesome that is exactly the info I was after. I'm hoping to buy the 8kw and the battery and cover a 2 hour load shed sufficiently. Save up and buy another battery to cover a 4 hour load shed or short power interruption. This second battery will then mean I can fully utilise the 8kw inverter should there be need for it. Then toward the end of next year purchase the solar panels to make use of the hybrid functionality. Do you have any experience regarding Sun Synk inverters? Steve was an incredible help however some questions I still want to find out are specific to Sun Synk inverters.

I have been running through videos and screen shots about the battery settings and can see that they are fully adjustable. Could someone please confirm that If I only purchase 1 x Hubble battery on the 8kw and I correctly set the charge and discharge setting on the inverter that this is safe to do so regarding battery health? Is it okay to purchase 1 battery now and put cycles on it, and add a new unused battery later? Does this cause any issues? Or would it just be a case of bite the bullet, buy the second battery to ensure the inverter cannot discharge past what the batteries are capable of and to ensure both batteries age together? Any advice is welcome! I'm looking to secure a purchase as soon as possible.

I have made diagram in order for you guys to correct me. Am I on the right track regarding wiring configuration and protection? Does the inverter Grid feed require it to go through an RCD/Earth Leakage? And is there anything I should change to simplify or make the installation better/safer? As mentioned above so far 50mm² cable will be used for the battery connection to the inverter. 8mm² cable will be used from the mains DB as Grid feed to the Inverter on a 50A 2 pole MCB. I suppose the same 8mm² cable could be used from the Inverter load output to the essentials DB using a 40A 2 pole MCB. Let me know your thoughts.

Hi @Steve87 Thank you for taking the time out to go through all my questions it is greatly appreciated! regarding your reply's see below feedback: Q1 response - I have seen via videos and documentation there is a section in the settings where maximum charge and discharge may be set. I however do not want to take this as gospel and do harm to the single battery. Agreed on waiting for feedback regarding this from a Sun Sync Fundi. Q2 response - I am also not sure why this bonding does not happen internally its a good question. I understand the need for it and how it works and will wait on feedback regarding the sharing of the grid earth. Q3 response - Thank you for pointing this out. I did some digging and found a video by Sun Synk where Keith explains that the maximum passthrough is 12kw. Using this figure 12000w/220v is ~55amps. So I assume I would then use a 50a 2 pole MCB C curve together with a 8mm² cable. Q4 response - Thank you for this it is super clear and makes complete sense. Also thank you for the pro tip on the on the Victron download section! Q5 response - Awesome I will await further feedback regarding the CT coil

Hey guys, So I've spent the last couple weeks scouring the net as I'm looking to purchase and install an inverter system next month. From all the research I have gone through it seems Sun synk and Hubble is the most common setup. I'm looking at buying an 8kw Sun Synk inverter and 1 x Hubble AM2 5.5kw battery. I have some real basic questions just as confirmation of the research I have done: Q1 . I understand I would need 2 batteries to safely cover the maximum draw of the inverter. 8kw maximum draw is 185a and 2 x Hubble batteries would be 200a. Is this correct? I can only afford 1 x battery at the moment and will purchase the second battery as funds allow. Is there any advice or concerns using 1 battery temporarily? Q2. I understand I would need to install a 10a relay for earth to neutral bonding. The inverter load earth and neutral require bonding to ensure the neutral does not float. Regarding the configuration of the earth wire, can the Grid Earth still be used? So for example the inverter load neutral is fed into the relay's (NO) circuit and the inverter loads earth is fed into the other side. The earth wire is then looped onto Grid Earth. Is this okay to do? Or should the earths be kept separate ie. using an earth spike instead? Q3. Regarding the MCB's for the inverter, I am looking to purchase and use 40a, 2pole C curve MCB for the Grid feed to the inverter and 40a 2pole C curve on the essential load DB. Is this correct? Q4. The Sun Synk manual specifies a 50mm squared cable for the battery connection. Is this sufficient and if so what fuse size would be recommended? I see so much back and forth on information surrounding cable size and fuse size, I'm not sure what to follow? Also does the cable size need to change if the number of batteries change? Or is this determined by the inverter maximum capable load of 185a? Q5. What if there is little space available in the DB to install the CT around the Grid supplied cable from the municipal meter but before the mains breaker? How do you guys install this? I will be purchasing all components directly and planning the installation. I will however use a qualified electrician to install the units for warranty purposes. But I would like to ensure all necessary steps have been followed and the job has been done correctly and in accordance to the information I have learnt from this forum. I look forward to hearing from you.