Saluki

@FransSmith Your Sunsynk 8kW single-phase hybrid inverter has 2 MPPT trackers, each with 2 PV input pairs (total 4 MC4 inputs: typically labeled PV1-1/PV1-2 for MPPT1 and PV2-1/PV2-2 for MPPT2). These two inputs per MPPT are internally paralleled.
This allows up to two separate strings (series arrays) to connect directly to each MPPT, where they combine currents at the same voltage (the MPPT finds one optimal operating point for the paralleled strings).In your setup:The "third string" (7 × 610W East panels) is connected to one of the spare input pairs on an existing MPPT (sharing with either North or West's 9 × 550W string via internal paralleling).
This creates a mismatched parallel combination on that MPPT: different panel wattages (550W vs 610W), likely different Imp (current at max power), and crucially, different orientations (East vs North/West).
The MPPT forces both strings to run at the same voltage, so performance averages out. In very low morning irradiance (07:30, mostly diffuse light, low direct beam), mismatch losses are small, and all "strings" show similar output normal and expected, not strange.
East's early advantage (better angle at sunrise) gets diluted by sharing the MPPT with a non-East orientation.
Mixing panels/orientations on one MPPT reduces efficiency:Lower-current string limits the higher one.
Expect more noticeable losses midday/high sun.
Current safety check (important):Max per MPPT: usually 26A operating (some models 22A; confirm your exact model datasheet e.g., SYNK-8K-SG01LP1 often 26A+26A).
Each string ~11–14A Imp (estimate based on typical 550–610W panels).
Paralleled on one MPPT → total could hit/exceed 26A in peak conditions.
Current rises ~0.04–0.05% per °C above 25°C STC, so hot days increase risk of clipping (power limit) or rare overcurrent issues.
Recommendations:In Solar Assistant, check per-MPPT current (A), voltage (V), and power logs look for hitting max limits during peak.
East should pull ahead from 08:00+ as sun rises (direct beam hits it better); review logs then.
For optimization/safety: Ideally avoid mixing mismatched panels/orientations on one MPPT (re-wire if feasible, e.g., dedicate inputs better). If currents stay high, consider accepting minor clipping or consulting installer.
If equality persists later or East lags midday, check for shading, wiring issues, or string config errors.

@TaliaB thank you again for your advice. I was eventually able to go around and restarted the system. We got it back up and running again and the SOC is accurate again.
Really appreciate your advice

Shut down the complete system.
1. Isolate the pv.
2. Shut inverter down.
3. Shut both batteries down: Then check:
4. Comms cable between batteries are properly connected.
5.Comms cable ( Can or RS485) is properly plugged in on battery side and inverter side. If Can is used to correct ports if RS485 is used to correct both on battery side and on inverter.
Restart system Battery Inverter Pv.
Go the the Li-bms page on the inverter and ensure the inverter is receiving data from the master battery bms. See screenshot 1.
Then check if inverter battery setup page is configured correctly. Screenshot 2. My screenshots is based on Lfp 5kwh Sunsynk battery.

You can. If your hybrid inverter can export to the grid, net metering will give you credit for energy.
Your utility will say it is illegal and dangerous because you haven't filled in their papers.

I am in the Western Cape. Installed solar May last year. Not to get involved in Municipality BS I buy as little as possible 50 to 80 units every month during summer months and build up the units for the winter.  jy kan iemand lekker laat moer vir 12k

To appear incompetent and to actually be incompetent are two very different situations. The perceived "incompetence" is often a carefully planned strategy to keep the coffers full, allowing for even more people to dip into the funds.
A good example is the pension fund 2 pot system who is gaining the most not the poor working class trying to survive no the tax man is helping to keep the coffers filled up. A crying shame.

That is precisely why I am querying the layout. I took multiple readings on my phone and couldn't understand the logic. I get the ease of installation and cost etc. But surely one would look more towards max output

Batteries are like so many things - they're a resource that you have to manage. One management task is to maximise the electrical work done during the sunny hours, leaving less for the battery to do after hours.

I have half the battery that Jacques does. I get through the night. My rule of thumb is that if the battery is fully charged at 16:00 then I will be OK (above 40% SOC) until 8:00 the next day, as long as nobody goes bonkers with appliances in the morning. By 8:00 the sun will be up, or I will have given dire warnings to all and sundry (IE wife, housekeeper, dog) about the need to be careful. Though I am less bellicose about this now because we are 200-and-something days without load shedding.

But I still want to get through the night on batteries. That keeps the bill down. 

At night we have 3 fridges/freezers running (all fairly new, with inverter drives), external lights on (LED, they draw next to nothing), wifi, alarm, electric fence, TV, some interior lights, occasional use of kettle and air fryer. So we have adjusted our routines to, as I said, make as much use as we can of free power from the sun and don't do a lot at night. It helps that we have a full gas stove, but if we had electric we'd be observing the same routines anyway. Water heating is done with a heat pump (much more efficient than a regular geyser) and twice a day (early morning, which is included in my "until 8:00" calculations) and then again at midday. The geyser has a blanket on it to reduce heat losses.

I think most homes would struggle to get through the night consistently on 5kWh (effectively 4.5, since the battery usually shuts down at 10% remaining SOC), though I sometimes come in at that mark, but with 10 and some discipline it's definitely doable. 

My system is set to resort to grid if SOC gets to 40%, so I will always have at least 3kWh of backup  in the event of an outage. If we had a power cut starting early morning and overcast weather, then I might get through to 11:30 with some restraint. Getting all the way off the grid is hard, but you can certainly make a big difference to your bill. 

Though I'm not making the difference that Jacques is.

With the price of electricity these days, a single malt is more appropriate.

I was flagged within three months after my solar install. 
They inspected 3 times to check if I was illegally connecting in the street DB. 
Then they pitched one day and just installed a prepaid unit. No pre-advice or me asking for it.
Anyhow, the guys that installed advised me on that day that I would have to recharge once at least every 3 months else the connection will be discontinued.
So now I buy R100 every 2 months or so and use it sometimes to keep it ticking over.

Bottle Jack Daniels will do

Technically, you are not allowed to increase the supply - if your eskom supply is 150A, then that is the maximum breaker you may install anywhere in the system. The solar is not allowed to supplement above that limit. (But nobody pays attention to that, so do whatever you want.)

Put in a wireless switch with the correct amperage on the line to the pump and give everyone access via their smartphone.
Qwikswitch.co.za have a good solution re wifi switches and wifi extenders and remote bridges.
 

Just give a bottle of whiskey once a year to the neighbor paying for the pump electricity. Problem solved.

Pretty sure it's illegal to sell electricity over a neighbour's fence. But instead of trying to charge per kWh, why not charge per kilolitre of water to run a pipe to a neighbour's storage tank? Or is that also dodgy?

How many panels per A-frame?
I read the design specs for my flat roof, they specifically mention a weight limit per SQM.
Can you imagine the fuss the insurance company would make if they did their sums and found out the roof structure was not designed to take the additional ballast + panel weight.

There's lots of things to be said EG why is this even neccessary? But it sounds better to me than the current situation. This way at least you can keep the lights, wifi and a TV on, probably the fridge too. That has to be better.

I still have a geyser switch in my meter box dating back to the late 70s that allowed the council to do exactly that.
 
 

@Scorp007 kindly define "bypass", my hope and faith is that when I say "bypass", I would be intending on the DB to mean if the inverter ever packs up, I "bypass" the inverter and I am now back onto the grid till my inverter is either fixed or replaced and nothing is going through the inverter or from batteries to my load. Are we of the same understanding? Reason I'm asking is, my whole household except Solar geyser and Stove is on "essentials".

What he said
I have a 5kW Sunsynk.  When Eskom is on and I turn on say 7kW worth of devices, +/- 5kW will come out of the battery / solar array via the Sunsynk, and 2kW from Eskom
If Eskom is off however, and the Mrs. turns on the kettle, the coffee machine and microwave all at once, the inverter will trip.   This has happened and some education was required.  In short, you can do around 2 high draw devices at once like kettle and coffee machine.  But wait for kettle to finish up before turning on the micro

Carbon in the air is just one type of pollution, but F1 as a whole is creating a lot of other types of pollution. We cannot be zero pollution anyway, so over time this rock drifting in space is going to be unlivable for the current creatures and we will have another great reset. 7th or 8th mass extinction? Cockroaches will be the new kings of the planet 😅

Reset the datalogger settings by pressing the LEDs for 10 seconds. Connect to the logger and enter 192.168.10.100 in your PC browser and log in to its website. Login: admin, password: 12345678. There you will find the logger configuration where you enter the data of your WIFI network. You confirm, you leave and the logger should flash blue.

@superdiy show off!  grappie net , ,, ek net jaloers. 
 
my DIY cheapy.     10mm threaded rods wat n 50mm x 50mm angle iron regop vas hou. Die panele is voor saam vas met n aluminuim angle. en aan die kante.
So wanneer die wind waai dan stress ek n bietjie.. 
 
 

Here's mine. Unistrut connected with stainless steel angle brackets. I had the brackets lasercut and bended. Sikaflex in-between everything.

Panels secured with standard mounting hardware, but I've added stainless steel angles and ball-bearings in the heads of the cap-screws to prevent easy removal of the panels - the allen key won't go into the head of the cap-screw and if you try to use pliers or a vice-grip around the head of the cap-screw, you won't be able to turn it.

@coffeedogsjujitsu while this is a public forum where opinions and informal comments are most welcome, I do feel you should have done a slight more homework and research before making a bold statement this.
Let me help you here, you are not dealing with the reticulated neatral connection in your residential bounds. The frame substructure of pv has no reference to your live and earth-bonded neatral. We are trying to earth these frames against lighning surges and plus minus nothin else. 
And no, the roof will only blow off  in the Netflix movies.