HowardB

The ICC software is running great now, as is the RPi unit and VNC. Just a question on the temps of the ICC RPi unit bought through Centurion Solar, so assuming their standard case type - mine averages 62C (from the ICC display) in a room with ambient temp of about 23C - is this temp a bit high for prolonged use or is it normal for the Pi? I printed a basic fan stand for a 12v 60mm maglev fan on the weekend to hold the Pi unit (unit sits on top so cool air blows from beneath and out through the side holes) - hacked an old 5v cellphone charger to power the fan at 5v for the moment, so it turns enough to cool but not make too much of a noise - it has bought the RPi unit temps down to about 40C average, which to me looks much better. What are others doing?

Thanks Francois. The real-time stats are great; nice to see where the peaks and loads are. I ran some basic Sonoff POW rev2 power consumption meters from various plug points in the house to establish what loads I was using and what critical loads needed to be run on the inverter setup - the ICC stats are so much more accurate and provide a much better overview. Really happy this is now sorted. Just need to figure a way on incorporating the remote unit again as where the Axpert is located is not the ideal LCD viewing location... The remote unit I got with the Axpert MKS-5K (green/black model) is like this one (noting the disclaimer that: WILL GIVE INCORRECT READINGS ON THE NEW VMII and PF1 and above models; please only use for the original KS/MKS models) - mine is the MKS unit, so should theoretically work fine - I suppose it does, until the USB is plugged in between the inverter and the PI, but if the USB is not used the remote unit doesn't seem to allow "pass-through" with the RS232 cable to the PI. I also tried Coulomb's "Pi<--> USB-to-serial-adapter <--> D9-to-RJ45-cable <--> (OUT)remote-box(IN) <--> long-RJ-45-to-RJ-45-cable <--> Inverter" connection guidance as the base, but the "COM OUT" on the remote unit does not seem to do anything and the Pi does not read the inverter... However I see there is another similar version of the remote unit, but at twice the price - I wonder if the one I got with the Axpert is not necessarily the correct one, or maybe it's for a different Axpert setup. I see there is also something called a "ModBus Box" which says it provides the Axpert or Infinisolar inverters with the functionality for communication with PCs through MODBUS protocol - RS485 and RS232. Would this possibly work? Will try and read further on this...

Aren't these made by Rectron? Maybe contact them directly. Is the unit still under warranty? http://www.rectron.co.za

OK, so ICC up and running after 5hrs of strife today. I had to disconnect my Axpert remote unit as it will not work properly with the USB plugged into the Pi for the Axpert monitoring - kind of beats the object of providing a remote unit if the rs232 and USB on the Axpert can't work together at the same time... Real VNC Viewer (on both my Windows 7 and 10 x64 desktop and laptop) would not keep the connection to the Pi, no matter what I tried. Kept dropping and trying to reconnect every 30-60 seconds, wifi signal throughout the house is 90%+ using repeaters, so the network is not seemingly the issue, nor congested. The android app version on both my phone and tablet work perfectly though, no dropping at all... I guess the windows version is buggy or plain rubbish? The ICC software is really good, so many settings at a glance. The Pylons are now showing the correct battery details/reporting and it's fairly easy to use. Still have some reading an learning to do before going to the next stage of adding some PV panels.

Just an update - Serial/USB arrived and it seems WatchPower can only connect/monitor the Axpert device if there is a direct connection using the Serial-to-USB cable; if connected via the remote display unit on the COM Out, the Axpert cannot be seen by the software... the remote display unit has the COM Out with an ON/OFF switch next to it - whether the switch is on or off makes no difference. Oh well, canned that idea and will return the serial/USB cable and will try the ICC/PI that arrived yesterday. Only issue now is I cannot log into the PI to remote view/monitor via VNC Viewer - the default user/pwd does not work (pi/raspberry), so I'm stuck until I have a response from ICC. Added my setup woes to the ICC thread here. Does everyone have these types of issues when setting up, or am I doing something fundamentally wrong? Granted, I've never used monitoring software, a PI or VNC, but after reading various threads it seems like it should be a very easy process... not.

My Axpert 5k fans are also always on; fans are not going full tilt, but always on. When I first switched on the fans were like hurricanes, during battery charging I guess. They calmed down after charging was completed and although running seemingly all the time, they are quiet (less than my PC) - occasionally they rev up, I assume when the load increases. Load currently not more than 200w at any one time, average is 80-90w.

@Dex_ I had the same experience a number of years ago with the Royal 1150K's - granted, they were a tad cheaper at the time, but as mentioned, "Leisure" and "Deep Cycle" don't go together - mine lasted only 2 years of "average" cycling during the loadshedding years ago, not going below 70% max discharge. Having said that, I did find that the Royal Delkor DC31's were seemingly much better than the 1150's for my setup 2S x 2P 24v on a UG3200va inverter (fridge, garage door and security cameras connected) - the ones I replaced recently with my new lithium setup lasted since 2012/2013 up to recently with the stage 4 loadshedding up to 2-3 times a day in our area - that was the straw/camel/etc for them. Price-wise, they were not much more then the others at the time, and did last better than I expected with frequent deep cycling during loadshedding over that period. For a basic backup setup vs cost outlay, they were fine for my needs, however, for a longer term solution with frequent deep cycling, rather spend a bit more and get some proper deep cycle batteries.

...and the second picture is incorrect - ignore it

Apologies, picture posted twice for some reason...

Hi all, Now the Axpert 5K and Pylon's are up and running as a UPS/bypass solution for now, I'm taking the next step in understanding how this should be connected to my home DB - I will not be doing the wiring/changes myself, but rather wish to understand what "should" be done so I have some basic idea of what the electrician should be doing... My DB currently looks like this under the cover - have marked what I think is going on inside (just have to re-check the Neutrals, as it's difficult to see which ones route where in the spaghetti mess!) : I've marked the various circuits as follows, per the pic, just for my clarity: E/L - common point on chassis M1 Blue phase runs through the E/L protector, with L1 output to the Geyser, Plugs 1 and Plugs 2 circuits M2 White phase does not run through the E/L protector, powering seemingly half of the Stove/Hob (Hob?), Lights 1 and Lights 2 circuits M3 Red phase does not run through the E/L protector, and seems to power the other half of the Stove/Hob (Stove?)I can only assume that the Stove is on 1 half of the breaker (M3 Red) and the Hob on the other half of the breaker (M2 White) (a dual 30A breaker) There are two Neutral busbars - N1 from the E/L protector seems to run to the top busbar, with N2 runing from the top to the bottom busbar - linking them? N3 seems to loop back to the E/L breaker? Doesn't seem right, so will re-check this later...not sure where the incoming utility Neutral line is... My main question, in order to understand layout/connection correctly is: I want the inverter to power the lights and plugs only on Eskom failure - solar panels will be added later to minimise utility use on these circuits. If I have the electrician: remove Lights 1&2 circuits from the M2 White phase and move them to the L1 Blue phase, then remove Geyser circuit from the L1 Blue phase and move it to the M2 White phase Does this look/sound right?

I experienced the same as Mr.A last week when turning on the Axpert 5K for the first time. The Pylon batteries were connected to the inverter, but switched off - bit confusing as my inverter's manual does not state anything about the batteries being connected before switch on, AND the Pylon's say the inverter should be powered on before connecting the batteries... confusing. However, all worked out - switched on the inverter at the panel switch, then the Pylon's, then it all came to life!

Just ordered the full kit from Riaan!

Thanks Arandoza - will take a look at this

Yes, same version from what I can see. Will try again when the adapter cable arrives. USB disconnected for now.

Great, many thanks Coulomb - have ordered the adapter so long. Thought I might have one lying in a box of PC spares, but no luck...

Me again... Ok, so everything hooked up, powered on and running well - installed WatchPower from the CD, hooked up the Axpert (green/black 5000VA/5000W model with parallel card - I initially thought it was the 4000W model...) via USB to my laptop, but could not change any settings via the software. After reviewing the settings and making the changes via the inverter control panel functions, the Pylons are charging - went with the following settings (no PV yet, so utility only): (26) CV Bulk Charging @ 53.8v (27) Floati Charge @ 53.2v Max Charge Current @ 30A all round So, after fiddling with the login password, I finally got in as the administrator and WatchPower was reflecting the inverter's status and charging status. Now here are a few issues with this software I cannot seem to fathom: The inverter is only connected to the laptop via USB - I cannot see any way of using the serial connection cable, as the laptop does not have a serial port (neither does my desktop PC) When changing settings in WatchPower, most kick out an error/failed when hitting the Apply button? Although, after disconnecting the USB and connecting it again, the values do in fact seem to be updated to what I had input... According to the manual, you can change the Device Name, however this does not change no matter what I try. The Data, Event Log and Fault Data Log do not reflect any logged data at all - I see that there are numerous listed devices, but not my current connected device? Even after scrolling down the list If I input the date range from 1 Jan 2018 to 17 Feb 2019, it returns some data from only one of the "historic" devices, dating back to Feb 2018!? The sealed box the Axpert came in shows a manufacture date of Jan 2019 though??? So are these "historic" devices just in the software image install? I've tried deleting all the data on the device name, but there is an error message "failed". How do I then remove them? Finally, how do I get WatchPower to reflect and log the details/status of my device? I also bought a remote display unit for the inverter, which is connected to the inverter using the supplied RJ45 cable and dry contact cable. Per the inverter and remote manual (which is not the best when it comes to details), it should be plug and play, however, if the inverter is connected to the laptop via USB, then the remote unit thows a fault (20) - whatever that means, as there is no reference to this in the remote unit's manual - there is no fault on the inverter though. If the USB is then unplugged from the laptop, the fault goes away and the remote unit works as intended. My question is then "how do I use the remote unit AND have the USB connected to the laptop, so it can log the data in WatchPower?" Maybe I'm missing something very simple...other than using the serial cable.

@2una, to be honest, I didn't use the feet that came with the cabinet as they looked too flimsy; when I test fitted them initially, they didn't seem to go through the chassis holes at all (holes way too small), so I drilled them out ever so slightly (think it was 9.5mm) - the bolts still gripped the chassis holes as they went through. Also wondered what I'd bought, but it did go together quite well in the end. I also wanted to be able to move the cabinet when needed, so I got some 75mm solid rolling castor wheels from Gelmar - the ones with the 10mm bolt holes - I think the feet that came with the cabinet were also 10mm, but I had to also get some slightly longer bolts to attach the castors. I also added a heavy duty 3mm-thick washer and spring washer on the inside under the nut, just to be sure! Probably overkill though The front two wheels have the "brake" and the back two are just normal rolling types - sits very solidly Ha ha - information overload early on a Saturday! Good to know though.

Thanks @Jaws and @plonkster, makes sense. Couldn't find the 6mm^2 anywhere today, so went with the 4mm^2- should be more than fine for bonding the batteries and cabinet to the DB earth point. The ones that came with the Pylons have 10AWG printed on them, which seems to be 6mm^2 equivalent.

Thanks SilverNodashi, will do

Just another question, more for my comfort, does it matter what wire gauge is used for the grounding connection to the main board earthing point - I'm going to the local electrical shop shortly to get the ground cable, but see they only seem to have the 4mm (12AWG) and 2.5mm (14AWG) earth cable - the one that comes with the batteries is a 6mm (10AWG) - does this make any difference for the earthing or would the 4mm be sufficient? If I need the 6mm, I'll have to find it elsewhere...

Ha ha, hoping to have it done in the next few days, at least by end of the weekend! With the loadshedding starting again today, hopefully will get it up and running sooner than later - Murphy today ensured my old faithful independent inverter running the fridge/freezer/lamps/TV/HTPC pack up, so now there's incentive to get this done asap Will post pics and info, and thanks to everyone for their valued comments!

Many thanks SilverNodashi. Interesting. Another question then, if the Axpert pushes 83A under normal conditions, with a short peak of 120A, then shouldn't I replace the 125A fuse that came with the unit with a lower value, say 100A fuse, or would this not make much difference (the additional 5A that is)? The Pylon US2000-B Plus datasheet states max discharge/charge current at 100A(2C)@ 1min - I assume if the discharge current then hits 120A for longer time it would damage the batteries; if the fuse only blows at 125A, it would then do serious damage to the batteries?

Only one RCT Axpert MKS-5K inverter for now, 4kW. Draw would never be more than 10A-15A peak, and not continuous. Great, will use the single fuse only. I'm using the standard cable set that came with the Pylon's which shows 4AWG on it. I know if you parallel more than 4-5 Pylon's, you need a second set of 120A cables, so my 2 batteries should be fine on the 4AWG, would probably never pull 40A for the current proposed setup. Thx, cable length will be as short as possible, around 40-50cm max from battery cabinet to inverter, including inline fuses; probably 1m total from battery terminals to inverter. Is there any point/reason in adding a secondary disconnect breaker switch if I'm using the fuse unit?

Thanks again for the reply Youda. Makes sense on the "+" only. If I'm running the 2x Pylon 2.4kw and the "+" is fused with the 2x 125A on the same pole effectively, how/when would this blow - I assume the fused "+" would then be able to handle 250A given the 2 fuses in parallel; is this then not to-high-a-fuse-rating? Each Pylon seems to output about 120A max on full load (from what I've read), and they are in parallel only, so would seem 240A is the total max output of the 2 batteries at full load (will probably never use this full power capability though). If the above is true, then if I add 2 more Pylon's in a few months time, then the Amps could double again, but would I need to up the fuse ratings and 4AWG DC cables?

Hi all, two questions: 1. So I bought an MLT 200A Battery Disconnect with Pre-Charge Circuit, and as with most websites in SA, there is some info but not all the info! I tried to research the product more before buying, but most sites state exactly the same generic information. The seller (not SegenSolar) confirmed that the unit included 2 fuse modules on 2 separate poles, with 125A fuses on each pole and the pre-charge circuit on the "+", however when the product arrived it does have the 2 poles, 2x 125A fuses and the pre-charge circuit, BUT, the two poles are connected with a bus bar as in this picture -- I also have no clue what the 2 smaller bus bars are for at the bottom of the box: So my main question is: when connecting this unit between the Pylon's and the Axpert, would the "+" only run through this unit, effective having 2x 125A fusing on the "+" and nothing on the "-". Alternatively, if the 2 fuse pole units are disconnected from each other (i.e bus bar removed from the left one via cutting for the "-", with the right cut shorter on the "+"), with the pre-charge circuit still on the right pole, then the "+" and "-" would both be fused individually at 125A each - I always understood that both cables should be fused with such battery/inverter connections, hence getting this unit on the basis that the seller described such, but the way it's actually designed it doesn't seem to allow this. If not, then I'll have to return the unit and opt for a Keto or similar. I also do not know if there would be any adverse effect on the pre-charge circuit on the "+" if the "-" is effectively just a fused pass though? Any comments/guidance would be appreciated on this. 2. If the above (or a Keto) fusing is installed between the Pylon's and Axpert, do I also need a 2-pole disconnect breaker in line? And if so, would it go on the battery side or the inverter side of the above fuse unit? I know the above is already a disconnect unit, but I also want to be able to totally disconnect the batteries quickly via breaker/switch if ever needed, just to be extra safe. Again, comments/input would be welcome