Mark Y-M

Thanks Solaris, it didn’t bother me before, but since my Kodak blew up I’m terrified a similar issue could happen so am trying to have as much information and protection as possible.. the passwords also didn’t work, but appreciate your sharing them, thanks.

Thanks, Suly. I tried that, thanks. No luck. Resetting the BMS may put it back to defaults. Just working on how to reset it now. :-}

Hi WolfAndy, I have 12 x 370W and have a 250/100 on its way. 😊 How did you configure the panels? 3 strings of 4? Did you use MC4 "Y" connections to "parallel" them? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the response. Nor am I an expert on Kodak, but I know of only one other person who has owned one and it also stopped working soon after purchasing it, with no help from the supplier regarding warranty, so there must be a few of them giving issues otherwise "prompt after sales service and repairs under warranty", isn't a bad compliment to have if you can't rely on the product for the more preferable compliment of "Great Product!" :-)

I have someone helping me to try to and crack the passwords, but haven't had any luck finding that app. By "App Store", you must mean "Apple App Store"? Do you remember what it was called? There are quite a few apps and none I've tried use WiFi. Most want to connect using Bluetooth.

Thanks for the feedback. I just had a 48V 5Kv Kodak VMIII burn up on me and whilst not very technical, I received some good feedback on this forum. The suppliers are not honouring the warranty (yet), and nor do I have a reason why, but the fine print in the warranty it says that if any other than approved batteries are used, they will not honour the warranty, so that may be a reason. In your opinion, could the Coslight batteries cause damage to an inverter, assuming that installation etc, is all as per specification?

Hi Solaris, I was considering a WiFi password cracker myself, but have never got around to it. Did you have any luck with those jumpers on the pins? I see on mine that their WiFi ID changes with the dip switches so they are hopefully talking to each other.

That’s useful regarding the slave and primary, Alyusuph, thanks, as I noticed they were always “live”. I got mine online and 2nd hand with no paperwork. Can I reset the BMS and is there a default password I can then use for each battery to log into the “Coslink” WiFi?

Well, after a month of total radio silence whilst my emails turned from, “I’m so sorry, I know you must be busy”, to, “What could be taking so long when @Coulomb and Plonkster seemed to sum it up with a few grainy photo’s?” My gentle prompting was swiftly acknowledged with a “quote to repair ‘Kadak’ inverter” in invoice format with a Total of R4,400.00. I’ve now noticed that the warranty covers repair or replacement as long as installation was according to spec, as one may expect, but any Lithium Battery other than those approved that is installed immediately disqualifies you from a warranty claim. This is in the warranty slip, but in no other place in the maketing material or installation manual. Oddly, the battery (a Coslight 48100) was working well for 5 weeks with the inverter. It was the arrival of the panels that created the issue. I don't want to spend another 5k on this inverter. Does the CPA work, in this country? I must need an explanation for receiving a quote instead of a replacement, surely?

Thanks iops. Always good to hear of configurations working more than just once! 🙂

Hi Jaco, what should the number look like or do you need all of them?

I wasn’t sure which part to quote as it’s all so helpful and informative @Coulomb. I just want to thank you very much for that detailed analysis and advice! I’m still waiting for feedback from the supplier, but will opt for a replacement board from Jaco if they are not coming to the party. Thanks again!

It depends on the manufacturer. I've opened boxes in the past and even told the manufacturer "hey, I see it blew that part" without trouble, and I've never had any problems. If you had to remove a "warranty void" sticker, that's where the trouble starts. Hi Plonkster, you appear to be quite correct and that doesn’t seem to be an issue. Getting back to me with any kind of feedback at all does seem to be a problem for them. Thanks to you, I have what seems like the most plausible cause of the issue and a way to avoid it in the future, thanks.

Thanks Plonkster, it won’t happen again! I hear Mecer here in JHB change their boards out under warranty irrespective of cause of damage, so that would have been a better Voltronics system to go for as I am still waiting to hear from the Kodak agents.

Hi Tariq, I think you did the right thing. Was that the 3Kva Easysolar? How many panels did you put up? I already have my panels fitted, (12x370) so would have a slightly higher watt capacity of 4400W than the 4000W max on the EasySolar MPPT, but think it would just throttle my Solar output once it hits 4000W.

Yeah, thanks Jaco. I read your post a while ago, and haven’t had time to get on here again, but have thought of it often. The supplier doesn’t seem to have any kind of service ethic. I don’t even know if they are waiting for parts, or whether they plan to honour the warranty at all. Like you said, “the waiting” is the worst. I replied to a post earlier regarding the using of a Victron MPPT with the 5Kva Voltronics, and am thinking of buying the MPPT in the meantime so my panels are still being acknowledged and batteries charged. 🙂

Hi WolfAndy, did you install the Victron MPPT and if yes, how is it going? My Kodak blew up after fitting panels and while I wait for it to return, if ever, I’ve been looking at other options, to keep my panels working, but would then still not have inverter. If the supplier returns my inverter fixed, I would configure it the same as you were planning on doing, and when the inverter blows up again in the future ( hopefully it wouldn’t), I could move over to a Victron Multiplus II as I would already have the MPPT.

Yeah, I must say, I was very happy with the Kodak, and only after installing the solar panels, 5 weeks after the initial installation, did it give up on me. Had it continued the way it had been, I was very impressed, and it's 5kVA capability was more in line with my 4400W solar array I had ordered. If I bought the Multi-Plus II 5kVA, I would be in for R30k, then would still need to pay R15k for the MPPT 250/100 for similar specs. That's 450% more than the VMIII for what looks like the same thing on paper. And so....here we are....:-)

Thanks, Plonkster. Why do you have 3 x Blue Solars? is it because of the max open circuit Voltage of ones solar array? I have 12 x JASolar 370W panels so am able to have two arrays in series that I parallel at the end, but that wouldn't be possible with a BlueSolar 150/70 would it? In response to my Kodak problem, they have asked me to send wiring diagram with DC and AC protection etc., so I have no complaints yet. The ball is in my court, but literally just haven't got around to it. In fact, that is what I am supposed to be doing right now 🙂

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Hi Jaco, I'd like to say that it sounds good, despite my dire current financial situation after all these purchases, but it may be the best offer I'll get, thank you. I'm struggling with the site as can only seem to load one photo. How can I send you more photos? thanks again! 382CC548-E1DB-4154-8302-DE7CA3CA1F65.heic 6AE784D5-A9E4-4BB4-84D4-FFACDEAE0E2F.heic

I'm not sure I'm replying to these correctly, but just wanted to say thank you, because I have NO idea what has happened or what is wrong and would rather start again. The Victron EasySolar II GX is starting to look like a more compelling option if I can't even look after the Kodak more than 2 days with all its features finally installed and working. Am I less likely to have a problem such as mine with the Victron, or does stuff always go wrong if one has limited electronics knowledge when trying to operate these inverters?

Thanks, Plonkster. I've mailed the supplier and hope the response will be positive. The warranty falls away if one's battery is not on their list, but I hope the fact that it was running for a few weeks on the batteries with no issue, will negate that rule kicking in. It was only after the solar panels were installed that the problem arose, but they bran for 24 hours with no issue first. Thanks also for the 230 VAC incandescent light tip to slowly charge the DC bus, but for this occasion, I think it should have been in the owners manual i9f not doing it was going to blow up my inverter. 🙂 I've attached a pic of the underside in case it is relevant, thank you.

Hi, I have a Kodak OG5.48 VMIII which has lasted a several weeks with Eskom & a couple of 6kw Coslight Lithium batteries for back-up during "load-shedding". I fitted 10 JA Solar 390W panels (2 x 5 strings in series, paralleled at the end) last week and on the second day in the late afternoon, there was a crackling sound inside the panel. I bypassed the Inverter on the DB Board (in this mode it still gives power to the inverter) and disconnected my batteries by opening the 2 x 100A fuse holders and removed power from and to the inverter with the circuit breakers at the inverter for "in" and "out" AC power. I also isolated the panels with their isolation switch and opened their two 30A fuse boxes. Later that evening, with all the power still off, I attempted to close the batteries fuse box and was given a huge flash of light and loud noise which seemed to move into the inverter with sparks coming out the right hand side. I managed to turn on the inverter with the panels and battery still isolated . Assuming the large batteries had supplied the power for my earlier fright, I exchanged them with 4 x 12V x 7.5ah batteries. The battery charger was working and I could even run a 5W light bulb from the AC "Out" to which I had attached an adapter plug. After 5 minutes I received an 09 error which wouldn't clear. I opened the inverter with a friend who is an auto electrician and the "mosphets" are all quite badly scorched. I've heard that opening it up immediately voids any warranty here in South Africa. I wanted to ask if there is a good chance if I replace the mosphets and any other obvious damage that it will work again? If there is not anything I have done that appears obviously to have caused the damage, I intend to contact the Kodak agents to see if I do have any recourse, despite having opened it to see what the problem was. Thanks in advance for any comments. I'll attach a photo of the mosphets. Regards, Mark.

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