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The Dabbler
United States
Registrace 25. 04. 2013
I'm interested in solar energy, tech and things of that nature. Trying to live life in a way more considerate to the planet. Reduce, reuse, recycle and so on.
Video
Let's fix a hot attic door!
zhlédnutí 16Před 2 měsíci
The attic door was 15F hotter than the rest of the ceiling, so I fixed it. I know, what an exciting life I lead! 1. Lay the door out on a table or somewhere flat. 2. Cut the roll of radiant barrier to fit. I used two strips. 3. Staple the strips down along the edges. Press down on the stapler before triggering so it goes in. 4. Seal over the staples with the aluminium tape. 5. Put the door back...
Grid down again
zhlédnutí 62Před 3 měsíci
Almost exactly a year since being without power for a week and here we are again. This time I’m prepared! Grid shmid. Solar for the win 🥇
Sun Grid Tie Inverter Limiter Settings HOWTO #gridtie #solar #inverter
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed 6 měsíci
A quick guide to how to configure the limiter and battery settings for the Sun grid tie inverter range. 00:00 - Intro 00:14 - LCD 00:23 - Internal limiter 00:34 - Current and power modes 01:07 - Cut off and reboot voltages 01:28 - How does it all work together? - 1000W GTIL Grid Tie Inverter with Limiter amzn.to/49bvyu5 - 2000W GTIL Grid Tie Inverter with Limiter amzn.to/3S2xJc0 I have yet to d...
2000w Sun GTIL Grid Tie Inverter with Limiter USA setup
zhlédnutí 3,7KPřed 7 měsíci
How I wired multiple 2000W 240V GTILs (grid tie inverters with limiter) to a USA split phase breaker panel. #solar #gridtie #inverter *PLEASE NOTE* - Electricity is serious stuff. If you have doubts, please use a qualified electrician. It's not worth frying yourself, your GTIL, or home. Things from the video... - 2000W GTIL Grid Tie Inverter with Limiter amzn.to/3S2xJc0 - SCT-013-000 CT clamp s...
48v battery balancer review 🔋
zhlédnutí 217Před 7 měsíci
My 48v battery bank had gradually been slipping out of balance. This is no longer the case thanks to the little black box at amzn.to/48P90yF . Installation time 15 minutes, tested for just under a month so far and working great.
WZRELB 48v split phase inverter
zhlédnutí 286Před 9 měsíci
Upgraded from 12v to 48v and needed a new off grid inverter. Enter the WZRELB 120/240v. Picked it up on #blackfriday for just $455. amzn.to/47NYBTp This wasn’t the most detailed of videos but I wanted to get something out there while it was on sale. More soon! #solar #inverter
Low temp cut off on HQST 60A solar charge controller
zhlédnutí 327Před rokem
Demonstrating low temperature cut off working correctly on the HQST 60A solar charge controller. #solar #chargecontroller #batteries #storage amzn.to/3EktVfY
HQST 60A MPPT 12/24/36/48v solar charge controller
zhlédnutí 3,2KPřed rokem
HQST 60A MPPT 12/24/36/48v solar charge controller
Emergency Weather Solar Crank AM/FM NOAA Radio
zhlédnutí 27Před 2 lety
Emergency Weather Solar Crank AM/FM NOAA Radio
Unboxing - PowGrow 6 string solar combiner box
zhlédnutí 1,5KPřed 2 lety
Unboxing - PowGrow 6 string solar combiner box
Hernandez Charles Johnson Jennifer Clark Larry
Davis Laura Young Susan Young Gary
Harris Karen Garcia Joseph Lee Daniel
I ordered two of the gtil 2000 units today for use in a U.S. split phase setup. Your video was the most helpful I found on how to configure the setup. Are you still using yours?
@@happydingo6435 I am indeed. 11kWh of production so far today. Good luck with yours!
@@thedabbler2753 thx - my house is already entirely off grid except for my 4 ton central air system. I hope to use the two gtil 2000 units to zero out the load presented by the AC unit which is about 3800 watts when the compressor is running. I wondered if each of my two gtil should be connected to its own 110v hot leg and neutral, or raise the output voltage on each gtil to 220v and connect both gtils in parallel to l1 and l2. I guess still a little confused!
@@happydingo6435 if you're using the 2k, you have to do the latter. The L and N on the GTIL are treated as the two hots in a 240v circuit, so go into a double pole breaker. The G goes to the ground bar. None of it should connect to the neutral bar in the breaker panel.
Good video. Can you provide a model number for this inverter? And I did not understand your comment about the older units. Are they missing the Neutral connector?
The 2000W model that I use, which has a 45-90V VOC, is model SUN-2000G2-H. My older unit has the 5.2 firmware and the kettle / PC type plug, whereas the newer one has 6.1 and a terminal block, but both wire up the same. The 2000W model is a 240V device, so what is labelled as L and N on the GTIL go to the two hot terminals on a double pole breaker, while the ground goes to the ground bar. Nothing connects to the neutral bar in the breaker panel. I hope that helps.
Can we extend CT sensor cable for extra length? Is it still accurate?
It is. Make sure to use shielded twisted pair cable (STP). You should be able to get around 30m / 100ft.
Hello thankyou for the video. I have a 2000w sun grid tie. The connection is okay buy it works for a few minutes and cuts off grid power from the house. What could be the problem.
what do you mean by "cuts off grid power" are you in the USA with 120/240 or EU
Mine are Hooked In Series Watch the Hots you use it changes the reading one Hot will show Minus then plug it in to another one and is will say Plus, Once you get it leave it alone and it should be good to go! This had me going for a few days.. Good Luck! God Bless!!!
Hello
Hello i was looking at your connection with your grid tie inverter and I was wondering how do you connected the limiter to get it to limit both leg of the Grit
I use the watt setting as the amp setting changes production as the battery discharges so it seems easier to me to control the watts. I like the 800 setting as it runs cool enough which hopefully extends the life. I have had these installed for a few years now and the only problem has been the settings freeze up from time to time and I have to reboot the AC power.
@@offgridwanabe that has been my experience too. They just do their thing. The selection wheel / AC reset seems common to all the firmwares I’ve had so far (5.2 & 6.1) but as you said, a power reset fixes it.
This doesn't make sense to me because when you connect the GTL to a double breaker, you are connecting both lines to only one leg (120 volt) of the two legs on the breaker box. It seems to me that the GTL lines should go to a breaker on each of the two 120 volt legs in the breaker box.
That's not how a double pole breaker works. I've included a link for you to have a look at at the end of this reply. Scroll down to the bit about the dryer plug as the 2k GTIL is essentially working the same way. You'll see that the L1 and L2 look like a zipper. When a double pole goes in it touches both at the same time. That is why this works. I hope it clarifies things for you. theengineeringmindset.com/120-240v-split-phase-us-can/
Можете подключить удалённый контроль через rs485
@@zazadkazazadka9084 Только между ними. Я не пробовал отладку с RS485 на USB.
I've connected two 60a units using parallel cable. Set both to parallel mode. Makes no difference to operation... One bank of panels has 760 max watts and the other 800 watts. I've set one bank to parallel first then the other and vice-versa and still no difference. What's actually supposed to occur in parallel mode that doesn't happen without it..? And yes, the unit that I start in parallel first then shows the rs232 icon...
I bought the wire just in case but ultimately came to the same conclusion you have. Beyond synchronizing battery settings there doesn't appear to be much else observably going on, so indeed one could just run them independently. If there is, well the manual certainly didn't mention it. Oh well! It could be worse. I've not had to change anything on either 60a since installation and they've been rock solid. I hope that is the experience you've had also :)
Hello great video I hooked up my 2x ct clamp on each string of pannel It seems to only read 1 side... And the wattage of grid taken dont drop.. on mine but it inject solar wattage
There could be multiple issues. Make sure internal limiter is checked (see czcams.com/video/_FxgATQuSaA/video.html), then ensure the CTs are facing the same way on each phase. If the watts is negative on the GTIL they are the wrong way.
Hi, which direction you hook up the 2 clamps? is it matter?
Make sure both are the same direction. If the GTIL reading is negative flip them.
great video, whne the unit stops working and you check DC fuses and they are good , do i haev to take out the MOSFETs ? anything else i can check before desoldering all of them... thank you in advance .
There are quite a few reasons it might be failing. If there are bad MOSFETs then testing and replacing them may work provided nothing else is wrong. While I can't offer a solution, here are a few good threads around the net on this. See... community.openenergymonitor.org/t/repairing-sun-1000gtil2-or-2000gtil2/14947 facebook.com/groups/1532777123642307/user/100000496450995/
I have a similar one but when i put on load, it works for a short time and turns off grid power for the whole house. What could be the problem.
I'm sorry to hear that. When you say similar, what model of inverter is it, and how do you have it wired to your house?
We have the 2000 watt version however it stopped working do they have an internal fuse it says lifetime warranty what's the page on Amazon disappeared thank you in advance
I'm sorry to hear that. Do you get any sort of error message on the display? There are quite a few reasons they fail, both on the AC and the DC side. There are a couple of Facebook groups [1] you can join that may be able to help you diagnose errors and part level failures. Otherwise it's try and chase the warranty or buy a new unit I'm afraid. As regards warranty work, the SunG units are made in various factories from a reference design, and then resold through numerous resellers that come and go quite quickly, meaning the warranty after the Amazon return window may be worthless. If you can track your reseller down, they usually try to work with you via email. It is unlikely they will swap the unit out, but you can try. More often they suggest the part(s) to replace, but that requires electronics skills. The individual components (fuses, mosfets, capacitors, etc) are not very expensive, and it is possible to buy the GTIL's mainboard and display unit on places like AliExpress for cheaper than a whole new unit, but you will be waiting a while for it to arrive. Given the price point, and cost of your time, you may just have to order a new unit. Before you hook it up, try to understand what went wrong with the first unit. On the DC side, over current or over voltage can damage the unit. e.g. VOC exceeds the limit on a cold day,.amps exceed the 30A max, etc. On either DC or AC surges can damage the unit. You need to ensure adequate surge protection and breakers on either side. Further to that, do not run the units too hard. Set an amp or watt limit in the configuration. [1] facebook.com/groups/1455824754596738/posts/2133319323513941/
Great info, Thanks for posting
Does the internal limiter need to be on to use the battery limited function? Or will the maximum outut wattage just be limited to whatever you set it to regardless of checking that internal limiter box?
If the internal limiter is enabled it takes precedence over the battery limit. For example, if the battery is set to cap at 1000W and your house load is 1500W, it stops at 1000W and the grid supplies the remaining 500W. If your house load is only 800W, it generates 800W because of the CT.
@@thedabbler2753 Many thanks, I have been wondering about this for a while with my GtIL inverter. Gonna have a play with it today as I was getting a little too close to max output last summer and I want the unit to last and throttle it back a tad.
Would it work to just buy one of the 120 Volt grid-tie inverters, limiting to just one of the two 120v "legs" coming in? I see everyone buys two, one for each phase. But if you just want to reduce your energy bill a little bit with 4 panels, wouldn't it work perfectly fine to just do one?
One 120v for one leg would with the clamp would work. The effectiveness is going to depend on what you have running on that leg and how much you pay for electricity, but certainly it will chip away a bit :)
I really appreciate the reply; its more of a learning thing. And one that should pay for itself in 4 or 5 years. I got 4 panels used for $24 ea (245 watts each - Santan Solar near me), and the inverter is $200. If this drops my bill by 5 or 10 a month, thats fine! Just to get this thing going is fun and a learning experience. @@thedabbler2753
Would you mind doing a more detailed video on how you hooked up the CT clamps, and what setting you used? Thanks!
I'm sorry I didn't get around to this yet. Basically, in the CT cable you'll find a red wire, a black wire, and a bare stranded wire. For series, the red from the inverter end of the CT connects to the red of the first CT. The black from the first CT connects to the red of the second CT. The black from the second CT connects to the black going back into the inverter. The bare connects with the bare of the first CT and second CT. If you want to try parallel, the red from the inverter goes to the red of both CTs, the black from the inverter to the black of both CTs, and the bare of the inverter to the bare of both CTs. The settings can be found at czcams.com/video/_FxgATQuSaA/video.html
Outstanding! I watched it twice and it makes so much sense the way you explained it. I have NOT been using the internal limiter with battery mode for reasons I can not control. Once I resolve that, and now that I know how it actual works with the two battery modes, I will be using the internal limiter with the max watts setting working together. * PERFECT*. Thank You! When in any of the battery modes, is the MPPT function (algorithm) enabled and attempting to adjust to the nearly constant current constant voltage of the large amp hour battery or is it not enabled in battery mode?
"When in any of the battery modes, is the MPPT function (algorithm) enabled and attempting to adjust to the nearly constant current constant voltage of the large amp hour battery or is it not enabled in battery mode? " I couldn't tell you whether the algorithm realises this internally, but the GTIL tracks the battery voltage without any issue. Bear in mind it might not be reading the same exact voltage because of cable length, etc, so check the battery voltage with a voltmeter and adjust the reboot / cut off to compensate for the difference.
I have 3+ years of using the 1000W version with one on L1 and the other on L2. I have not purchased the 2000W because of the one Current Clamp. I get the AC (alternating current) side of the box. You lost me on the Current Clamp(s). I would like to have two of the 2000W units set up in place of my two 1000W units. Is there any way possible you would draw (hand drawn is fine) a schematic of how to wire the Current Clamps in this series and parallel fashion and what clamp from what inverter goes where? My system has worked perfectly for over 3 years with no adjustments. I just would like more power. Could you please help?
Thanks for your question. I'll get something together as soon as I can. In the meantime I'd like to give some extra detail to help you decide before getting too far into it. I originally bought my GTILs to run directly from panels, and jumped in for the 2k unit because why not. The panels pushed 62-70v depending on conditions so it was able to hit the rated unit max of 1800W per GTIL, but after a couple of years it became clear a lot of the generation was thrown away in the day which could gave gone to evening loads, so I added batteries last year. It was a great decision which really helped for overall monthly generation, but it isn't perfect if one is expecting twice the on demand power of the 1ks when on batteries. I opted for 48V (51.2V) as it was easiest to find charge controllers and batteries for that voltage. While it works fine it's at the low end of the 2k's 45-90 VOC so for more watts that means more amps and more heat. To keep the heat down I capped the input to 25A and they've run fine now for several years. When the battery voltage is in the 54-56v that's about 1350W to 1400W, so the best case is 2800W of the potential 3600W from 2 x 2k GTILs. I haven't really seen any gain moving it to 28A. To get safely near the rated 1800W per unit one would need a 60V battery. With 1k units a 48v battery hits the sweet spot for their 22-65v VOC and I'm guessing yours can hit around 900W each without issue, so as you already have two units, and provided you have the wall space you might actually be better off adding another 1k GTIL per leg for 3600W. You'd have increased redundancy and could still take advantage of paralleling the CTs. e.g. GTIL1k-1-L1 and GTIL1k-2-L1 parallel to CT-L1. GTIL1k-3-L2 and GTIL1k-4-L2 parallel to CT-L2. I hope that didn't put you off the 2k. It is a good unit. Just trying to see how best you can grow what you have.
@@thedabbler2753 Thank you for the excellent, understandable, and enlightening reply. Just a couple bits of house keeping before I continue: 1.) I have batteries but not connected in the usual way. I have two more GTIL1ks set up in watts-limited mode (battery mode setting) set to 150Watts each, one "L1" and one on "L2" connected to 48VDC batteries. My battery system in controlled by simple "on/off" 24 hour timers that turn on the battery inverters about one hour after my day time GTIL1ks shut off due to sundown. They are not connected to the existing Current Transformers (CTs) as I do not know if in battery mode setting there is an option which utilizes the CTs(?) If so, I would just use the additional CTs that came with the two additional GTIL1ks used for batteries at nighttime (IF, I had room on my busbars). The 150Watts per GTIL1ks on battery is due to my house never uses less than 400Watts and this keeps a 100Watt no-back-feed margin (no CT control). Even more strange, I have high quality AC battery chargers also connected to simple "on/off" timers that come on during peak solar hours and recharge the batteries each day. This cycle repeats without error every 24 hours. So no Solar charge controller of any kind for battery charging. I may rethink/redesign my whole system if I go (most likely) with your recommendation of four GTIL1ks for daytime which I like. So, lets assume I go with the four GTIL1ks for daytime power. I have a problem that my breaker panel does not have accessible L1 and L2 cables. I have only solid metal busbars coming from the smart meter. I only have room for one CT per busbar which is why I originally stopped at just one GTIL1k per busbar. (daytime) I fully understand DC parallel and series wiring. I don't understand if two GTIL1k can share one CT wired in (I don't know, series or parallel ????). I see the '"e.g." above and so am guessing you indicate I can use one CT in parallel with two GTIL1k on the same leg? Can you advise in detail here please? I also don't understand if I can utilize the CTs for nighttime battery operation for my other two GTIL1ks set in either solar or battery mode while using just the batteries at night. Can you advise in detail here please? I really appreciate this help as I so want to grow/scale up my system but keep in "under the radar" so to speak. Thank you.
@@benkanobe7500 The limiting / CT function works independently of the battery or solar configuration, so you will be able to use your battery powered 1ks and it will limit itself to the load. I created a short video to explain how the different settings interact. czcams.com/video/_FxgATQuSaA/video.html Regarding the metal busbar, it sounds like parallel connection of two 1ks to each CT will solve that. I thought about writing it up here but it got a bit messy so will be doing a video on it soon.
@@thedabbler2753 Thank you. I learned so much from the short video and now understand how I can use my CTs in night time battery mode. I have watched (I think) every CZcams on the blue box GTIL1&2k created over the last 6 years and the batter function has never been successfully understood or explained that I now of. I look forward to your next video (above mentioned). I will be looking for it. Now off to order two more GTIL1ks.
@@benkanobe7500 Just following up. How did it pan out for you?
My observations are: let’s say when L1 and N draws 100W, the inverter will generate 200W since it is 240 V. L2 and N will generate the same power as 100 W and will be exported back to grid.
Interesting. This is happening in your setup currently? Looking at my energy monitor at present I see (using a snapshot from just now) 380W on L1 and 65W on L2. The inverter is generating ~440W (5W under load). I switched on some lighting on L2 pushing it to 88W. The inverter is generating ~462W.
I think it’s my limiter sensor that is not properly connected or installed. I’ll let you know. Thank you.
@@thedabbler2753 I have question. How do you connect your 2 limiter sensors? Parallel or in series? Assuming it’s parallel, if L1 draws +100W and L2 draws -100W what is the total reading of both sensors? Assuming it’s connected in series, what is total reading of both sensors too? I am confused. Since 240 v GTI with limiter has only 1 input sensor there is no way the limiter will know which phase is sensing L1 or L2? Try to test L1 and L2 with external clamps you will see different results.
I’m not sure what the problem is with my unit but I’m not able to change the temp from Celsius. When I do as you did and hold down the setting button, it flips back over to the screen to select “Li” etc. I tried a combination of buttons, and the only other thing I can do is go to the history and I accidentally reset my history information, which is no big deal. Mine is the 40 amp model M2440N and the Device Version is 1.53. I wonder if mine is different from yours and that might be the issue?
Are you going to the temperature display first, and then holding the settings button? If you do it from other places you'll go into different settings.
Regarding version, I can't vouch for the 40A model as I don't have one, but one would expect it to behave in the same way as the M4860N. You may have to reach out to their support team if this video hasn't helped.
@@thedabbler2753 I appreciate your help! You’ve provided more information than their manual does. 😊👍 I’ll try to contact them.
@@thedabbler2753 Yes, I’m doing it just like you do in your video. 🤷♂️
Do you know how to change the temperature setting from Celsius to Fahrenheit? Thanks in advance.
Certainly. I've made a video to demonstrate. czcams.com/users/shortsCTYcVCwQ70A
Please can someone be really kind enough to help a brother out: I want to get one of these boxes, but I have 4 x 405w solar panels, each rated at 13A and 31.18V. I want to connect the 4 panels into 2 parallel strings and then the 2 strings into series. I don't know if this box can handle this?
This is how I'd do it. Let's call the panels 1,2,3 and 4. Connect panel 1 to panel 2 in series. You should get 62.36V at 13A (which you can verify with a voltmeter). They are then the first string. Run them using whatever length of wire you need (12AWG will take 20A) to the first two inputs of the six on this combiner. Do the same with panels 3 and 4 to the 2nd set of inputs on the combiner. You will have up to 62.36V and 26A leaving the combiner box, so run 10AWG (30A) out from the breaker inside the combiner to your charge controller. Make sure everything is tight and wiggle the 10AWG wires as you screw them into the breaker or the breaker may get very hot and fail. The fuses in the combiner are 15A so enough for each string, and the breaker handles up to 63A so you should be ok. Good luck! :)
@@thedabbler2753 Oh wow, thanks for the advice buddy, you don't know how much I appreciate it! Just one more quick question if I may - where's the best place to buy these from? I've checked on Amazon, but they're a whopping £250...
@@alpachino468 for your use case you could get away with the 4 string version and still have room for expansion. It's on eBay UK for just over a hundred quid from seller selectivesales123. Good seller rating, nothing dodgy. Should be fine. The fuses and breaker look like they're enough for your panels.
@@thedabbler2753 Awesome, I took the plunge and bought one from Amazon US for slightly cheaper. No mention of any duty charges so hopefully the price I paid is under the threshold. Can't wait to get started...
Can this be added to a home that previously had solar installed in the past? To just add a bit more power
I see no reason why not. If you have a net metering agreement still in place you can probably do away with the CT / zero export, making setup easier.
I’m glad you say that because I’ve had so many people tell me that the power put a second meter in with solar so that if you add power it charges you for it Just don’t want to make my situation worse, your video was awesome cause I had so many questions for the USA setup for split phase 240 into 120 lines
@@cenval999 they may have a point where there is a second meter, in which case you can just add the CT's for the GTIL and reduce the house load. To the utility, the approved grid tie already in place is just sending more of it's anticipated generation back to them because the GTIL is doing the house. Should be transparent.
The bad thing about that particular model, is there are a couple legit ones, and TONS of copies that have been both not working correctly, and catching on fire. I just ordered one that I'm hoping is a legit one. Fingers crossed.😎👍
Thanks man. It's such a minefield finding trustworthy stuff! I've heard the same from various forums so had been helicoptering this unit the first week and then every few days with the heat sensor and clamp meter. Good luck with yours.
@@thedabbler2753 I ordered the LiTime..but honestly it looks identical to this one only with some graphics screen printed on the cover. Hoping for the best..other more legit looking balancers are a fair amount more money..something I don't have a lot of.. 😂
I don't like the fact that the power from the solar panels are fed to the bottom of the fuse holder When you open the fuse holder and remove the fuse, you can potentially shock yourself Best to have the power fed to the top, then you have the greatest isolation distance
Did you test the low temp cutoff/ protection?
I did indeed, and have created a video for you. Please see czcams.com/video/cA3779v9P6c/video.html :)
But who does the ironing?
Who irons shorts and t-shirts? I rarely wear anything that needs it.
That's very similar to the one I have, having something to screw onto the air vent is an absolute must.
The bolt and hook tightens up to three blades so I'd have to belt it one to break it off. It's had a few test runs now and much better than the phone flapping around in the console. Pondered one of those Carplay displays on a suction cup deals going around lately but was too concerned about someone nicking it if I forgot to take it down every time, so for ten bucks this worked out much better.
@@thedabbler2753 Mine’s been solid for over a year now.
So a question from a newbie. Can i put two strings from 2 different arrays (East and South facing) into a combiner and supply a one string inverter without negative impact or do i require a 2 string inverter? not sure why i would. Thanks
I would say yes, provided the voltage from the arrays is the same you should be okay. I had to do that in a 2S4P configuration to counter some pretty bad morning shading from a neighbor's tree.
ok thanks
I just installed mine, I really like it and it is solid 👌
Glad to hear it, Phil. Hope it proves the test of time. Doing fine here still.
What fuse rating? What breaker rating? Those wires look like 10mm2 so I would expect something higher than the 4 way boxes 4x 15A fuses with 63A breaker.
Thanks for asking, Ted. The supplied fuses are 15A 20kA 1000V (RDRUN RRD-PV-1038TUV). The fuse housing is RRD-PV-32A (DC1000V). The breaker is a Delixi DZ47SZ 63A 500V which I've had to replace because it was tripping far below the expected amperage / current. After sending the vendor a video of what was happening they promptly sent a replacement which has been working fine since.
Now there's a voice I've not heard in a long time!