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I used to imagine when it came time to get the PV DC inside that I was gonna do it the cool way, with EMT. But I actually faced the project this weekend and happy that I chickened out and went with FMC. That was enough time in the crawlspace already for me. It's a more satisfying material...

100% real frosted glass bulb 2700k LED filament Weight like incandescent Filament gently shakes while handling Suitable for wet locations Suitable for enclosed fixtures Title 20 Compliant (legal in California) Dimming with certain compatible dimmers "Flicker Free" - To be confirmed by off grid...

This post isn't interesting until I have them and some pics, but I can't contain my excitement. I've ordered my first batch of cells for a DIY pack. I was watching the market for a while and settled on 18650 or Ezeal as potential vendors. I was waiting to see a price drop and they did one...

Just want to share my excitement that I've picked my new toy. I ran into a case recently where I doubted the accuracy of my Fluke 101 down to the .01VDC granularity so I finally had justification to get a new multimeter. Of course the clamp meters are tempting, but I didn't want to spend $450...

Quite a fascinating article from old off grid systems. Previously I understood the history of off grid power to have started mostly in the 80's with a certain kind of farmer in northern california. Turns out many other farmers were doing the same before them, like way before them, and they had...

I am creating a new thread for the further discussion of this concept I have been working on. I am putting it into daily use now on a solar cycled open loop 48v whole house Lifepo4 battery bank so I'll start sharing the results here, if I find anything interesting. What is the 55v method? This...

I've been waiting my entire adult life for this.

I considered posting this in chit chat. It might need to be moved there if we can't keep ourselves under control, but let's try. We in the US already live in a tariffed solar panel world, we more or less can't order straight from China, and the panels available to us on the US market come at a...

And now I'm considering using an auxiliary 12v lead acid battery to power the BMS controls. When I first read this was an option I dismissed it as a car configuration, but when I saw it again recently I realized it actually eliminates all the headache of how hard it is to effectively fuse the...

Has anyone heard of this being attempted? There is some on Craigslist. Gen 1 Tesla Inverter. Seller says they have a local network interface username and password on them, and also vaguely that their neighbor DIY'd one successfully. I am concerned that I will reach an impasse when something...

I'm a semi meticulous operator, when I need to make my own MC4 connectors I go and order Staubli name brand from a seller I trust not to have counterfeits. But I'm also kind of cheap so I don't order the $10 plastic wrenches. When it comes time to terminate, I see that I need an appropriate...

Putting this in a new thread for documentation. I don't know if this works yet. Symptom: Conext XW+ 6048 failed firmware upgrade, no longer appearing in Xanbus devices, does power on and off by power button and start inverting. Partial solution: Installed v1.16 firmware on the InsightHome...

I see that the EG4 100A charge controller is based on the 3kw. Is there any benefit to getting the charge controller only, or is it the same and spending a little more for the whole 3kw makes sense? I have a primary inverter already, but I wouldn't mind having an extra one.

Did you guys know our north american countertop appliances are pitifully underpowered compared to what consumers on the 230v systems enjoy? Sure voltage isn't necessary for wattage, and we could have 30 amp 120 volt appliances but nobody has those outlets so they don't make them. Whereas in...

When I test a questionable idea I like to post the results to share with the internet. I have tested connecting an EG4 18a 48v charger like this: To a Yamaha clone two stroke generator like this: And the result is they do not work together. The 18a charger cycles repeatedly enabling and...

I'm trying to better grasp the passive balancing concept. I think I've got that it occurs by placing tiny resistive loads on individual cells. I know that passive balancing is only advisable above a certain voltage level, where it can accurately reflect differences in cell SOC's. What I'm...

I'm installing an EG4 Brightmount on concrete footers. The installation guide recommends 3' by 20" wide concrete footers. These mounts are 4 panels / 4 footers so 1:1 footer to panel. I'm not going to be installing to that spec because I don't want to buy all that concrete and I think I can get...

Posting in ground mount forum because I'd like one with an 8" auger attachment to speed up my process. Anyone looked into it or purchased one? I don't know if it's accessible to order one straight from china or if it's more like importers are handling the paperwork for a container full and you...

I should be exploring these settings myself but I am without a 48v battery right now and exploring the options to get my first one. I am considering between a DIY lifepo4 pack and user settings, vs. a Lifepower4 with BMS SoC communication. I will have the Conext (XW+) set up with grid supply...

Just wondering if anyone knows in concept whether the neutral on AC1, AC2, and Load terminals are all permanently bonded. The diagram on page A-13 here appears to me to confirm this...

I've purchased an XW+ in ostensibly lightly used condition. I know that it was installed in a 3x XW+ configuration. It had jumpers installed which I have removed, and checked that the transformer jumpers are also removed. When I attach 240v power (L/L/G) to the grid supply nothing appears to...

My friend's old Magnum charge controller burned up on a 4x4x37VOC array (150ish VOC). Can they use a high voltage charge controller without rewiring their array, or will it dip below minimum MPPT too often?

I'm trying to read harder into understanding the contactor requirements of the Orion Jr 2 BMS. I believe starting on page 21 it is describing that it provides battery pack level voltage signaling for the contactor, so 48v nominal <60: https://www.orionbms.com/manuals/pdf/jr2_wiring_manual.pdf...

I am planning a ~400v string of panels to connect directly to a motor controllers power supply. Maybe 3-7 amps. What kind of diode and fuse or breaker might I use for this? Also the load does not have an on off switch so should I use a normal DC disconnect for that purpose or is there a better...

I have quite a reverence for the grid as being a kinetic system, and the beauty of the way that spinning generators both impart and absorb energy from the grid innately, not at the speed of a microprocessor's control but in a pure and true analog way. I have wondered before if there would be...

I would like to build a modest 48v battery for light testing with a Schneider XW+. Not high loads or real house backup use on this battery. I know the common answer is to go EG4/etc. and I am still considering that. I have always had great success with Powersonic in other applications for agm...

My PV run needs some splices and there's nothing I can do about it. It needs PV wire to THHN splices, and I'd rather not keep dancing around making more splices in the THHN run. There should not be a need to be nervous about a splice of under 30 amps. 1. Wagos - I trust them for AC splices of...

https://gtec.co.uk/clause-5-8-octopus-opens-up-the-solar-pv-market-with-a-paragraph/ I'm not sure how exactly the UK's permitting and approval process works but this sounds like a major win for DIY.

https://www.solar-electric.com/discover-energy-aes-48-48-5120-rackmount-battery.html I don't know if it's shipping yet but this is the first price I've seen for it. I am impressed that they came in under $2000 and I think that's pretty competitive coming from them.

So I did what I know is considered a bad idea, I bought a single server rack battery for my Schneider XW+ I was aware of the warnings, you're going to get overcurrent shutdowns. Still, I thought, they have a 200A 1000ms burst or something right? And I have a giant capacitor bank behind me...