On about my electrics again.

Harrytherid said:
Hi Wildebus again, Got it already. Removed the jumper, good job you said as I would not have known and instructions fairly obscure. Your other instructions are very helpful too. What is white socket for, what goes in it? Will fit tomorrow, got clear day to do that. I wonder why they keep the two negs together.

Regards, Harry
Click to expand...
The white 4 pin socket is the VE.Direct Port. If you had one of the Victron GX central units (Venus, Cerbo, or other) you can connect it to that and log data via the internet and do other stuff. in your case, it will just be an unused connector (y)

as an aside, it can be used to plug in a Bluetooth Dongle on those units that don't have It built in (such as Bluesolar, BMV 700 and the Phoenix inverters) but always better to specify internal Bluetooth when you have the chance as the Internal Bluetooth does more.

The 2 negatives together is quite simple really ... They are on a common busbar, so it actually makes more sense for both design and reducing resistance. If you put your meter on them, you will find a direct short on the negatives.
 
wildebus said:
The white 4 pin socket is the VE.Direct Port. If you had one of the Victron GX central units (Venus, Cerbo, or other) you can connect it to that and log data via the internet and do other stuff. in your case, it will just be an unused connector (y)

as an aside, it can be used to plug in a Bluetooth Dongle on those units that don't have It built in (such as Bluesolar, BMV 700 and the Phoenix inverters) but always better to specify internal Bluetooth when you have the chance as the Internal Bluetooth does more.

The 2 negatives together is quite simple really ... They are on a common busbar, so it actually makes more sense for both design and reducing resistance. If you put your meter on them, you will find a direct short on the negatives.
Click to expand...
Thanks Wildebus. I suspected that was the answer to the two negs. So it looks like I shall be out there shortly screwing it up and connecting with gay abandon, gay in the original and real meaning of the word not homosexual. Thanks for all your help, invaluable, better than the instructions which are too jargon loaded. Was going to clear a blocked gutter first but the rain started again

Regards, Harry
 
Fitted and working (green light glowing nicely) Tried to connect to Bluetooth but it did not work, probably me at fault as I tend not to be good with Bluetooth. On phone it says "rarely used devices" Smart solar HQ2137T7AWP. When I click on it it says pairing and does no more. What am I doing wrong? It tells me to use pin 0000 or 1234. I have tried both but no go

Regards, Harry
 
Harrytherid said:
Fitted and working (green light glowing nicely) Tried to connect to Bluetooth but it did not work, probably me at fault as I tend not to be good with Bluetooth. On phone it says "rarely used devices" Smart solar HQ2137T7AWP. When I click on it it says pairing and does no more. What am I doing wrong? It tells me to use pin 0000 or 1234. I have tried both but no go

Regards, Harry
Click to expand...
I think the default code is six zeros i.e. 000000
 
And do remember to change the code. Otherwise other people will be able to connect and fiddle with the settings!
 
As Canalsman says (y)
Sometimes you can get the prompt for the code hide behind another window, so just keep trying if it doesn't seem to work.

You will also be prompted to do an upgrade of the Firmware. Basically with Victron stuff, if it wants to upgrade, generally let it - both the controller and the app itself, otherwise it will just nag you to death :)
 
wildebus said:
well .... From your description of the original controller, I would quite surprised if it really was an MPPT controller (loads of cheap no-name brands say "MPPT" but they lie).
MPPT is around 30% better than PWM (basic) controllers. But they are usually a fair bit more expensive. I personally stick with Victron as they almost always work fine and if they fail, you get a new one under warranty while under 5 years old.
For your install, a Victron 75/10 or 75/15 would do the job. Pay a bit extra for the SmartSolar version instead of BlueSolar and you can talk to it with your phone to check the operation (for me, the SmartSolar is a feature worth paying for. Cne-off extra cost of around £30 but you can benefit from it for years). Maybe looking at around £80 or so?

If you want cheap e.g. PWM, then just get the cheapest. If you want to send me a tenner, I will send you a brand new PWM Solar Controller. But be warned, it is one of the most popular and common ones for sale, but it is also pretty rubbish as it is PWM.
Click to expand...
I have a Morningstar pwm 60 amp controller and it's bloody brilliant. Pwm isn't rubbish 🤣 I never bothered with mptt for the added expense and is only worth getting on larger arrays.
 
As far as PWM vs MPPT goes, this might be an interesting (whatever floats yer boat!) read - https://www.victronenergy.com/uploa...Which-solar-charge-controller-PWM-or-MPPT.pdf

It is an analysis by Victron Energy - who sell PWM controllers as well as MPPT, so do not have a vested interest in skewing the results, and as an engineering company have a reputation for accuracy to maintain.

I would just point out the following:
you need to consider that while the cost of an MPPT controller is undoubtedly greater, when you consider the overall cost of a Solar Installation - Panels, Cabling, Controller, Installation Parts and Installation Costs, the cost difference between one with an PWM Controller and the same setup, but with an MPPT Controller will be fairly small.
So after paying a one-off small percentage cost uplift by selecting the MPPT controller, you then gain every day, year after year after year, with an improved harvest, except under very specific circumstances noted in the white paper I linked to above.

For me, it is a no brainer.
 
Out of interest I opened up my old JUTTA MPPT and inside (amongst other things) are two little black boxes on the circuit board with JUTTA MPPT on them so I wonder if it was not really MPPT. Anyway the new one looks to be working so I shall dispose of the old with other electronic stuff at the recycling centre.
 
Try as I might I can not get that thing to pair with my phone. I have tried 123 1234 12345 123456 and 000,0000,00000,and 000000. And none of them work.
Having hit Rarely used devices and seen the address come up, I hit the "pair" button and the pin field pops up. I type in the pin as above, hit the tick and wait until it tells me I have used the wrong pin. Then I try again using one of the other pins. Then it tells me I have used the wrong pin again and so on. I am getting fed up with it. This afternoon it was giving me 13odd Volts at the control panel, adjacent to the battery, so it is clearly charging. Probably not too many amps as the wire is a bit thin but I shall increase that soon and it should be better.

Harry
 
My query of yesterday, Wildebus, has not been answered so I repeat it.

Try as I might I can not get that thing to pair with my phone. I have tried 123 1234 12345 123456 and 000,0000,00000,and 000000. And none of them work.
Having hit Rarely used devices and seen the address come up, I hit the "pair" button and the pin field pops up. I type in the pin as above, hit the tick and wait until it tells me I have used the wrong pin. Then I try again using one of the other pins. Then it tells me I have used the wrong pin again and so on. I am getting fed up with it.

This afternoon it was giving me 13odd Volts at the control panel, adjacent to the battery, so it is clearly charging. Probably not too many amps as the wire is a bit thin but I shall increase that soon and it should be better.
 
Harrytherid said:
My query of yesterday, Wildebus, has not been answered so I repeat it.

Try as I might I can not get that thing to pair with my phone. I have tried 123 1234 12345 123456 and 000,0000,00000,and 000000. And none of them work.
Having hit Rarely used devices and seen the address come up, I hit the "pair" button and the pin field pops up. I type in the pin as above, hit the tick and wait until it tells me I have used the wrong pin. Then I try again using one of the other pins. Then it tells me I have used the wrong pin again and so on. I am getting fed up with it.

This afternoon it was giving me 13odd Volts at the control panel, adjacent to the battery, so it is clearly charging. Probably not too many amps as the wire is a bit thin but I shall increase that soon and it should be better.
Click to expand...
Firstly, ignore the suggestions from the phone or 1234, or 0000.
The number you need is ALWAYS six digits long. It is by default 000000. If the box was opened then it was possible someone tested it and for some reason changed the Bluetooth pin but very unlikely. So just perserve with the 6 zeros.

Next, you don't use the phones Bluetooth pairing to pair the device, you should use the VE.Connect app. in the Bluetooth setting, find the device - and check the number matches your device (the serial number is on the box that you remembered to keep, yes?), and tell the phone to forget it.
Turn off Bluetooth and turn it back on. In fact, just restart the phone....
Then check Bluetooth is on but DO NOTstart looking for devices and pairing, go to VE.Connect and hit the magnifying glass 'search' icon. when something pops up you should get prompted for the pin. 000000 is what you want, nothing else. If the pairing window disappears, you need to find it to complete the process. sometimes as I said before, it can disappear behind other screens so use the phones buttons to check for other active windows (little square box on android. Don't know on iPhone) and go to that screen to complete the pairing.
If the pin HAS been changed from 000000, you need to reset that back to default. You need the PUK code of the device for that. You can find that on a label on the controller, but it is usually underneath so you well need to unscrew it from its mount to access the back plateto see the label.
 
wildebus said:
Firstly, ignore the suggestions from the phone or 1234, or 0000.
The number you need is ALWAYS six digits long. It is by default 000000. If the box was opened then it was possible someone tested it and for some reason changed the Bluetooth pin but very unlikely. So just perserve with the 6 zeros.

Next, you don't use the phones Bluetooth pairing to pair the device, you should use the VE.Connect app. in the Bluetooth setting, find the device - and check the number matches your device (the serial number is on the box that you remembered to keep, yes?), and tell the phone to forget it.
Turn off Bluetooth and turn it back on. In fact, just restart the phone....
Then check Bluetooth is on but DO NOTstart looking for devices and pairing, go to VE.Connect and hit the magnifying glass 'search' icon. when something pops up you should get prompted for the pin. 000000 is what you want, nothing else. If the pairing window disappears, you need to find it to complete the process. sometimes as I said before, it can disappear behind other screens so use the phones buttons to check for other active windows (little square box on android. Don't know on iPhone) and go to that screen to complete the pairing.
If the pin HAS been changed from 000000, you need to reset that back to default. You need the PUK code of the device for that. You can find that on a label on the controller, but it is usually underneath so you well need to unscrew it from its mount to access the back plateto see the label.
Click to expand...
I think you mean Victron Connect...
 
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