I messed with the trailer for two days. Researching the manual and when I went out there this morning and opened the cabinet it was working! just like magic :)
@timsd0nahue Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much for this. I have two trailers, one with a generator and one without, I use them to power an off the grid tiny house that I live full time in the Sierras at 7,200’ and a shipping container based shop respectively. Have some issues that I hope to solve with help from content like yours. Greatly appreciated.
@asherhall9593 Жыл бұрын
How has your experience been with those? We are looking at one of these and using it to power a camper trailer. Have you had any issues?
@elmo4vt12 жыл бұрын
I subscribed to your channel some time last year and I blame KZbin for not showing me these videos before now. Great setup with the garage using these parts. Wish I was able to get in on the auctions. I completely agree that this is the best way to run a house using the grid as one of the backup sources.
@jakeeddy92563 жыл бұрын
Thanks! That 20 min saved me a lot of learning curve.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Love to hear that. Thanks for taking the time to let me know it helped! Have a great day brother.
@christopherhensley27803 жыл бұрын
Great video! Thanks for this. Got one of these powering an off grid cabin and am having so much fun learning about these.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Great to hear! Have fun man!
@JH-rz4xi9 ай бұрын
How did you guys feel when you found out this was a scam😂
@christopherhensley27809 ай бұрын
@@JH-rz4xi The company that made these was 100 % full of sh*t scam company. Its actually quite interesting to read about it. The Solar Generator product though, totally works. I'm still running my off grid property with it and it was a low cost solve for what im getting. Videos like this one helped me DIY the maintenance. Just makes me think what could have they done if they were not cheats.
@rongray41182 ай бұрын
We are chasing after one of these right now (three years later)...definitely need it for our off grid build.
@Trialnerror2 ай бұрын
Good luck buddy and thank you for watching!
@rongray41182 ай бұрын
@@Trialnerror we are hoping to find a unit that will afford us the power to be fully self sufficient on top of the mountain - maybe look into a couple wind turbines to add to the unit for windy days.
@rongray41182 ай бұрын
@@Trialnerror low and behold we picked up one of the same style units that you purchased YESTERDAY! I am beside myself and it is sitting right outside this morning - too dark to play with just yet. The auto/start for the generator short cycled when I returned home in the evening and parked it. I turned on the systems for my wife to show her that it was operational. The Midnite Solar charge controller was charging at 12.5Amps before the sun went down. I will have to spend the next few days doing all the diagnostic testing from your videos to get the unit up and running. I wish there were a simple way to plug and play our 40' Jayco JayFlight LOFT directly to the trailer to test it's capacity for supplying power at 50Amps. I will keep searching for the information - waiting to hear back from SMA on how to wire the Sunny Islands to a sub-panel to do so. Thank you for all of your videos and assistance!!
@rongray41182 ай бұрын
@@Trialnerror we found a fully loaded trailer!! Pulled in the driveway last night!
@thebeanman73893 жыл бұрын
I've had my for a couple of months now and I've been trying to get it figured out so thank you.
@WaterNLight3 жыл бұрын
There is alot of great information here. Do you suggest a place to go where we can get more information on how to troubleshoot and learn about how to properly use them. I need to check mine to even see if it is working after picking it up and I dont know where to start.
@robertdabicci317 Жыл бұрын
The far right breaker in the DC box should be a 40 amp and powers the control timer box for the flood lights.
@alexghezavat2 жыл бұрын
Appreciate you explaining this set up and the commissioning to have the trailer function properly. I liked some of your terminology you used as well.
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@sambucci85443 жыл бұрын
These trailers are beasts!! Congrats
@MrBrinowski Жыл бұрын
Thank you very much. I just ordered a second trailer and I’ll be referring back to your video from time to time.
@maxiest2005083 жыл бұрын
The right most switch, trip fuse or whatever in the combiner panel is after the midnite charge controller going to charge the batteries. I thought it was lightning arrestor at first. Traced it and the charge controller feeds to it before sending power to batteries to charge them up. My guess is in the event of a surge , spike or spark or even short or explosion overheating it would trip protecting charge controller and panels. So charge controller is sandwiched between these trip fuses and protected in both directions
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
You are the man! That makes perfect sense!
@GoCoyote3 жыл бұрын
The Midnite breakers are polarity sensitive. The breaker(s) from the PV array are doubled up and placed in series in order to handle the higher voltage from the array. They protect the wiring and the Midnite Charge Controller (CC) system from the PV array in case to much current flows in from the array. This could happen if the panels are very cold, and the right kind of cloud cover occurs that causes a cloud to act like a lens, and focused the sun on the array. I once witnessed this during the winter when the 3kw array I had installed put out 4.3 kw as a small cloud went over. It can also, I kid you not, be caused by solar flares. The other breaker(s) protect power from flowing into the CC system from the battery, and from the inverter to the CC if and when the inverter is charging the battery. This can happen if the CC fails and shorts out. I have seen this happen after a system was damaged by a near lighting strike. A few hundred dollars spent on lightning protection and proper grounding is cheap insurance!
@earthage30202 жыл бұрын
My guess is that this ckt breaker simply protects both the charger and the battery. All solar systems are supposed to have a ckt breaker between the DC Charging Voltage output going to the Batteries: both as a switch to start or stop charging them AND as a protection device should something in the Charge controller circuit Short out this Circuit. This is standard in all solar system I am aware of. If it was for a lightning suppressor then it would likely be mounted right inside of the Combiner box (and be visible: which it is Not). My friend's problem is that when I turn on the black breakers, that the Midnight Classic Charge Controller Does NOT produce any Watts going to the Batteries. Maybe this very ckt breaker is Bad? I will know next time I go back to check it out.
@maxiest2005082 жыл бұрын
If that's the case connect it directly by passing the charge controller. The charge controller shuts of if the voltage is too low. Get a multimeter and open the panel and measure the voltage between the black cables and red. If its below 40 volts it will not boot up. That's from my experience. Once you connect directly bypassing the charge controller it will charge up the battery for a while then you can put it back to normal afterwards. I don't know if that makes sense.
@maxiest2005082 жыл бұрын
I have a picture of the combiner box I can send you to show you how I did mine. Just let me know if you need it.
@craigroberts859610 ай бұрын
Fellow knucklehead here. Can you share with me a detailed step by step approach to connecting two trailers together so that I can power my whole house with them? Would certainly appreciate the help. I've looked on support sites for these trailers, but there seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there. Trying to get a step by step process to do this properly so that I don't screw anything up or break anything. Thanks in advance!
@shanechristensen49018 ай бұрын
I also would like a step by step for connecting 2 trailers.
@mikebradley60503 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the great video. Just purchased one of the "A" configuration trailers yesterday. The prices are definitely going up. Controller only showing about 37 volts. May have a bad cell or two. Noticed some corrosion around a few of the terminal. Everything else is working. Has anyone posted about how to test the cells and what the cost would be to replace a cell?
@earthage30202 жыл бұрын
Those Batteries are Flooded Lead Acid, NOT AGM's. How do I know? Because they have liquid Sulphuric Acid in them. AGM batteries are Sealed: meaning they Don't have Watering Holes to add water to periodically. They also require Zero Maintenance -- as opposed to these Forklift FLA batteries.
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
You are correct. I didn't know at the time.
@gdrodriguez13 жыл бұрын
Thanks man, congrats. Ive been reading up on those. nice outfits. thanks for the tour.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
No problem 👍 Thanks for the feedback brother!
@backhoefred Жыл бұрын
I have one of these, removed the system and am using the trailer. Sunny Islands are far ahead of any other system when it is used for its intended purpose. Whole house expandable mini grid,ac coupled.
@camarocraig70603 жыл бұрын
I bought 5 of these, but they came from a track that actually took care of them :-)
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Jesus, what's the plan for 5 of them?
@camarocraig70603 жыл бұрын
@@Trialnerror sell 3 have 2 for free. Going off grid
@CalTreeEquip2 жыл бұрын
What did that cost you. The auction that originally sold these in groups isn't advertising that hammer prices.
@josuejimenez617410 ай бұрын
Is there anyway to connect two of these trailers together? Or at least the panels from one trailer to another in series? The panels don’t seem to make enough power for what the charge controller and inverters can handle.
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
You'd need a second charge controller, the midnite classic 250 can only handle about the wattage of the panels on one trailer
@DanRingwald3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for the videos on these trailers. Longer videos! Love it. Do you think it's possible to use the light towers for mounting small wind generators and would it be worth the try. I noticed a broken light tower in one of your videos possibly due to wind. Do you think the light tower is strong enough to hold a wind generator. Removing the lights would cut down on the wind drag to the tower. Does the tower expand from the bottom up or the top one first. Some counties will not give permits for wind generators so a mobile unit like these trailers might help get around the permit process.
@jakeeddy92563 жыл бұрын
Where do you live that the govt owns the air?
@DanRingwald3 жыл бұрын
@@jakeeddy9256 I live in Santa Barbara CA and the government currently owns the air. About 5 years ago I called the county to see if I could install a wind generator as I live in the mountains on 7 acres in a community where no parcels can be less than 5 acres. The county agence for approving permits said that the federal government mandates solar so they have to say yes to solar. The said until the federal government mandates wind they will just say no to everyone that asks for a permit to install one. Santa Barbara is the place that started Earth Day due to the oil spills back in the 60s. As you can see Santa Barbara is not so environmentally progressive as they try to appear. Not so surprising the property at the top of the mountains in Santa Barbara that Jane Fonda use to own has a huge wind generator because she was married to Tom Hayden and the two had enough money and political clout to pull it off. We can see that wind generator still spinning from my office window. The county said that was grandfathered in the past so there is nothing they can do about that. A lot of great stories of BS so a mobile generator might to the trick or something less than 15 feet might not need a permit but could not be connected to the grid although off grid would be fine.
@stewarthousehold2 жыл бұрын
I met a guy who has installed two wind turbines by replacing the lights. Message me for his info
@DanRingwald2 жыл бұрын
@@stewarthousehold Hello Stewart - yes I would love to see how and what wind generators they replaced the lights with on these trailers. There are a lot of counties in California that will not permit wind generators but if they are mobile and not connected to the grid that would solve a lot of permitting issues. Thank you
@ScottMickelson-e1j7 күн бұрын
Great info thank you
@nissanusa13092 жыл бұрын
how many amps does config a have?
@GeorgeArellano3 жыл бұрын
Hey, thanks for making these videos. just bought a few of these, getting two “H” & possibly some “B” models next. My question is: how do you turn on the machine? Im sure if my batteries were low, but given the lack of user manuals. Is there a position the switches should be in in order to charge the batteries? I figure following your steps, mine won’t turn on and the batteries are probably bot charged. Anyway, let me know because i am stuck at this point in time. Thanks again!
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Sounds like you're going to need to get the battery charging process started manually. When they get run down super low, eventually the power needed to kick on the Midnight charge controller isn't available. a 48v charger is ideal because you can charge each of the two packs one at a time. The other option is to use a regular 12v charger and only do a few individual cells at a time. Once you get a few volts in them, the midnight charge controller will power up and the sun will do the rest. Good luck buddy!
@GeorgeArellano3 жыл бұрын
@@Trialnerror the battery charger connectors, how should i connect them? Thanks for the help by the way.
@tomeldridge7443 жыл бұрын
Too bad i missed this auction... Those look super well built.
@GoCoyote3 жыл бұрын
If you look them up, they are still ongoing. looked at one last Thursday. Only about half were bid on.
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
I just bought one three weeks ago, from Facebook marketplace. I love it
@Talk2UPro Жыл бұрын
Hi bro Thanks for uploading this informative video, can you please tell me Is this model charging battery from solar panels or grid power required?
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
No grid power required, they charge from either solar panels or from the diesel generator. I own one of these trailers, they're awesome
@deucestabler3 жыл бұрын
When you wired into your house did you need to change the settings in the master inverter to GenGrid? Did you just pop a 50a double breaker into your panel and then wire it to the trailer?
@thevamppire416911 ай бұрын
My batteries only show about 19v each. When I pulled my battery connectors apart, the 2 negative ends that go into 1, pulled out. I can fix those but I can't turn anything on. If generator is ran will it charge?
@REFarrelly2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video! I have a SCT20 Hybrid with 11 Kw Kubota Generator. The generator starts fine on automatic, but I cannot get it to start manually with the key (ignition switch). Any suggestions? Thanks!
@tomlampros71222 жыл бұрын
Excellent walk through, and nice system. Where'd you find these? And are there more?!?
@raafmaat Жыл бұрын
look up the company CD Solar, they sold these to big companies but with a leasing contract so that those big companies could earn lease money, the trailers were never really leased tho, they paid the leases from new sales (its a big ponzi scheme, he got 30 years in jail for it)
@stewarthousehold2 жыл бұрын
FYI. Sunny Island has a very good warranty. My slave inverter was showing a temperature error. They sent me out a new temp sensor but it didn't solve the issue, so they sent me an entire inverter replacement. My question is, do I need to do anything special to install an inverter as a slave? Secondly, my old erroring inverter. Is there a way to reset that inverter and see if I can get it to work as a standalone unit?
@trishaluong9144Ай бұрын
Have a DC solar trailer and one of my cell batteries is hissing. Needa advice on how to fix please.
@stephenleonard68323 жыл бұрын
Hello there I bought one of these trailers . I hook up power line. Turn it on it runs for about half hour then shuts down. Any thoughts why it keeps shutting down. I bought new battery and still does the same thing. Works great when there is sun
@earthage30202 жыл бұрын
When I turned on my friend's DCSolar Trailer, that looks just like yours, I got ZERO (0000) Watts coming out, even though I had incoming Voltage from the Panels. Any suggestions? I even got the Manual Equalize to say " STARTED," Yet the View Voltage and Watts Screen showed ZERO watts going to his Batteries. Is there something that I need to set up 1st to get it to work? Like maybe doing something with the 2 Sunny Island 6's??? I Started them both up but sill no Watts going to the Batteries. Any and All suggestions are welcome.
@zionmoto26703 жыл бұрын
Thank you for posting this. I bought one of these at auction and this was VERY helpful.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Great to hear! Have fun with your trailer buddy!
@JH-rz4xi9 ай бұрын
It was a scam😂
@tjmooney4181Ай бұрын
Thanks
@chetrussell95592 жыл бұрын
I have a basic trailer that is solar only. I would like to put a gen set on it to charge the packs. Could you show the connection inside the inverter for that and what settings are needed to make it work if any please and thank you. Appreciate your information.
@CalTreeEquip2 жыл бұрын
Another question. Does one of these generate enough power for your average home? A while ago I figured out that i would need a 60 kw generator for my place (house, 3 apartments and shop).
@raafmaat Жыл бұрын
you need 60kw? jeez, no these panels will generate like 2kw on a sunny day
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
2.65 kw is full output of solar panels under perfect conditions
@rickt18663 жыл бұрын
Hey can you give me an idea of what the winning bid was like with in 1k + or - thinking about making a bid on one-
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
I ended up around $7,000 if I remember correctly but that's before the auction fees. I have another video on my channel showing the whole buying process. Click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKOuZYV4idSYqMU&ab_channel=TrialN%27ERROR
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
Most on Facebook marketplace are listed at around 15 to 20000, I just bought one 3 weeks ago for 9700 all in. Worth every penny
@deucestabler3 жыл бұрын
The 43a breaker in the DC panel is for the lights.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Yes sir, I finally figured that out but thank you for the info very much!
@BorisFett3 жыл бұрын
Makes me want to buy one or more of these.
@paulcusack7318 Жыл бұрын
Have you noticed these 11kw generators burning oil? Mine was low when I got it then 75hrs later low on oil?
@d.f.rhoads77833 жыл бұрын
Thanks very much for the videos! I'm thinking of bidding on one too. I can't tell from the video so can you tell me what type of outlet the trailer has? I know it's 50 amp and I believe you said it was a locking type plug, so is it the 4 prong locking plug? Thanks.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Yes, 4 prong California connector I believe.
@malaynajoy32272 жыл бұрын
Hi…We just bought one of these DC trailers, and I’m having trouble setting it up. Any ideas where I can get some help?? Many thanks, and I appreciate your videos :)
@earthage30202 жыл бұрын
Did you have any luck setting it up?
@cookymonsterxx Жыл бұрын
Hello, we just purchased the same used trailer. It was working perfect for a week, but today the Master yellow box was showing error F206. Do you know what that means? Thanks
@trevorjordan32653 жыл бұрын
How do you put two trailers in series with one another or “series stack” them. I noticed there is an Anderson plug at the bottom of our inverter. Also there’s a Anderson plug that is not hooked to anything near the batteries. Any ideas?
@seansysig3 жыл бұрын
pho·to·vol·ta·ic relating to the production of electric current at the junction of two substances exposed to light."photovoltaic cells
@williambotha58643 жыл бұрын
Wonderful video - from a new subscriber - one question, how do they handle snow and rain ... they don't look too watertight.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the sub! They are very watertight/weatherproof. The only problem I've heard about (but haven't experienced) is the little control boards on the back of the solar panels themselves can take on water and corrode. They were meant to always be faced down so when you have the panels vertical they do see some water.
@krisrod86543 жыл бұрын
Videos are great and super helpful. I picked a couple up and am slowly reading and figuring the out. I have 2 questions, is it possible to run two trailers in parallel? There's an SB connector behind the slave inverter, any chance you know what that is? Thanks again, and I'm looking forward to more videos on these trailers!
@yagottabkiddin3 жыл бұрын
There's a guy in Utah who has his set up this way.
@Andy-bi8wr2 жыл бұрын
I have 3 in parallel. 1 trailer has a pig tail so you can plug 2 connectors into 1.
@krisrod86542 жыл бұрын
@@Andy-bi8wr Appreciate the reply. Which trailer model do you have? I have the SCT10 with Kubota GL11000 that has the 2 sets of 48V batteries in parallel. I have a second trailer I disassembled and was thinking of adding the other 2 sets of batteries in parallel with a "Y" Pigtail like you're describing.
@michaeleast43892 жыл бұрын
Okay, so I’m one of those guys that bought one of these things and have a very limited understanding of how they operate. Additionally, the operating manual for the inverters might as well be in Chinese. My question for you is this, when I brought the the trailer home, the Battery State of Charge was at 26%. I justified that because the inverters were both on at the lot and the solar panels were not out so there wasn’t much charging taking place. Today I placed the panels out (although it was a very cloudy day), turned the inverters off because it’s not operating anything yet (and I wanted to see if the battery state of charge would increase) and today when I got home the battery state of charge was at 19%. Ugggg. What am I doing wrong? Help OB1 Kenobi!
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
Nothing your doing is wrong. It will take weeks for the SOC to correct itself. Go to the menu, scroll to "meters" then scroll to "compact meters and select it. The upper left number will be your battery SOC and the upper right will be your SOC accuracy. I'd bet it's north of 50% inaccurate. After a week that should drop to under 10% meaning your SOC is much closer to reality. It should continue to drop the more you both charge and discharge the batteries and it learns more about the actual state of charge. Hope that helps!
@michaeleast43892 жыл бұрын
@@Trialnerror Thank you for the response. I very much appreciate it. Keep up the great videos.
@michaeleast43892 жыл бұрын
@@Trialnerror I just downloaded the DC Solar SCT20 Technical Manual that covers the entire trailer. If you would like a pdf copy lmk.
@billburns24392 жыл бұрын
I’d love one if you want to email? I can find it. Or post the link?
@mattgillard19 Жыл бұрын
@@michaeleast4389 i know this is an old thread - but i would love a manual please for the DCT20 as setting one up for my church !!?!?
@glampadkllc7862 Жыл бұрын
Seems impossible to find a 50 amp-20amp adapter/splitter. Have you discovered anything?
@nathanmann51013 жыл бұрын
Great video! Might be good to add in a little 'how-to' on re-filling the flooded leaded acid battery cells... Seemed to be the only thing missing, and the manufacturer recommends doing it every 90 days, so when you get them at auction they are LONG overdue...
@randacnam73213 жыл бұрын
90 day intervals are during regular use. They will not be much of an issue when sitting.
@rickharold78842 жыл бұрын
Super cool and fascinating thanks!
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching!
@rongray41182 ай бұрын
Testing the generator output to the Sunny Island inverters to charge the battery (SOH) at 20%... probably not good. I noticed that the Midnite Solar Charge Controller went immediately to 0000watts from the solar panels - if the generator is operating and charging there must be an interrupt between controller and SMA inverters. Is this correct to think? I am going to run for 20 minutes and see if the SOH (I thought it was SOC - state of charge) comes up a few percentages. Maybe the batteries are toast. Multimeter show 48.8. With the generating operating the front battery shows a voltage of 57.8v-58.2v and rear battery is 58v-59.02v with generator on and SMA's pushing 1-2.2kw.
@Trialnerror2 ай бұрын
Makes sense but you can get around that by putting the Midnight into "EQ" mode. The genny is just boosting the voltage up to a point where the Midnight thinks the battery is full, even though they are not.
@rongray41182 ай бұрын
@@Trialnerror this is going to take a while - that is for sure. Did you have to deep charge your battery banks - between all of your trailers before you commissioned your entire system? I can't imagine outlaying the capital for a new battery bank on all of your trailers at once. Thank you so much for responding - I am not getting a great deal of feedback from other owners - so, it is much appreciated!
@snoobler6 ай бұрын
Trailer manual can be found here: midnitesolar.com/pdfs/Tech-Manual-Final-V3.pdf
@CRWood-sh6zq2 жыл бұрын
First, thanks for the tutorial. Secondly, can these trailers be safely used to provide power to a home or shop which is receiving power from an existing grid? How do you accommodate the utility requirement for a cutoff, incase of a power outage. We don't want to be feeding power back into a system when a lineman might be working to restore power to a home or homes
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
Yes and yes. You tie the grid into the inverters and they control taking in grid power when needed and isolate the grid from the output of the trailer.
@sniperjdp2 жыл бұрын
You need to install a transfer relay/switch there to cut solar power in, something a contractor should be able to install properly.
@rickfranks25653 жыл бұрын
Thanks. Super helpful!
@450mijaou1 Жыл бұрын
Do you know what could be the problem if the generator is not charging the batteries?
@mrdamecktech79273 жыл бұрын
the breaker at time 1:28 is for the lights
@rootstockdesigninc.7172 жыл бұрын
You’re fabulous…I have one of these trailers…it appears battery acid from two batteries in the array has melted through its casing and through the trailer floor…I didn’t see the problem until the inverters stopped working and I was forced to check everything. The inverter’s LCD, nor the tiny green indicator will light up, suggesting zero power is reaching the inverters - the charge indicator shows almost fully charged batteries…but no amps or watts are being generated….I don’t know how to proceed - can anyone offer any suggestions regarding how to address the batteries and/or the power issue with the inverters - any advise would be greatly appreciated
@justinallred45502 жыл бұрын
Do a new battery set up on your inverters. If they set for long periods of time. But it doesn't hurt to do it every so often because the inverters some forget.
@benjaminolsen65202 жыл бұрын
Awe man I thought I was the only one with the idea to get these off the auction site. I should do so before too any people see this video. How much did those go for?
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
With fees I ended up at a little over $33k. I've already made all of it back and more just selling off the parts I didn't need. Congrats on your score!
@benjaminolsen65202 жыл бұрын
@Trial N' ERROR thank you for sharing all the info you had figured out. Yeah I plan on selling off some components, why would you need 4 generators? And then repuropusing the trailers into a water trailer and hay wagon.
@thebeanman73893 жыл бұрын
Thank you very helpful!
@gregoryfarran93912 жыл бұрын
My solar trailer keep tripping at night and it says error code :Autostrcnt F710 failure 716 malfunction ? Any idea of what that means or how to fix ? It can keep a small light on all night but if I try and use microwave it trips and gives me that error message . Any help I would really appreciate
@oakjamb29472 жыл бұрын
I have one of the A configurations. The main controller keeps going off even when the batteries are fully charged and I have to keep resetting it. Do you have a suggestion as to what I can do so that it stays on?
@sergiofacha34692 жыл бұрын
Did you ever find out how to fix your problem? Mine does the same thing
@CalTreeEquip2 жыл бұрын
Is there a way to know the health of the battery pack without turning this thing on? As in if at an auction. Is there an id tag on the battery pack with a date? How long are the packs good for? I don't want to pay $10k for one of these just to find out the batteries are no good.
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
Nope. There's not way but to load test them over time. I checked the voltage to rule out any severely dead packs and acid level and the rest is a roll of the dice. That's what these are selling for $10k and not $40k. There is some risk.
@CalTreeEquip2 жыл бұрын
@@Trialnerror Thanks. Any idea what the cost of replacing the battery pack is?
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
These IFLA batteries are so robust that dead cells and weak cells can be recovered to full or nearly full capacity very easily
@trihumtrans13 жыл бұрын
Do you know why these units would be pushing 69 Hertz. I cannot seem to get it down to 60
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
It's an adjustable setting in the inverter. Have you gone through the setup menu to see what it's set at?
@jrlengicad2 жыл бұрын
Hello I am wondering if If it's allowed to use one of these trailers in my home?
@thebeanman73893 жыл бұрын
Do you keep the breaker on or off on the generator? If the system starts the generator does the breaker need to already be on.
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
Must be on.
@hermanskooliehomestead91493 жыл бұрын
When I turn my master on it throws a f141 code . Do you have any idea how to fix it . I am new to solar .
@christineadams62852 жыл бұрын
Hey does anyone know the limit settings on these like rebulk or end amps for 1020ahr setup it would be great also limits of voltage etc.
@KodaCabin2 ай бұрын
In EBAY I'm selling a "Battery Temperature Sensor for SMA Sunny Island SI 6048 NEW, never used" There are PDF link there to install this sensor correctly.
@bobmatuszak79753 жыл бұрын
Great videos- thanks! I will check out the Facebook page listed- I bought one of these and along with downloading every manual available, I’m learning a ton- one question does the midnite classic control just the solar component of battery charging or does it also control the generator charging the batteries? It sounds like the inverter controls the generating charging component but I’m not positive - thanks
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Congrats! Yes, you got it right; the midnight takes the high voltage straight from the panels and converts it to charge current for the batteries with it's own 8 gauge wire. The inverter handles the generator operation and charging over the same cables that it pulls power from.
@bobmatuszak79753 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the info- I have an off the grid cabin in the Pacific Northwest- until I get some trees cut and the sun comes out, I’m limited to the generator charging the batteries- first time the batteries dropped below 50% the generator kicked on and charged to 95% (perfect). However, after some use, I wanted to charge back to 95% before shutting the unit down for awhile due to non use, I manually started through the inverter and could only get it to charge to 91%. It ran a good hour at that level before I finally shut it down manually. I guess I’ll do some more reading- looking forward to joining the Facebook page- Happy New Year!
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
@@bobmatuszak7975 That's part of the program. The inverters will start to trim down the amperage after the batteries hit 90%. This is to prolong the life of the cells so though you can change the parameters I wouldn't recommend it!
@bobmatuszak79753 жыл бұрын
Thanks again- I’m not sure what battery packs you have- I have the GNB Flooded Classic Platinum- I’m trying to get the recommended charging parameters for these batteries, I.e bulk/absorb, EQ voltage, float and charge current. I haven’t been successful get the info from online spec sheets or through the company. Do your units have these batteries? If so, would you know the charging info., I mistaking reset the controller to factory default and need to input the info specific to my battery pack. Thanks
@XavierCrandis3 жыл бұрын
@@bobmatuszak7975 Did you ever find out the battery charging information? Any luck?
@ivanvandermeer63733 жыл бұрын
I am seeing Fault Code F141, and F117. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
@garystimson61454 ай бұрын
How much do these units cost, how much can they power, and how long
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
Most of these trailers used are around 15-20 thousand. I found one three weeks ago and bought for 9700. It's awesome. Very well built, they should run for years and years. Very high quality componentry throughout
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
They can power a small to medium house indefinitely
@pokey702913 жыл бұрын
Do you know if I can switch it over to grid sense to run on grid??? It senses the grid now but is set to off-grid. Super thanks for the unlock code!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, I don't think these are AGM Batts. I hope not anyway because I checked the ports and they were mostly dry so I filled them all with Distilled water!!!! I am getting a GRD Fault error on the Midnight controller and can't figure out why..
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Yes it should absolutely be able to switch. The issue would be generator hookup at that point (assuming you have/need a gen). I believe you will use the current gen connection point for the grid.
@surferdudemi3 жыл бұрын
Check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKHamKWnlKetZrs
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
they are IFLA batteries
@nhodorek3 ай бұрын
Iflas are the best of the best for longevity and durability and reliability
@edsmith44142 жыл бұрын
Neighbor of mine bought one of these trailers. The inverters were off for about a year, along with the breakers on the combiner box, and the battery voltage was in the low 40v range.....nearly dead I assume. Charged them up with a large external battery charger and got them back to 52ish volts, so the inverters will now come on....but the master shuts down after a few minutes. Can start it back up, but it repeats.....shuts down in a few minutes. Trying to enter the Sunny Boy master by the password. but not successful so far. I get to the total hours, add them as you did, enter the number and hit enter.....it returns to **. Hit enter a 2nd time, and comes up with two zeros like "enter the code". There is a part to the right of the password that changes from [0] to [1], but changes right back after a few seconds. I need access to reset the battery amps from the FLA 100 to FLA 1080 that is what the pair of batteries are, among other settings. Any help appreciated........
@earthage30202 жыл бұрын
Once you get your system up an running, you need to use the Midnight Classic Controller to Restore them Before Turning on the Inverters. So I recommend Equalizing them for a few Days starting at 57.6 Volts and then going higher if need be. The Overnight Early Morning Resting Volts will (or should) tell you what your Batteries are Holding to with just the Charge Controller on. You want that Voltage to be (ideally) 52 Volts. A Charge Voltage of 52 Volts will drop overnight to whatever it really is. In our case so far only 49.3 volts. I suspect that yours may be even lower???
@richcollins5133 жыл бұрын
Have you found a wiring diagram for the trailer? I have to rewire one after scrapers got a hold of it
@richcollins5133 жыл бұрын
I would buy the wiring for the trailer if you have one stripped down.
@BillyBob-uh1nf3 жыл бұрын
I'm getting a code/message. F206 Malfunction. From what I've seen in the manual book it has to do with the battery temperature. What can I do?
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
You can bypass the temp sensor. The wire is probably pinched somewhere. I'd order another one to be safe but you can run it without the battery temp probe, just don't work it too hard on really hot days.
@GoCoyote3 жыл бұрын
As an electrician that has installed many off-grid PV systems, including the SMA Sunny Island, I recommend that you get professional help before making changes to the inverter or charge controller settings. All sorts of bad stuff can happen if you change settings without knowing all of the parameters and how they interact. This includes stuff like the wrong power for your equipment that can cause catastrophic failure. Overcharging the battery, causing it to fail, melt, explode, or all three together. Any decent company with Off-Grid power system experience should at least be a resource to get you the right person with experience to help you. Also, your lead acid batteries want to be at a temperature that is comfortable for humans in order to prolong their life and get use of their full capacity. A climate controlled area is best. They also need to be properly vented to prevent buildup of explosive hydrogen gas. As a matter of liability, I would not put out the installer code formula for unqualified people to use. Changing settings can be dangerous. I have been thinking about upgrading my outback system, but the Sunny Island was just a bit to pricey. It is definitely the Mercedes of systems, and one of my favorites to work with. All my best to you and your project.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for taking the time to share some info. Totally makes sense. I plan to spend this winter gathering info and researching. I'm in no rush to get it setup so with tips from people like yourself I'm hoping to get it up and running without burning my house to the ground lol.
@GoCoyote3 жыл бұрын
@@TrialnerrorYou are most welcome. I am an enthusiast, and often tell people that I have lots of informed opinions, and hopefully a few facts. Well,l hopefully informed opinions. My wife wants to upgrade our power system, so we looked at the auctions for these trailers. You got a screaming deal. I didn't do a complete cost breakdown, but just an off the top my head guesstimate puts the trailer at around 50k worth of equipment. Since the electricians children have no power, Our off grid system is thus: 3.6 kw 120v Outback 3648 inverter on a Midnite Solar Epanel, Schnieder 80-600 PV charge controller (80 amps @48v output, 600v input),10 kwh of used Tesla lithium batteries, 6.25kw ground mount PV array, MQ 25 Ultra Silent gen set (received in payment for side work) We are planning to wait for the next auction close to us, since the 3.6 kw Outback is severely crimping our ever increasing electrification desires. The main issue is checking to make sure the batteries did not sit in a discharged state for any length of time. At this point I would go with lithium Lipo batteries if buing new, since the cost is cheaper than the high end lead acid, and the performance is so much better. Our last set of lead acid was eight L-16's weighing ~1k lbs, providing about 4 kwh of power if used in the ideal range of the top 20 percent of capacity. The Tesla batteries are from a Daimler smart for two vehicle. They weigh about 200lbs, and provide ~10kwh used in their ideal range between 20 percent to 90 percent. Please feel free to ask any questions you have. As I said, opinions...........
@jimyeats3 жыл бұрын
The installer code formula is in the manual. Not a secret.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
@@jimyeats It's a secret to the hundreds of people that don't read manuals lol.
@jimyeats3 жыл бұрын
@@Trialnerror Lol certainly. I guess my point is simply that it isn't a 'liability', since you know...the manufacturer puts it right in their manuals. Just came back from the current auction in Vegas after inspecting the H models. Hopefully will get one.
@matthewmcdaniel39873 жыл бұрын
Do you know if you can wire up the two inverter 50 amp outlets into one 100 amp breaker panel with out blowing up an inverter?
@matthewmcdaniel39873 жыл бұрын
Also do you know if the inverters can handle additional solar panels tied into the existing array? The goal is quicker recovery with less sunlight hours.
@Andy-bi8wr2 жыл бұрын
@@matthewmcdaniel3987 The charge controller determines the amount of power charging the batteries. The inverter is not relevant.
@Andy-bi8wr2 жыл бұрын
Both 50a plugs are in parallel and would not increase your total amperage to 100a. You would feed the 100a main from one 50a plug.
@42Fab3 жыл бұрын
Hey man, I picked up one, hopefully more of these trailers and would love to pick your brain for a few minutes if you have time. should i reach out via email?
@CarrieKandell-ew4dt Жыл бұрын
Will these inverters provide 240v to run a well pump?
@Trialnerror Жыл бұрын
Yes, they are running mine 24x7 with irrigation which works it HARD!
@wafamahmood8961 Жыл бұрын
Need help with ours would you be able to help me figure it out?
@1TyredFunGuy Жыл бұрын
pretty sure those are not AGM batteries. AGM wouldnt have the caps for watering each cell.
@Trialnerror Жыл бұрын
You are correct, they are tubular lead acid but I didn't know that at the time!
@sodateke3 жыл бұрын
I'm afraid I didn't follow rule number one. I found out about the auction about 6 hours before it was over. I was about to buy one of these from a guy selling them on craigslist when I came across the closing auction. Yadda Yadda... I have one at my house Model H. It won't turn on. Nothing from the charge controller. any ideas where I could start on this?
@evangarber84953 жыл бұрын
Go to facebooks dc solar group . There are dozens of users and texts on the site. Dead systems have been dealt with in several posts.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Get those panels in full sun with the combiner breakers all on. It should power up after a while. Hopefully your batteries can be saved (assuming they are dead and need to be charged). Can you put a multimeter on the battery pack's to test them?
@pokey702913 жыл бұрын
I found they need a min of 10 volts to get the charger to turn on. I used a cheap 48 Volt charger from amazon.
@oakjamb29473 жыл бұрын
Can you offer some help - the MidNite does not power up when the breakers are turned on. I checked the breakers and they have DC voltage to them
@AgentFnYT3 жыл бұрын
I had a similar issue. Had to do a firmware update, which failed to properly complete, so I ended up having to send it in to midnight solar to get it fixed properly. No charge (except shipping).
@pokey702913 жыл бұрын
Mine were under ten volts. I put a 48v volt charger on it and they fired up. Now I suddenly have a GRD fault issue.
@bigbobno113 жыл бұрын
Where the hell did you get these and where can I get one and for how much ??
@luciusphilogene47152 жыл бұрын
My comment to you why don't you have a much smaller than that wide and the same capacity in a 24 cubed
@griffjr243 жыл бұрын
One of my light towers are not working. Where is a good place to start?
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
9.9 times out of 10 it's the timers that fail.
@stanleykeith8984 Жыл бұрын
Hello does anybody know how to hook up 2 trailers or more?
@davidbaldwin5703 жыл бұрын
I also purchased one of these trailers in Las Vegas. I cannot get my Midnite Classic controller out of resting mode. Does anyone know how to change that?
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
What's it showing for voltage and wattage in full sun? Also, what's the SOC and voltage of the batteries according to the Sunny Island?
@kiewvongvilay4473 жыл бұрын
Can someone please help me I can't get the battery to charge
@allennolden87353 жыл бұрын
Actually those are flooded lead acid not AGM. I have 6 trailers and my main power in my place is AGM.
@kiewvongvilay4473 жыл бұрын
Hi I am wondering if I have the generator is on auto the switch should be stay on or off.
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
The main power switch on the upper left needs to say on. The key switch should stay in the off position. The remote start module bypasses that key switch and will fire it up no matter what position it's in. Also make sure the main battery disconnect switch is turned on (under the big silver door that gives you access to the engine).
@kiewvongvilay4473 жыл бұрын
Thank so much.
@zionmoto26703 жыл бұрын
Do you know what the flashing green light on the battery pack indicates?
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
I've yet to figure that out. I can't seem to relate it to any particular function yet. Sorry but if you find out let me know too please!
@rddickman17833 жыл бұрын
Electrolyte level - blinking is good, no blink in that cell or in that row of 6 no good..and the higher the SpecGravity
@brucebender59173 жыл бұрын
1900 lbs per battery pack? Or 1900 lb weight on both packs together?
@Trialnerror3 жыл бұрын
Per pack so yea, about $4,000lbs in batteries total. She's a hefty girl!
@thamer96003 жыл бұрын
Nice
@jerrysr992 жыл бұрын
I have an opportunity to buy an DC Solar trailer model G for $9,900. Is that a good deal in your opinion?
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
Yea that's a pretty fair deal. Seen plenty of G's sell for $15k or so.
@travisashbrook72502 жыл бұрын
So are these trailers a 50 Amp or 100amp output
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
100amps
@thebeanman73893 жыл бұрын
Is it best to keep the system on ?
@Trialnerror2 жыл бұрын
If it's not being used, charge it up fully and shut it down. Once a month or two turn on the Midnight charge controller to keep the cells topped up. Just my 2c