We Learned The Hard Way - SOLAR FAILURE

[@jefftucker9225]

I ran in to this issue last year, we had a stretch of 21 days with no sunshine, just overcast/snow, you really can't prepare for that with enough battery storage, having a back up generator is a must

[@djrtime1398]

I’m in dense woods in northern Wisconsin. My system has an Anker F2600 with a 51.2 30ah lithium golf cart battery as an expansion battery for a total of about 4000 watt hours of stored energy. I can recharge them in about 3 hours with my Champion 4250 inv/gen via a 30 amp smart charger. Every other day.

[@JunitafluxcyfatriciaJunita]

0r wind turbine

[@trishawhysong]

Ive been trying so hard to learn this and even w Jay simplifying it I feel like everyone is speaking a different language! I'm hoping the more I watch one day it will click in before I go off grid

[@lloydleach1352]

If you would get some fome board with the silver reflective side and put it at a 45 degree angle you can get more reflective power to your panels, it will give more power.

[@KehHs-l8b]

Inexperience I think is the proper term

[@F3hunter-2024]

Not much, but I'm sure every little bit helps~ Might take a little of the sting from the purchase of the TT30 Cord. Be safe and have a Great Thanks Giving!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Hey hey, this is very kind of ya. Thank you very much for the support. Best wishes my friend.

[@Barc7580]

Look at getting an EG4 chargeverter. 120/240v at up to 100 amps Takes dirty generator power and charges the batteries with clean power directly

[@OffGridWithChrisandKristie]

We have them! One for each battery bank. We love them! They’re awesome. Definitely recommend

[@weldchip]

no need, his generator is an inverter based one, it will put out a clean pure sine wave power that wont mess up sensitive electronics.

[@nickadamson6053]

@@weldchip Especially with that load, any tiny variance would clean right up.

[@car2069]

you seem to be very confused... most inverters have a built in charger. no need for a chargeverter. those built in chargers do a fine job of turning "dirty" generator power to DC.. just like the chargeverter. A rectifier is a rectifier. The whole purpose behind a chargeverter is to charge your batteries without the built in transfer switch also powering downstream loads directly. It allows you to fine tune the charging. The issue here is this dude doesnt know how to program his all in one to charge properly off grid power. He just needs to spend more time programming the all in one unit correctly. I am really tired of hearing about "sensitive electronics" that need clean power. 99.9% of devices today just convert the AC to DC and the quality of AC doesn't matter. A switching power supply just varies its duty cycle and handles it.

[@Barc7580]

@ to me it was more of charging the batteries directly with a higher amperage for quicker charges and thereby running the generator for less time, and any additional fuel savings as a bonus

[@stevanandrews9210]

Jay - you worked it out!! Respect to the man who was (initially) intimidated by the technology. You're demonstrating that we can all learn how to master new things. WOOT WOOT!! Cheers from London UK! 🇬🇧

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thank you my friend......I give others hope.......I hope, lol

[@otakelblanchemanor0659]

The learning curve! And there is a bright side... there wasn't 2' or more of snow on ground and no storm blowing in! Perfect set up!!

[@d56armes]

Thank you so much for this video. We are building an oof grid cabin in nc. We just purchased a solar system from sungold. These are so helpful. I really enjoy your videos and your experiences. By the way doing this at 72 years of age.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Awesome.....this makes me smile knowing they help others. A big woot woot to you and your big adventure 😁

[@donb6474]

You did what some people do. You did just enough to get the system working without getting every subsystem working. Your second problem was trying to fix the problem in the middle of the night. The good news you successfully fix the problem. You might want to be sure the batteries are fully charged every night. This will make your wife happy. Good Luck.

[@sammas7440]

Good video! Btw, you should turn your generator's fuel flow petcock off first and let it run the gas out of the carb and shutoff. That way you don't leave gas in the carb bowl and gum it up.

[@davidgalea430]

Great Job Jay and Jen. We all have to learn, and sometimes the hard way. I envy you guys.

[@fauxque5057]

You should pick up an EG4 chargeverter. It's run by the generator and charges 48v at 100A. I use it when the grid goes down

[@madmaximus2836]

Your did not "learn the hard way", you simply learned! Many people never learn. I plan to move to an offgrid property in the next 3 years. Currently looking for land. Best wishes to you.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Best wishes my friend

[@timgoodin42053]

Great job Jason! Always a pleasure to check in on you guys. Thanks for pointing out one of the considerations in off grid solar...cloudy days!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Lol, it's hard to ignore them, that's for sure

[@twig2123]

As soon as you said something wasn't working with the generator power, I immediately screamed that you're missing a neutral/ground bond. We had a city power outage for 2 weeks in the dead if winter, and we had to go through the same headache trying to figure out how to get our "smart" furnace to run off of generator power. Long story short, a neutral/ground bond was needed for that as well.

[@tenneyconstruction7323]

Jay you did a great job explaining the problem and the fix. Your right it can be overwhelming if your new to it

[@juliederry3719]

Woot woot Jay, I think you’re a great problem solver, job well done, tfs x Julie 🇬🇧

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks Julie

[@mikemcguire5859]

Nice video and setup. Remember, most generators are intended to run at about 60 to 80% max running wats rating. If you need 3600 running wats for the 30 amps to your all-in-one unit you may need to upgrade to a 5000 running watt generator, so it is not maxed out and wears out prematurely. Extension cord sizing is based on several variables of how they are to be used.

[@bikerdude2941]

He could also buy a generator buddy and run two smaller units in parallel. That way he has redundant power

[@JorgeHernandez-ib1px]

Great video! I'm not sure if this is a good idea for your situation but having a transfer switch would be really good for you. What it would do is in case something happens to your solar array/system you can have the transfer switch charge the batteries and power the house temporarily. If your generator has Wi-Fi you could even turn it on without leaving the house or if there is a solar failure the generator with turn on and switch to generator power. I guess it's going to take a little programming. Thanks for the great video I love the real situation type stuff, keep safe and warm this winter! And keep those great videos coming!! Oh and by the way your wife is a very nice person!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks you my friend

[@DennisFahlstrom]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the solar. I had mine installed by a pro and the system has been trouble free for 12 years (knock on wood). If yours was done by a pro or if the batteries are still under warranty you should get them replaced. Good luck!! You might consider adding decent insulation to your equipment shed. Solar batteries don’t charge well in the cold.

[@paulpuckerinGM]

WOOT! WOOT! Jay is the man the legend of the solar shed! Go buddy. Fantastic job figuring all that elecTrickery stuff out. 😊 Be well and stay safe. Puck.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

I'm figuring it out buddy.....little at a time. 😊

[@derriere]

Great video. I think you should set your inverter program to single phase operation mode since your are not using the second leg. Your inverter output capacity is divided in half for each leg on split phase mode. That should also eliminate the need to bridge jump L1 and L2 on the generator input terminals. Also, do not completely box in the generator. The exhaust gases will shut down the generator. Unless you are able to hook or extend the exhaust pipe to draw all gases out of the enclosure.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Good stuff 👍

[@welderman1221]

Good job J, WOOT WOOT!!!

[@rangerbob42]

At a boy Jason you did a great job! You’re a good man for that good woman! Ya’ll make a nice couple! I love seeing two people like you guys just being happy making each other happy! 😊 That’s what life is supposed to be like! Good video as well!

[@glenharper3136]

Thanks for the video. I'm glad you got it figured out.

[@Sylvan_dB]

Ugh. Glad you got it working. Thoughts for the future (you might mention these later in the video than I've made it so far): Might be better to run the generator during the day - daylight, sound might be more tolerable, directly provides power to the daytime activities, etc. EG4 Chargeverter as other mentioned is a better charger than what is built into inverter-chargers. Always test and practice when times are pleasant rather than waiting until time of need.

[@billelsener6192]

Marching onward one upward. Great job as always. 😊❤🙌👏👍🙏

[@OffGridWithChrisandKristie]

Ok. Saw the title and thought. OMG it’s happening to them too! But no. Our situation is much different. We lost an inverter on the weekend. And now we only have half of the house powered. We are glad to see your system is intact. We have some challenges in store! Our place doesn’t run on minimal power as well lol Glad to see you got it charged up quickly. Nicely done Jay! Always learning aren’t we.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

We sure are......did you guys lose one of your two eg4s? Running on single phase for a while?

[@bobmonztr]

If you have 2 ac out you could wire in a power bar in the other leg? Smart to have 2 inverters, I hope to have a second one next year so its a quick swap.

[@OffGridWithChrisandKristie]

@@OffgridwithJayandJen that’s exactly what happened. Hopefully have a video about it soon! It’s -20c here so things are challenging right now.

[@OffGridWithChrisandKristie]

@@bobmonztr we could do that for sure. The only thing that was 220 dependant was the jet pump. And we have required it to 110. Not sure that we want to run on just one inverter with no backup. So Chris is making some decisions. Video to come soon!

[@bobmonztr]

@@OffGridWithChrisandKristie 240v gen just to run the pump then live without water part time?

[@drewgerstein9454]

Add the EG$ charge inverter to your batteries works great on a genset, I have used one on mine before was really happy with it and the auto charge quick and easy

[@Constitution1789]

21:31 Kudos on your boss forgiving you.

[@coreygillum12]

Eg4 chargeverter is the easiest best solution for your situation imo.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

It is an option. But this works just the same now that I have it set correctly

[@dx9s]

New to your videos, commenting while watching. Will go back and watch older videos to learn more about your system! Summary (TL;DR): There is NO kill like overkill. Expanded: A) Design for "averages" (expected loads) and no backup plan, you'll have issues. B) Design for "averages" and backups for "Edge Cases" (like a generator) you'll be fine. C) Design for "Edge Cases" and backup plans (generator) will be hopefully be for both safety buffer and for complete design failure(s) (think inverter or battery failure). Assume worse case solar (as you experienced/mentioned ~7m in) ~10-15% "peak" panel rating for a few hours in overcast for a realistic KWH per day in overcast weather (I don't know where you live, I'm in the PNW, have had this conversation with others around here due to overcast for weeks). I tell friends to either oversize on solar panels (so can have decent solar power on bad days/weeks) or oversize on battery storage (again to ride out bad days/weeks) but *really* you want a bit of both (more solar and storage) for overcast regions *AND/OR* plan on supplementing bad solar days with generator, which is [a generator] a 100% completely legit option in case of primary power mode failures (battery or inverter failure).

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Appreciate your insight, we learned a lot the hard way.

[@benniemathews9624]

You did good there Jay! There’s a lot to learn with solar arrays and I for one would be nervous about getting it wrong, but you are doing great! 👍👍

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks for the encouragement, I appreciate it.

[@JohnYoung-m4j]

Well don guys, good job to get that sorted . I like the way you teach jan to use all the stuff because you just never know what’s around the corner. Jon 🇦🇺Australia Perth.

[@owenvinall9970]

Hi Jay and Jen, Excellent video. Re your App consuming your Internet. It must be sending that data Off Site thats my guess. From what you said its using WiFi to send the data. Your Pc can receive that data via its WiFi but that data its receiving shouldnt be consuming your Internet Data allowance. Happy to explain more if you like as it can sound complicated. Re hand feeding your chooks. Bend down so you are at their level so you look less intimidating. Find something they really like. Mine all loved dry Porridge drop some on the ground first so the Alfa Chook (The Leader of the peck order) tries it. Give it time. Also mine always seemed to settle to the sound of my voice. Dont rush hand feeding it takes time. Retired I.T. Network Tech and we ran an 800 chook Farm.

[@justme5544]

Great job fixing the app that was sucking up so much of your power!!!! And the probem!! I'm in a big city and we lose power several times a year. Some are quick, a few 15 min & one 45 minutes. But it happens on big grid power too!

[@whoguy4231]

Love you guys keeping it real 👍 Living according to the weather is how we do it.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

😀👍

[@loucinci3922]

I might also add checking fuel and oil levels before starting genny. Good habit.

[@bloepje]

The first thing we did when setting up a solar off-grid setup was to test the 3 phase generator. And after that we set up the solar. The generator is a necessary evil that should work in emergency so you should make sure you know the ins and outs of it. Solar power itself works so "naturally", it's hard to make that not work. Especially if you have multiple mppts. If you have a victron mp2 inverter, the transfer switch is build in. If you don't have grid, you don't even need a transfer switch, just a disconnect.

[@loucinci3922]

Woot-Woot!! Way to go Jason!

[@justiceleague1146]

Woot Woot for Jason! I’m glad you figured out a solution!

[@EmerickKing-j4o]

Good job Jay 👏 👍 👌. Jen it will get sunny there soon. Take care my friends ❤️.

[@stephanieflansburg3459]

Great job Jason!!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks Stephanie. Appreciate you my friend. 😁

[@jimdelong949]

Woot woot Jay Glad you were able to get everything figured out.

[@andrewalexander4024]

Good job guys to both

[@peterkohan9525]

Woot woot! for Jason. We are on grid with our cabin in SC because we are not there all the time and we are older so when we get there we just throw some breakers and we're good. You two inspire me to do more projects at the cabin but still bogged down with Leukemia treatments here in Pa. God Bless you both.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Hey buddy, you're appreciated here i hope you know it. And we will say some words and have some thoughts for you tonight. Lots of love my friend

[@michaelgraham8504]

Prayers out!

[@danielnicholls6868]

could turn your battery shed around 180 and put more panels on roof of it over to wood shed array👍👍

[@leewright6101]

thats why solar , wind , or and hydro works great when sunlight goes, use wind or hydro , if u have water stream nearby, get a cheap 1000w constant charging, ideal for loss of solar during winmter mnths, or even wind,

[@stevewhitaker1474]

Woot woot for both of ya'll !!!

[@brendahogue5487]

Love and enjoy your videos. May the lord bless and protect you and Jen installing a generator for charging the batteries for the homestead

[@larrycollar1322]

You might consider turning the generator around 180 degrees so the controls (choke, etc.) are on the outside and more easily accessable. The starter cord would then be on the other side but still in a place you could pull the rope standing outside the roof overhang.

[@monstirz]

I f you turned the solar shed around 180 you could put multiple panels there, Great job hooking up the generator!

[@landjml]

Only allow notifications while in the app.. not always. Should be safer. Matter of fact, ask customer service if that feature is available. Great video

[@BlondieHappyGuy]

From what I'm seeing here, that wouldn't change the actual data usage by the inverter itself. It APPEARS that it is sending data, constantly, over the internet, up to Sungold's servers. That's always happening unless they have a way to either limit that or stop it completely and only allow local network communications. Lower notifications on the phone only saves the phone's data.

[@dr123hall]

Good solid people! Pain not having internet for the remote installs! Local connect worked (neighbor helped-installed the new battery replacing the old tech 48v LifePower4. Thank You Matt PortableSun in Michigan!! I just am going through similar situation and have accidentally blown the Brand New Chargeverter! Yep, the diversion of dogs and chasing daylight crossed wires from 7500w Predator to 6000xp EG4 beautiful inverter. Warning breaker begged me twice maybe three times to check on it but oh no, boom. Ordered another 12-48v charger and yea it did ok for smaller charging but got another Chargeverter on way!

[@ToddDesiato]

I've got a Chargerverter you can use or buy. It should be as easy as hooking the generator to the GEN input on the inverter. I think you did a great job!

[@peterwookie7779]

One of the main downsides to using hv pv arrays is the variance in sun during cloud cover on panels in series increases per panel resistance. It limits your incoming power. I've taken to going no further than 2s 24v panels. 3s pv for 48v sys

[@scubasmitty5135]

This is the very reason why I have a wind AND solar setup in my underground dome home,,,, I have a backup generator for under 80% of charge,,,, it has yet to fire up !!!! FYI,,, I have 12v florescent lights with daylight bulbs all through the house,,,,

[@donnastokes4944]

Good job Jason

[@ourvanlives4736]

If you are still having problems with communication problems, I found another couple that has a setup similar to your setup. This Offgrid Life is their channel. They're up in British Columbia Canada. So chat with them if you can.

[@lurawade5025]

Woot woot Jay!!

[@canadianadventureseekers]

You need an auto-gen start up system installed. We have a 24V system, when our system drops below 23.3V the generator will automatically start to bulk charge the system. It works amazing.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Nice

[@tarster]

if you look into the generators more, the larger generators do have a 50 amp plug, but they are not actually rated at a full 50amp in 240v. If you have less than a 12,000w generator you are not getting 50amp in the 50 amp plug, Most 9600 surge generators run around 7000 running, which means you get 30 amps.

[@db.mc2]

Hope you're doing well my friends 🤞🏻God Bless 🙏🏻 Appreciate you always!

[@suezaple4950]

Your a great problem solver Jay good job !, Aww Jen your hubby got the power figured out for ya no more cooking in the dark hopefully lol. I am lost when it comes to solar This is a good channels to learn the various of off grid life , good points re conserving the energy .. Interesting video and lesson.

[@littlegriffoffgridalberta6837]

Great job showing Jen how under stand the invertors & start the gen 👍, I hope she knows just don't touch any bare wires & you won't get hot fingers :) Winter is here in the north hope it don't get to cold where to are at :) Take care

[@user-tn1hk6zm2freedom]

You need a voltage stabilizer on your system. I had a charging problem too. I added a voltage stabilizer that hold the output volts from the batteries at 12 volts. Now my batteries charge up full even on cloudy and rainy days.

[@solarforfuture]

finny.. but .good timing ... grid is down in my SoCal town... did not notice ... because i am off grid in the city.. victron runs my life. thanks. was disappointed by the all in one. mppt controller... have 3 arrays.. so added 2 more stand alone victron smart mppt [ bluethooth!} better adjustements and production.. as well as swithing outputs to 2 separate battery banks... livin' the life...

[@loucinci3922]

Enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing

[@andredejonge5255]

Neutrino energy cube !!! ( that will be the future …# offgrid with always energy ) greetings 🇳🇱 👋

[@ronniek.5553]

AWESOME hello from Newfoundland Canada

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Hello my friend

[@fatcharlierobusto8352]

Hi from Winchester, UK ,apreciate all your hard work and regards to you both👍

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Hello my friend.......Appreciate the support

[@creativeoutlet3148]

I know the feeling 😅 the SGP inverter I have is annoying. I discovered that i need to power a load to first start charging. Either in hybrid, pv 1st or ac 1st. Make sure you are in apl not sig. Main thing is to preload the generator. Im using a 1100w continuous output inverter at 10a charging. Or 7.5a at 120. Takes 8 hours to charge my single 48v 100ah battery with hybrid inputs.

[@Hillbilly007-yd9gu]

I like the way you explain how to do the solar. Great video. Thanks.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

I'm glad it was helpful, Thanks for watching!

[@SeanInAlaska]

Good job Jason!!! Crazy how much power that inverter/charger draws!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Ya it it buddy. I'm glad to see you watched this one.......it shows the short comings of things. The power draw is one of the big reasons I didn't get one earlier.

[@markcoe2196]

Good Job Jay!

[@ClarkeLeggett-fd7lg]

Hi all! Super cool. I have been totally off grid solar and generator since 1998. Please be careful not to over load a transformer-less inverter like this. I know they may be less expensive, and lighter. But not as tolerant to heavy loads and high Amp charge cycles. The pain in the butt with data usage is noted. Sold my soul to Elon. No data cap, but unless you get the mini, 100watts of fun. Mini is like 40 or something. Cheers!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Good work my friend, nice to know some others get it. Star link is on the list

[@F3hunter-2024]

You redeemed yourself after letting her down :P. You're right about that 16G Ext Cord 10Amps/light duty, anymore than that.. you're probably looking at a fire. Great video-Be safe!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks my friend

[@nickadamson6053]

Nicely done sir. I'm was surprised this was a new issue to consider, I guess I'm just used to living in an area where you may not see the sun for a month. Some years we'll get an inversion layer for 1-2 weeks that makes it feel like you're living in a horror movie. Gas generator is a must for off-grid here.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

The older I get and the more I depend on the sunshine for power, the more I agree with you. It is sad when the sunshine is absent for so long

[@heroesandzeros7802]

You always need to check each inverter to see how many watts they take at no-load. Size matters. I just replaced a 2kW with a 4kW and the 4kW takes much less. I do not use these expensive brands of inverters or anything else and get much better results. I have several solar arrays / inverters, only 1 that is off grid, but I have been having to charge all my batteries with alternative sources. All my batteries are Group 27, 12V, lead-acid. Not one of them have been charging to 100% by the sun. Get yourself a good battery charger that will put out 35A and keep your generator close. The Ancel BM200 is the Bluetooth battery monitor I use; it will show 4 sets of batteries on one screen. Tip: Set up a separate solar array/batteries just for your refrigerator and freezer using the inexpensive components, including a relay to automatically switch to grid. I use 4- 12V Group 27 lead-acid batteries, a cheap 30A Charge Controller, a 2KW inverter, and 600W of PV. This would take the strain off your main system during the day and allow it to charge more fully.

[@albertomartin70]

Solar for everyday use…. Generator for emergencies… you definitely need a EG4 Chargeverter.

[@SarahStuff-p5u]

On ac input from generator....try to not connect the ground wire, go for a floating neutral and see if it clears the issue.

[@SarahStuff-p5u]

Never mind seen by the end you got it working, had an issue kinda like that but was powering a furnace and fix was to cap off the ac output ground and furnace plug worked off inverter then.

[@BlondieHappyGuy]

That's really a kick-ass system there. Top-of-the-line inverter/charger and 3 banks of huge batteries. That is really nice!!! There is one thing that I think I see that could potentially be a huge problem. I realize that the roof is on a major slope, I'm assuming so as to direct any over heat that the system creates, to exit the front/top part. That's really good. However, if that front part of the roof is open (for ventilation) and not double wall thing going on, a really powerful storm with high winds and either rain or snow blasting sideways, could enter into the structure at that location. That would be a disaster. Personally, I'd add like a baffle thing to the front so that air flow isn't so direct. Perhaps, unseen, it's already like that. ??? Either way, that's one hell of a setup that one would want to protect at all costs. Also, I felt a sense of relief when he said that he was able to get through to someone in support and quickly figured out the issue. I don't have that system, so I don't know how good the owners/service manuals are for it or if that specific info is in there. I mean 63 options in the menu is crazy, so I hope each one is well documented. Nice system!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Yes you are right.....the front needs an additional facia board to help protect the water from getting inside. Although this has been set up like this for three years like this and it has only gotten a small amount of snow blown in, but better safe than sorry.

[@debbieshort9660]

You did a good job today.

[@belindavidallier3267]

Thank you Jay for the info.

[@philrodger2716]

woot woot. another problem solved. well done guys.We hada simler problem over here in uk.we just had our first load of snow. as i have been changing my battery's .compared to my last old ones. these new ones are smaller ampage wise so we had dead batteries. .I have had another battery. but we will need a couple more when we can afford it. the sun came oout today so full power. but untill we have 2 new batteries added, we will have to take care. the best laid plans of mice and men. keep up the great work. phil

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Keep at it buddy, little at a time. Best wishes and appreciate you being here

[@toddnewton6714]

I am curious if you used a closed WiFi network, one that doesn't communicate with the internet, if you could solve this issue of constant updates, but keep the data. Another thing is Generator - I wonder if you used a transfer switch like I have with my Generac that once it senses zero power available, it defers and starts the generator - but then again, you would need a more expensive generator - like a Generac. Great trouble shooting! Happy to see the new solar equipment working!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Someone else mentioned using a router and no wifi too, not sure how that would work. The inverter does have dry contact options for auto start, but i would definitely need a different genny.....maybe once this one blows up I'll upgrade. Best wishes

[@captmoa]

Good job. Always something to learn.

[@Snatch_Sentry]

you got to generate -- you got to

[@hollynelson5198]

Whoop Whoop. Great job, Jason.

[@wiedapp]

The algorithm thought your video was interesting to me and I watched. You can get generators which can output 48V up to 54V DC straight away. They are not easy to find, but they exist. Over here in Germany I only know of one vendor selling such a thing, I don't know about the states. That way the power get's produced and transmitted more efficient and you don't lose as much on the way between the dinosaur juice and the battery. You want to get a high 'kWh-per-gal' ratio, to not waste as much fuel. Efficiency is key in island mode.

[@georgebaker8974]

Good job

[@DouglasHeyen]

Hello Jay. Great information. I did catch something I wanted clarified and also to make sure you wired it correctly. At 10 minute mark you talk about the jumper wire needed for 120 volt operation from generator. And stated had you hooked to 220 you wouldn’t have needed jumper since that L2 phase is now hot. Curious if you used that jumper like you said at 21 minute mark or not. Since now you have it hooked to 220 volt L2 phase is now hot.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Everything is still hooked up with 120 volt. Still has jumpers from L1 to L2 both incoming and outgoing. When we put in the larger 30 amp plug it is still 120 volt.....it just allows us to push more wattage into the batteries. Hope that makes sense

[@johnkwolf]

I thought you had starlink you don’t have to date limit. I have learned alot great videos

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

We have it now....but not when this video was filmed. Many new additions here lately

[@johncampbell2311]

If it freezes there you want to keep that box with your inverter and battery warm. Lithium ion batteries do not like being charged when I hit zero Celsius or 32 Fahrenheit. It damage the batteries. If you do put vents on that building you want to wait to open and close them. Depending on how hot it gets in the summertime where you live.

[@janetaldrin383]

Good job Jason.

[@able880]

I had a grate uncle that started working on generators in about 1880 my grandfather started working with him when he was 7 yrs old and broke out on his own around 1900 - House back then in rural America that had electricity had hybrid light plants - house battery's powered there homes - They generally sized the house battery's so they could run the house off the battery 6 days during the winter and charge the house battery's all day on Friday once week - I live in the deep rural south during summer the days can be 105°F - Up till the 1960s REA was still setting poles and string wires out here in my area - so many still had there Delco farm light plants in service - Farm light plants were ether 6 volts DC or 32 volts DC - During summer every one had to charge there house battery's all day Friday and all day Monday - During summer attic fans, ceiling fans and fridges and freezers ran a lot so house battery's were charge 2 days a week in summer down here - I'm on the grid but hurricanes and ice storms do knock out our power for months - I have a 9 kw bank of flooded battery's - for house battery's down here the acid is weak for house battery's - but they don't sulfate and the plates don't shed much at all - So it's common for them to last 60 or 70 yrs of cycling - also I use a old oil engine to belt drive the generator for charging the house battery's - .. it runs slow or at 300 RPMs so it has time to burn most of the fuel - it generates about 22 KWs per gallon of fuel burned - High speed air-cooled generators generate about a 3 KWs per gallon of fuel burned - I spent my yrs working on generators in the offshore oilfields - so I know the numbers well - .. because of moisture and cloud cover solar performance is very poor down here -

[@blackbeltdefense1487]

Great job Jason.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thank you my friend

[@BethS55]

Woot, woot Jason 👍

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks Beth

[@SuperSushidog]

Good job figuring it out. I have a 5,000w Sungold Power all-in-one that draws 40-45 watts normally and if I put it in power saver mode it only draws 20-25 watts. Does your unit have a power saver mode? Mine has the ridiculous number of parameters to set too. My 5kw model is a single phase 120v unit as that's all I need in our motorhome that we live in FT off grid. We've been using it for 2 yrs with no problems. Being a high frequency inverter, we have a soft start on our rooftop A/C unit and don't need one on our slow ramp up heat pump to protect the capacitors in the inverter. We have mobile Wi-Fi through FMCA's Tech Connect. Our plan uses costs $62/mo. for unlimited data through AT&T. It limits the speed to 25mbps, but this is sufficient for streaming HD video without buffering, so it suits our needs. They have another plan using Verizon which is a little cheaper. We use about 300-350gb/mo. on average.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

I will look into this, I feel like I may have seen this in the booklet, but thought it gave the inverter the option of turning off if not drawing enough power......which would be fine if it automatically turned back on correctly I guess.....will have to double check. Thanks for the info

[@rocktech7144]

I am glad your all in one is working. For now. Keep that power block fully charged for backup. Keep plenty of gas for generator also. We run generator for 3 to 4 hours while charging battery bank then run on battery until the next day. If no sun, then repeat. My batteries stay in the cabin. They don't like to freeze. Isn't off grid in winter just grand. Lol

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

I really is

[@davef5595]

Great video. I've learned from it. Hopefully, you can get the communications from your battery worked out soon. Do your charger/inverter and batteries need an inverter generator? Your generator likely runs on a modified sign wave, and needs a pure sign wave to avoid the electronics frying? Inverter generators are more expensive. So I believe there are generator adapters you can get to clean up the modified sign wave into a pure sign wave.

[@anthonyc1883]

Very friendly FYI (truly) but it is sine wave. Only said because many people here are learning.

[@davef5595]

I knew that, just had a brain fart I guess. Thanks

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

My Generator is an open frame inverter generator. Clean wave length.....just open frame, so I'm good to go, But good points for others to know. Appreciate you mentioning it as I forgot to. =) Most of the inverter generators you see are closed frame and much more quite and smaller looking....I'm not sure how or why this Generator is built this way. It might actually be worth me looking into buying one of the popular harbour freight closed frame inverter Gennys just because I think they run more effieciently and quietly

[@davef5595]

@ good to know. I hadn’t seen opened framed inverter generators. A few years ago, I was going to buy a predator. But someone told me about Firman branded generators. They’ve made industrial generators for years, but recently expanded to personal ones. I got a bi-fuel Firman (propane and gasoline) for the same price as predator of similar wattage. They are sold in several big box stores and occasionally are in a very good sale at Costco.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@davef5595 wow, very nice. I will look into them for sure. I picked up this champion at tractor supply 5 or 6 years ago I think.....good generator, I think I put 400 ish hours on it and it was only 500 dollars. The predators people like them because you can buy the 2 year warranty and best the crap out of them and feel safe if they blow up.

[@Tom-jd1rm]

Good job jason 👏