Why You Need The Chargeverter GC by EG4 For Off-Grid Solar!

[@EastTexasHomestead]

➜ Use "ETXHOMESTEAD" at checkout for a discount! ➜ Get Your Chargeverter GC Here: signaturesolar.com/eg4-chargeverter-gc-48v-100a-battery-charger-5120w-output-240-120v-input-pre-order/?ref=esttxthst

[@loghomebuilder407]

This video has been very helpful to me as I doing the exact same setup right now. thanks.

[@EastTexasHomestead]

Glad to hear that!

[@tjmooney4181]

Signature solar techs told.me the generator input in the 6000xp inverter are like a chargeverter built in, cleaning up and converting the ac power to clean dc power. They told me the need for chargeverters are so 120v generators to be used to charge the battery bank because the 6000xp generator input require 240 volt generators 🤔

[@EastTexasHomestead]

Interesting. I've not heard that but have reached out to support for clarification. I'll let you know what I find out.

[@EastTexasHomestead]

@tjmooney4181, I got word back from my contact and it appears that the reality is in between our understandings. Here's what I got back from my contact at SS: "They are correct in the sense that the Gen port (in the 6,12 and 18k models) allows for the inverter to deal with the dirty power a lot better than the standard AC input, but if they are using a generator with a THD higher than 5%, or if the generator is too small, you will still see long term-issues due to the dirty power, as the port doesn't clean up any dirty sine-waves, but just routes the generator power straight to the charging circuit for the batteries. The Chargeverter allows you to not worry about gen power going straight into the inverter, along with allowing you to be able to use 120 or 240V generators, or smaller generators."

[@tjmooney4181]

@EastTexasHomestead great thanks that was my understanding, I use the gen ports when 6k+ watt inverter generators are available or 9k+ non inverter generators are being used, and obviously use the chargeverter for all 120v and smaller 240v generators

[@EastTexasHomestead]

@@tjmooney4181 Sounds like a good setup

[@tjmooney4181]

@EastTexasHomestead after building the system for my off grid property and realizing how efficient affordable and reliable it was I decided to order a bulk order of all the parts to help other off grid friends and family off generators and now word of mouth is spreading like wildfire 😉

[@DaveC-wk1oi]

Can you do a video on how to connect the charger to the batter box... I assume you just turn off the switch on the inverter before charging???

[@richpate9436]

Interesting, especially the problem of "dirty power." Can the power coming in from the grid be "dirty" enough to negatively effect your EG4 Inverter? I live in a rural area with marginal electric service, which is why I'm thinking about going solar.

[@EastTexasHomestead]

That’s a great question. I have no data to say but my guess is that your grid power is clean enough to not cause problems. Now, if you routinely have electronics die randomly, I’d be concerned. In general though, I don’t think it should be a problem.

[@StevenCrothers]

It has nothing to do with electronics dying like @easttexashomestead said, it has to do with plugging your generator into an inverter/charger like an EG4 system or Sol-Ark system. The generator does not produce a true sin wave. If you have a 12kw generator, and use 10kw, odds are you're getting dirty frequency since I'm 100% positive that 100% of all generators sold at Home Depot or Lowes or *INSERT YOUR BOX STORE HERE* will have unstable frequency and motor RPMs under 100% or near 100% load. This power from a generator is very problematic for these inverter/charger hybrid units. So, the Chargeverter exists to be your "defense". It takes a clean power sin wave, or a shitty one, and turns it into as much DC power as it can given the power available to it. The DC isn't alternating, so your system can just consume the resulting "clean" DC energy without any issues.

[@branch_ranch]

Did the battery cables come with the chargeverter? Manual does not list them as being in the box. Thanks for the vid!

[@EastTexasHomestead]

Hey, @branch_ranch. Both the AC and DC cables come with the Chargeverter GC. I just posted an unboxing video showing everything in the box. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooa0hpuQfM6tn9U

[@branch_ranch]

@@EastTexasHomestead i just watched it, thanks for the uploads!

[@EastTexasHomestead]

You bet, Ryan! @@branch_ranch

[@basspig]

I have both the original yellow charger and the new black one I just got last week. The yellow one tops out at 93.5 amp no matter what. And the new one the black one tops out at 89.5 amps. I've never seen either of these go to 100 amps.

[@EastTexasHomestead]

How big is your generator?

[@basspig]

@@EastTexasHomestead It's a military MEP-803A, rated (very conservatively) for 10kW at 120°F). The generator head itself is about the size of a 30kW head in a civilian generator, nearly 2 feet in diameter. Folks have run them into 15kW loads for hours just testing them. I will run both EG4 chargers and when I get my Sungold inverter/charge repaired (hit by lightning two weeks ago--new power board and control board on order) I will add another 60A of charging capacity for the winter. At 10kW, it still takes hours to top off my battery bank.

[@EastTexasHomestead]

@@basspig That's a beast of a generator. Is the outlet you're plugged into limited on amperage somehow? It's clear that it's capable of putting out the power.

[@EastTexasHomestead]

Just a thought, I've seen when the SOC of the batteries is reaching full, the Chargeverter will slow down. If you're running both Chargeverters at the same time, one may be convincing the other that the batteries are full. Maybe try testing the black without the yellow and see if it ramps up to 100 amps.

[@basspig]

@@EastTexasHomestead 30 amp twist lock outlets fed by 6AWG copper wire. I don't think that's it.

[@HouseboatRenovations]

So, What other 48volt chargers have you compared this too?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

I’ve used the original Chargeverter and the EG4 1000w charger

[@Jay-fc4fg]

Can you use this with a Ecoflow or Anker backup battery product that have the solar inputs?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

I don't believe so

[@JD-xo3xz]

Can this communicate with any lithium batteries that have comm ports for start and stop, or does it have to be an EG4?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

I’m not sure

[@larrymiller7128]

When u r using the chargeventer, are u supposed to turn off the battery switch connected to the hybrid inverter, or u keep it on..

[@EastTexasHomestead]

You can keep it on

[@larrymiller7128]

@EastTexasHomestead I kept it on, but I didn't get any charge in 5 hrs .I ran out of gas.. What am I doing wrong ?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

That’s no good. You have the breaker turned on? Check 2:50 on this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGPXhpWKqMxlnrssi=TStSCGzHhZc5PUrn

[@gmsgabaradama2009]

So is your generator a pure sine wave generator?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

No. If it were, I would consider running it through the inverters instead of the Chargeverter

[@tomdecuca3627]

This might sound like a dumb question, but im confused on this issue. Is the Charge/Verter able to run from a smaller generator? Or does the generator need to put out 5000 watts to run it?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

Sorry for the confusion. You can use 1000 W generator or a 20,000 W generator. It doesn’t matter. If you’re using something smaller than 7000 you were want to go in and limit your charging from 100 A DC something a bit smaller. But say you have a 3000 W generator. I would probably limit the charge Werther so that it is only outputting 2000 W this way your generator is running more efficiently. And is not overloaded. So you would go to the charter settings and set it to roughly 40 A of output. I hope this helps. Let me know if not.

[@tomdecuca3627]

@@EastTexasHomestead yes it does, thank you! As you know, it is very hard to find a high amp battery charger in 48 volt. The one on most inverters requires very high wattage that isn't really feasible for off grid, unless you have a huge generator. With this device a guy can live off grid with a good inverter, batteries, and a decent generator, and add the panels later.

[@EastTexasHomestead]

For sure! It’s also worth pointing out if I didn’t mention and you don’t know that this can also be run on 120 or 240 V so it really opens up a world of possibilities for small 120 V generators!

[@tomdecuca3627]

@@EastTexasHomestead good information! Thank you!!

[@Just_An_Idea_For_Consideration]

QUESTION: can the chargeverter be used simultaneously with the inverters - allowing the chargeverter to charge the batteries while the batteries are simultaneously used to invert and create 120/240 output to breaker panel?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

Great question! Yes. I’ve done it many times

[@mainerusnr]

@@EastTexasHomesteadOn my Chargeverter Ver. 2 (the new gray one) manual it states "CAUTION! The Chargeverter is not meant to run in tandem with the inverter while powering loads." So...Can we use the chargeverter while running the inverters?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

@@mainerusnr I see the same thing in my printed manual on page 17. It's actually a sticker that is added in. However the latest manual online doesn't contain this information. I just got off the phone with #SignatureSolar and they reached out to #EG4 R&D and asked for clarification. While I was on the phone with them, R&D responded that it is now considered safe to charge the batteries from the Chargeverter while drawing from the batteries with an inverter. Apparently, there was some confusion, so they slapped the sticker on there but have now confirmed that it isn't a problem. I hope this helps.

[@shofarsogood7504]

So why choose the gc model for almost 100$ more over the regular?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

The generator communication portion of it isn’t really worth it to me. However, the ability to disconnect the battery cables is a really great feature, but I’m still not sure it’s worth the hundred dollar upgrade. I will say, the user interface is a lot cleaner. The screen is bigger and easier to navigate. none of the features ended up themselves are worth an extra hundred dollars in my set up. But all of them together are pretty nice.

[@shofarsogood7504]

@@EastTexasHomestead thanks for the help! Sounds like the cheaper model would be more than fine. Edit for those researching: current connected got back to me and a very notable improvement is a “ soft start ramp” to prevent more sensitive generators from stalling or overloading.

[@simon359]

There’s a different type of generator, it’s called the inverter generator, that gives off clean power! This is what I use.

[@EastTexasHomestead]

No doubt. But I would have to wire it into all three inverters.

[@quickquote1568]

The charging voltage that this unit appears to be capable of is far too low to fully charge a 48 Volt LFP battery. The manual for this cheap charger states that this unit is only capable of a 57 Volt maximum output. The output should be capable of reaching at least 58.4 Volts or 3.65 Volts per cell to fully charge a 48 Volt LFP battery. This unit appears to be poorly designed.

[@Ramjet7777]

48 volts dc won't kill you 🤣

[@EastTexasHomestead]

@Ramjet7777 If you're talking about the old phone lines with super low amps, then you're right. But 600 amps at 48 volts going through your chest from one arm to another can be fatal. At least that's my understanding. I could be wrong here though.🤷‍♂

[@JD-xo3xz]

Can this communicate with any lithium batteries that have comm ports for start and stop, or does it have to be an EG4?

[@EastTexasHomestead]

I'm not sure. However, it can use voltage to start and stop a generator with any lithium battery.