The PV issue keeps getting raised. However, the problem persists when using a different, proven and working array with completely different PV cables connected correctly to a functional and proven inlet 15A breaker to two different MPPT’s. Same effect. That same other array is reconnected and back working again charging as before with no issue.
That is a beady eye 
The remote relay plug was left in the as received condition on both MPPT’s. It is securely in place. Thanks for the question.
By “eliminate,” I mean temporarily remove the fuse/breaker completely from the circuit and test with it bypassed.
A continuity test only confirms that the circuit opens/closes as expected; it doesn’t tell you what the contact resistance is under load. A connection can pass a continuity test and still have excessive resistance.
With an MPPT system carrying significant current, even a small amount of contact resistance can cause a measurable voltage drop and power loss, and potentially heat the connection. So I’d eliminate the fuse/breaker from the circuit as a diagnostic step rather than relying solely on a continuity test.
Even a bad mc4 connection can be an issue because of connection resistance.
It may be perspective but it does actually looks like the red cable from i assume solar is going to the pos bus bar and the mppt after the resetting breaker there.
I thought I said above that I performed a continuity test and also a bypass test. Same result. The photo is deceiving the red cable from the 15A breaker only goes to the MPPT. It does not go anywhere else. If it did, it would really defeat the purpose of the MPPT as a controller of what comes from the array.
Asking for help and then criticising and arguing with every comment isn’t productive.
People will just stop trying.
If the device is faulty take it for an rma.
That you have a second charger and its still broken indicates an issue with your installation.
It would be more helpful to be less antagonistic to those trying to help with a figurative blindfold on.
Handy tool: DC clamp ammeter like this Klein CL390: https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/clamp-meters/acdc-digital-clamp-meter-trms-auto-ranging-400-amp
It’s DC current measurement is contactless, so you can clamp it around the PV + wire and see the current.
Then even if the MPPT is shorting the inputs, there will still be a few amps of current flow, and you can follow it back.
If you see zero current, then there’s a break.
The voltage drops from 122V to 12.3V (same battery voltage) when I close the 15A PV breaker. When I did the same with the completely different 200W panels, the voltage dropped from 22V to 0.7V.
I have a similar Ideal brand that does the same thing. Thanks for the insight.
Are these rates for 10pv+ i have never see one that is. So just asking for information sake. Not a fan of them anyway.
So can you never measure this at the mppt terminals ever with the breaker open.
Switch off the charger in victron connect.
Close the breaker. Check the Terminals.
If the voltage appears at the mppt terminals, then turn on the charger then in software.
Do you ever see the why is my charger off message with VC?
On VictronConnect the MPPT says 0V while MPPT PV voltage reads 12.3V with a multimeter (same as the battery voltage).
Yes. I have. I have tried resetting the relay that way and in the gear settings in the MPPT VictronConnect screen with the breaker off. I can hear the relay actuate when I turn it one or off. If I leave it closed and go back and reclose the breaker, still the MPPT says it is off.
I am not trying to be difficult. I have troubleshooted nuclear systems for a living with less of a headache and frustration. It is hard for me to reach the conclusion that two MPPT’s from Victron, one new and one three weeks old, are defective. It is important to note that the same thing occurs with two arrays, one still functional on its own system again after testing on the system at issue.
Sorry, if I am not as gracious as I should be with some of the feedback. I have been at this since last Thursday.
So pretty much behaving like there is no PV connected.
I ma not interested in the resetting of the relay.
I am interested to know if you switch the charger off in software, then connect the pv breaker, can the PV voltage can be read with a digital meter at the.mppt terminals with your pv breaker closed.
Because if it is not there then the connection through the breaker is actually the problem.
Voltage must be read at 1,2 &3. If it is missing at 3 then it is the breaker.
If it is there, you are at the next stage a PRE RMA test.
With charger disabled in software and PV breaker closed, multimeter reads 12.2V (battery voltage) at MPPT PV terminals.
I bypassed the breaker before with the same results. Should I do it again?
I just bypassed the breaker again. With E6 bypassed and charger disabled in software, PV terminals still read 12.6V (battery voltage). The voltage at the end of the cables only drops from 122V to 12.6V (battery) when the cables are connected to the MPPT PV terminals.
Hi richard,
I’m sorry to hear of your troubles, I know it’s frustrating and difficult to diagnose from a distance over a text box. My own advice would be,
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Check all parts of the system while they are unconnected to other parts, ie: panels, battery, relays etc.
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Check for polarity, even though a black wire should be -ve it may not be so check with your multi meter and write down the polarity of all parts of the system especially the batteries which can reverse their polarity if charged wrongly.
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Redo the wiring from scratch and cut all your wires to the right length rather than have them spooled up which can cause fires and local impedance hotspots. Use the correct size wire and make sure all of your DC power cables are the same length going to the batteries.
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Check all of the cable clamps as per (1) and test their resistance to make sure there aren’t any corroded ends, male and female.
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Think back to install +3 weeks and what did you change? Did you knock something when you inserted the plug for the USB ?
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Here is a picture of my system which is similar:
Richard,
Thank you for the reply! So appreciated!
I know the original 150/60-Tr MPPT went down when the panels were producing nicely and I started my Honda 2000i generator to see how the Multiplus II would handle (as advertised) the input of the generator 850W at 110V when the solar panels were also producing as well. The amperage was set to remain under 60A in the DVCC settings. As a note, I never saw it exceed the 60A. And, one of its selling points of the MultiPlus was the built-in programming which will not permit the charging amperage to the batteries to exceed the 60A setting (the gel battery limit is 69A). I think there may be a correlation but cannot prove it at this point.
I was able to bring the suspect MPPT 250/60-Tr back to my lab and test it. It is working perfectly using a 12V test battery and a voltage generator to simulate PV voltage and current flow. Based on my testing so far, I have ruled out the following as potential causes by removing them from the system via bypassing or a direct replacement:
- The Cerbo GX was removed with the same result
- The Multiplus II was removed from the system with the same result (see above however)
- The PV array and cables were substituted with another functional system with the same result
- The inlet 15A breaker to the MPPT PV input was bypassed with the same result
- The replacement 250/60 MPPT was tested and found to work perfectly on a bench test
The following have not been ruled out as a potential cause:
- The cabling has to be tested and ruled out as a cause, both positive and negative
- The SmartShunt will be bypassed and tested as a possible cause
- The three 115Ah gel batteries will be tested individually to determine if one or more is causing the issue
At this point, I have decided regardless of the cause to switch and go with two new lithium ion batteries especially designed for harsh conditions that NAZ Solar recommends and has had excellent experience with. I want to do so particularly to reduce the footprint of the system from three to two batteries and the efficiency of the new batteries are supposedly over 80% versus mine are about 50%. I am particularly concerned about low temperatures in the Pennsylvania mountains. If you a suggestion I would love to hear it. I was severely limited for space for the equipment board and how the project evolved from a simple 50W solar panel system with one battery and a few LED lights to the system we now have (the battery drain by the Starlink Mini was the big issue in my quest to monitor the cabin battery and solar panel system and Ring cameras via Wi-Fi from afar).
Right now, I and NAS Solar are pretty convinced the problem is with one or more of the batteries that the MPPT’s recognized and prevented both from turning ON. I am going back to the cabin on August 7th to reinstall the 250/60 MPPT in a controlled manner and systematically rule out each potential cause. Lastly, in case you were wondering I am changing out the 400A fuses with 250A fuses (there is a reason why we had to go with 400A fuses temporarily due to the remoteness of the cabin and the late change to the Victron Control Switch). Hope the above helps.
Thanks again from one Richard to another.