Monthly Archives: September 2018

The AC Input on the Magnum Energy advanced feature remote (ME-ARC) is designed to allow the inverter to only connect to an AC source during a specific event. You might use this, for example, if you had grid power and only wanted to connect in the event of a low battery charge or a certain time of day when the grid power is cheaper. This episode in the Magnum video series is meant to guide you through the screens of the ME-ARC revision 4.0 in order to setup these AC Input parameters. Other revisions may show slightly different screens, but this video should get you through the basics of programming. Please note that this video is not meant to go over every possible scenario, but rather give you an idea of how to program your system for your particular setup. Please refer to your owner’s manual for more in-depth information.

The first step is to select the AC In Control mode appropriate for your system, by pressing the CTRL button, which brings up the AC In Control submenu. The ME-ARC provides several AC input options: Auto Connect, VDC Connect, Time Connect, SOC Connect, and AC In Disabled. Auto Connect is the default setting, which instructs the inverter to connect and pass through AC power as soon as a source is detected on the input. VDC Connect establishes a connection to the AC source when your batteries hit a particular voltage and will disconnect when the voltage rises. Time Connect programs the inverter to use an AC source during a particular time. SOC Connect uses State of Charge to initiate a connection to an AC source when the batteries are reading low. AC In Disabled completely disables the inverter from connecting to your AC source.

Once you select the AC Input option of your choice, you can set the start and stop parameters by pressing the SETUP button and navigating to 02 Invert Setup. Based on the AC In Control option you selected previously, you can use the following screens:

• 02C AC In Time. Edit this setting if you selected Time Connect under AC In Control earlier. This option allows you to set the hours, minutes, and AM/PM parameters of the start and stop events.
• 02D AC In-VDC. Edit this setting if you selected VDC Connect under the AC In Control menu. If the batteries get down to the connect voltage, the inverter will connect to the AC source until the batteries charge up and reach the disconnect setting.
• 02E AC IN-SOC. Edit this setting if you selected SOC Connect under the AC In Control menu. If the BMK reading gets down to the Connect SOC, the system will connect to the AC source and will disconnect once the batteries are charged up to the Disconnect SOC.

Once you have successfully programmed your AC IN Controls, press Meter to return to the Main Screen.

Having the residential PV+Storage system of your dreams is not as complex as you might think. With the powerful Magnum Energy advanced feature remote (ME-ARC), together with the PT-100 charge controller, you can have a next-generation power system with today’s tools from Magnum. This episode of our recent video series is designed to help guide you through the screens of the ME-ARC revision 4.0 in order to setup your PT-100. Other revisions may show slightly different screens, but this video should get you through the basics of programming. Please note that this video is not meant to go over every possible scenario, but rather give you an idea of how to program your system for your particular setup. Please refer to your owner’s manual for more in-depth information.

To begin, press the Setup button. If you’d like to link the charge parameters so that the inverter and PT-100 will use the same charge parameters, select the 01 System Setup and navigate to 01E Link PT Charge Settings. Disabling the link means you will need to go through the Setup menu and program the PT-100 charge controller manually using the 06 PT Setup submenu:

• 06A Battery Type. You can choose from Gel, AGM1, AGM2, Flooded, CC/CV, or Custom.
• 06B Absorb Done. Turn the knob to adjust your setting to Time, Amps, or SOC and then set the appropriate parameters in hours, amps, or charge percentage.
• 06C Max Charge Rate. This option allows you to limit your charge rate of the PT-100.
• 06D Max Charge Time. Choosing Off means the charge controller will continue to charge as long as there is sunlight on your panels.
• 06E Bulk Start. This setting tells the charge controller when we should start Bulk charging. To start a bulk charge when the sun comes up, leave it at Yes.
• 06H Power Save PT. This setting is similar to the Power Save for the ARC. The LEDs on the PT-100 will turn off and the display will go to sleep after the selected number of minutes (1-60).

Other options, including PT Relay and the PT Alarm, will be covered in upcoming videos. Once you’ve finished setting the PT link or appropriate options, press Meter to return to the main screen.

The charger options and features available on the Magnum Energy advanced remote control (ME-ARC) makes optimizing your charger a breeze. In this episode of the Magnum video series, we help guide you through the screens of the ME-ARC revision 4.0 in order to setup your charger parameters. Other revisions may show slightly different screens, but this video should get you through the basics of programming. Please note that this video is not meant to go over every possible scenario, but rather give you an idea of how to program your system for your particular setup. Please refer to your owner’s manual for more in-depth information.

The available charger settings are found by pressing the Setup button and navigating to 03 Charger Setup, where the following submenus give you access to all the powerful charger features available through the ME-ARC:

• 03A AC Input Amps. This setting controls how many amps you allow the inverter/charger to take from your AC source. You’ll want to make sure this setting is either Equal to or less than the capability of your AC source. For instance, if you’re plugging into a 15-amp outlet, you’ll adjust this setting down to 15 amps or less.
• 03B Low VAC Dropout. Here you can set the minimum voltage you will accept from an AC source before the inverter will disconnect and take over the load itself.
• 03C Battery Type. You can choose from Gel, Flooded, AGM1 for Lifeline AGM batteries, AGM2 for most other brands of AGM, CC/CV for Lithium, or Custom to set the voltages recommended to you by your battery manufacturer.
• 03D Absorb Done. From here, you can adjust the Absorb Done reason to Time, Amps, or SOC. It is always recommended to check with your battery manufacturer for recommendations on how long to Absorb for.
• 03E Max Charge Rate. This sets the maximum rate to charge your batteries and defines the absolute maximum you wish them to charge for. As always, refer to your battery manufacturer for suggestions on how much charging current you can put into your batteries at any given time.
• 03F Max Charge Time. This is a fallback precaution to prevent battery overcharge in case no other parameter halts charging.
• 03G Final Charge Stage. Turn the knob to adjust the setting from Multi-stage, Float, and Silent. Generally, we recommend leaving this setting at Multi-stage unless you really need to change it.

Once you’ve completed the setup options appropriate for your system, press Meter to return to the Main Screen. Powerful control over your battery charge is now yours!

Get ready to take first steps with your Magnum Energy advanced feature remote control, the ME-ARC. This episode of the Magnum video series is designed to help guide you through the screens of the ME-ARC revision 4.0 in order to setup and optimize your inverter/charger. Other revisions may show slightly different screens, but this video should get you through the basics of programming. Please note that this video is not meant to go over every possible scenario, but rather give you an idea of how to program your system for your particular setup. Please refer to your owner’s manual for more in-depth information.

Basic system setup options are located under the 01 System Setup menu, accessed by pressing the Setup button. Here you can find the following submenus:

• 01A System Clock: Setting the hour, minutes, and AM/PM of your system is quick with the easy-to-use selection knob.
• 01B Screen Setup: This setting allows you to increase the brightness of your LCD screen for comfortable reading, adjust the contrast for clarity, and set the automatic power save timer, which turns off the LCD screen and LED lights after a set amount of inactivity.
• 01C Temp Display: This option allows you to set the temperature reading in either Celsius or Fahrenheit. 

Pressing the Meter button returns you to the main screen. The ME-ARC is now ready for interconnections and programming. Compatible with all Magnum brand inverter/chargers, as well as the ME-AGS auto-generator start module, the ME-ARC provides flexible control over your entire power system. Continue watching our video series on the ME-ARC to learn more about the control features available on Magnum Energy’s advanced feature remote control.