Equipment to Complement MS inverters
It is difficult to know
the status of a system are at the best of times. When something goes off
the rails it is difficult to determine the problem or the cause of the problem.
It is not a system requirement but we strongly advise the inclusion of a Magnum
remote. This does not mean you need a bunch more devices, thereby increasing the
cost of your system.
Remote Monitor
Magnum has three ME remotes;
the basic ME-RC the advanced ME-ARC. The ME-RTR, or “router” has many of the
same features as the ME-ARC50 advanced remote with the additional functionality
required to parallel Magnum MS-PAE inverter/chargers for greater output. Remotes
provide system parameter setup and performance monitoring as well as clear
indications of where a problem exists. For example, a licensed master
electrician, when he added an additional outlet made an error and created a
dead short i another room. The inverter when started would immediately
turn off. Without a monitor on the system It took hours of investigating to
identify the problem. A remote would have identify the fault failure
immediately. Who would suspect a master electrician of such a basic mistake?
There are other very useful programming options, including limiting the power
drawn from a generator so that the current draw of the system and charging
combined do not exceed the generator's capability thereby causing the
generator's breaker to trip. ...and a hundred more examples.
Generator Auto Start
The AGS is designed to
automatically start your generator, based on the inside temperature or a low
battery condition. batteries are maintained at within proper parameters. No
worrying about batteries going below 50% DOD thereby reducing their life.
There are two versions of the
AGS, network and stand alone. The stand alone version requires a remote
monitor and facilitates programming on the unit the network version allows
programming and reporting through one of the three remote ME monitors
from Magnum.
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ME-AGS |
ME-AGS Network |
...a word of caution. Just
because your equipment Magnum AGS is capable of communicating to a generator, it
does not mean the generator is capable of listening to the start
and stop signals. Some generators come with a remote many do not.
There are devices that can be attached to generators to allow remote starting.
Battery Monitoring
Batteries including flooded
lead acid, absorbed glass mat (AGM including VRLA valve regulated lead acid ),
and gel batteries over represent and under represent the battery's state of
charge. The term for this is termed surface
charge and surface discharge.
Off-grid batteries are in constant use, therefore using voltage as an indication
of battery state is misleading. The only other three methods of than
determining battery state is by hydrometer measuring current specific gravity
or disconnecting batteries for 3 to 4 hours. Or using a battery
monitor. A Magnum Battery Monitoring Kit (BMK) works with
ME, MS, MS-AE and RD Series Inverters.
How it works:
- The BMK includes a 500 Amp
shunt, the sense module that
measures the amount of electricity passing both in and out
of the batteries.
- The red and blue
communication cable transmits the
information from the shunt to the sense module
- The sense module logs and
interprets the information .
- The gray cable (same as
telephone plug-in) communicates
the information to the inverter.
- Your system will require a
remote (either a ME-ARC ore ME-RC)
to view the information
System Network
Connection
This is almost the
definition of plug and play. In spite of the hocus pocus of what the devices do,
connections are simple.
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