Hi Jason, I had a smooth sailing warranty part replacement a few weeks ago on an Outback system. I can't say, with confidence, that will be your experience. It did take 3 weeks to get the replacement but I was somewhat impressed it showed up at all.
We have come across many, many Outback systems that were improperly installed/improperly configured. We cruise in and look like heroes by solving very basic issues with a few button pushes and a little bit of site work. I'd be very up front with them and let them know that it may be a rough road to get good tech support or warranty replacement.. If they have a Mate 3s online, try to get access granted to Optics RE. This can be a clunky process if you aren't the original site administrator. Or they may be able to share their log in. If its not online but they have an internet connection, bring a little Wifi client that will allow you to hardwire the Mate in so you can start looking for trends. If you have them push the event button, and scroll back through history, texting pics, you may get a clearer picture of what they may have going on. For on site phone support, Zonna is a great resource. Let us know if you end up diving in and need some ideas! On Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 2:05 PM Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches < re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote: > It has been a few weeks since this was last discussed, and I'm looking for > an update from anyone who knows if Outback is likely to exist as we know it > going forward. > > There are virtually none of their products installed locally, but I have a > new off-grid client with a quad VFX stack system with multiple errors that > appear to be fatal. I have not been there personally, however. I was told > they were installed last year, which makes me suspicious about these errors. > > I'm wondering if I even want to get involved. It seems like a quagmire > waiting to happen, but it's also located on an island where I am doing a > lot of other work and would like to be the "go to guy" out there. > > > Jason Szumlanski > Principal Solar Designer | Florida Solar Design Group > NABCEP Certified Solar Professional (PVIP) > Florida State Certified Solar Contractor CVC56956 > Florida Certified Electrical Contractor EC13013208 > > > On Sat, Jul 20, 2024 at 7:26 PM Dan Fink via RE-wrenches < > re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote: > >> James Showalter from Signature Solar and Eric Lundgren from Big Battery >> purchased Outback Solar. I have had terrible tech support experiences from >> both of those outfits, they tend to conveniently "forget" your engineering >> and NEC code compliance support requests when the answer is just simply >> "no, not yet UL listed" or "we don't know if that feature works or not." >> I'm not sure how these prolific suppliers of cheap crap products with >> terrible QC and NIB failure rates intend to compete, but my guess is that >> they have control of the big crap overseas product pipeline nozzle and >> intend to steer the huge stream of sewage in our direction. Sol-Ark just >> imports Deye products and retrofits them with their own upgrades and >> firmware. Magnum has vanished, much to my dismay as my own system is Magnum >> as are dozens of my customers. >> >> Us off-grid folks still have a couple guys named boB and Robin at Midnite >> that still manufacture, sell and support good products. Maybe Morningstar >> will up their game into larger inverters. Why are all these shady import >> companies based in Texas? Inquiring minds want to know! BTW, I hate >> all-in-ones, never had a single good experience, just endless firmware and >> comms updates and such simple issues resulting in multiple truck rolls. >> >> I miss Lones Tuss of Outback calling me back on a Friday evening at 7PM >> and remotely diagnosing my client's VFX / Mate 3S issues whilst doing his >> laundry at home, after I submitted a ticket earlier that day. The client >> seriously thought I was pulling a practical joke on him until I put Lones >> on speaker. >> >> Strange new world for us off-grid folks. I'll have to stick with the very >> few companies left that I trust. Yes, yes, Schneider, but their tech >> support is almost impenetrable. >> >> Our strange new off-grid world seems to be destined as crap from Alibaba >> and Amazon, and it all smells rather off to me, like the "fresh fish" at a >> run-down Safeway in eastern Kansas.... >> >> Dan Fink >> Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC >> IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation >> NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector >> NABCEP PV Associate >> d <dan.f...@greendustrialtraining.com>anbo...@gmail.com >> 970-672-4342 >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, Jul 20, 2024 at 3:22 PM Jay via RE-wrenches < >> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote: >> >>> I just checked the OB forums page and there is nothing current. >>> >>> One thing I found says that the new president of OB is the CEO of Big >>> Battery. I don’t know that to be a fact. >>> Which is also somehow related to signature solar/ EG4. >>> >>> My guess is that if/when OB resurfaces it won’t have the same products. >>> It’ll just be an old name selling new products and they won’t be dealing >>> with old legacy products, warranty or MX or tech support. >>> >>> I could be way wrong. >>> >>> But anyone trying to keep a product line going wouldn’t just stop all >>> communication for a few months. >>> >>> Maybe someone who has been an OB distributor might know more about >>> what’s up? I no longer have any of those contacts. >>> >>> New world, fellow wrenches. >>> >>> Jay >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance >> >> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org >> >> List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org >> >> Change listserver email address & settings: >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the >> other: >> https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/ >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> List rules & etiquette: >> http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm >> >> Check out or update participant bios: >> http://www.members.re-wrenches.org >> >> _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change listserver email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > There are two list archives for searching. 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