EG4 6000XP off-grid inverter.  We’d heard of these but not sold one and the 
customer had his heart set on it, so we sold it to him.  Then he had (and 
continues to have) noise problems.  What can I say, we don’t like to use our 
customers as guinea pigs – but with our ‘old reliables’ closing down or going 
out of business, we’ve got to try new things from time to time.  So far, 
Sol-Ark and Enphase seem to be doing OK.
 
--Chris @ the Oasis Montana
 
From: jay <jay.pe...@gmail.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 10:21 AM
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>
Cc: ch...@oasismontana.com
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] EG4 inverter noise
 
Which version?



On May 14, 2025, at 10:57 AM, Chris Daum via RE-wrenches 
<re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> > 
wrote:
 
Just as an aside, is anyone else having major noise problems with the EG4 
inverters?  We’ve only sold one and its output is – seriously --  90 decibels.  
My customer is rather deaf but his wife is not and it’s driving her/them nuts.  
I am rather reluctant to sell another unless they have a separate power shed or 
the like.  
 
Chris Daum
Oasis Montana Inc. 
 
From: RE-wrenches < <mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org> 
re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org> On Behalf Of Maverick Brown via 
RE-wrenches
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 10:18 AM
To: RE-wrenches < <mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> 
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>
Cc: Maverick Brown < <mailto:maver...@mavericksolar.com> 
maver...@mavericksolar.com>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Midnite AIO Generator Functionality
 
In the case of extra redundancy, I have installed the EG4 Chargeverter and a 
30A L14-30 Inlet and made the customer a suitable length L14-30 Extension Cord 
that they can use with their manual start secondary / tertiary portable 
generator just in case the primary generator has failed to start. The 
Chargeverter is quite small and can handle about 5kW of charge just in case… 
The charge voltage is programmable as is the current. It is inverter and 
battery agnostic.
 
The Chargeverter used to be inexpensive compared to what it does. The last time 
I checked it is over $700 and also always seems to be on backorder. Still worth 
it. The Chargeverter has two wire start and can start based on voltage and SOC 
(if that is where the batteries are communicating / not that useful for most 
cases).
 
If the Chargeverter is the primary generator AC to DC Charger, all AIO 
inverters could benefit from DC Generator = Y / N setting. Reference : 
Available setting on XW and Outback. 
 
For that matter, I am sure there are other suitable chargers that can be added 
as an emergency spare. Ten years ago or more, I added an IOTA charger to 24V FX 
inverter so the customer could use their Honda 2000 to charge the battery 
without the warbling electricity going into the house because FX sans PF 
correction… Remember those fun days?
 
Grid
> Inverter / Battery / Solar
>> Generator
>>> Generator
>>>> Candles
 
 
<image001.jpg>
 
 
 
Maverick Brown
Off-Grid Solar Commander since 2006
Maverick Solar Enterprises, Inc.
 • Solar Commander Remote Power
 • SunFlow Systems Cathodic Protection 
 <mailto:maver...@mavericksolar.com> maver...@mavericksolar.com
512-460-9825




On May 14, 2025, at 8:55 AM, Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches < 
<mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> 
wrote:
 
That is the idea, but the generator startup is not guaranteed (i.e.out of fuel, 
battery dead, etc). It's not a failsafe solution. 
 
The AIO really needs a dedicated GEN input that is not controlled with a NO 
relay. Or let us use the Grid input for the generator. The generator input 
logic is severely flawed. If there is an AC source, it should be able to charge 
the battery without user intervention. 
 

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 Mon, May 12, 2025, 5:25 PM Dave Tedeyan via RE-wrenches < 
<mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> 
wrote:
Jason, 
Cant you just make the AGS turn on the generator before the inverter gets to 
the LBCO? Maybe this is more difficult if you do not have closed loop comms and 
the SOC drifts. I am just working through my first Midnite AIO setup now, so I 
cannot speak to the nuances of how it will work with that yet.
Cheers,
Dave
 
On Mon, May 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM Ray Walters via RE-wrenches < 
<mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> 
wrote:
That has not been my experience.  I have had to manually reboot Solark systems 
numerous time off grid.  If there is snow on the array or otherwise low PV 
output for a few days, the no load draw of the BMS then takes the battery 
voltage low enough to shut the battery off.   This would be a different 
situation with a knowledgeable owner onsite full time, but for vacation 
properties, it will go into complete shut down, not coming back.
Which gets into the manual and tech support for Solark:  its really not clear 
what the different settings do, and how they interact.  I'm sure there are 
engineers that know, but they aren't at Tech support. At least you can change 
the programming on the touch screen, and you don't have to get a quirky app up 
off grid to do basic changes.  
BTW, what happens when the developers quit keeping the App updated, 10 years 
from now, and you can't access the programming?  Planned Obsolescence?  That 33 
yr old Trace Inverter is still doing its job.....
Ray Walters
Remote Solar
 
 
On 5/12/2025 11:33 AM, MDElectricSolar via RE-wrenches wrote:
We have been using the Solark inverter for GTBB and off grid clients. In the 
case of low battery cut out the solar does stay alive in the background and 
will recharge the batteries when the sun comes out the next day and turn itself 
back on and provide AC power output. 
 
Michael D Nelson
MD Electric & Solar, Inc.
707-684-0064 mobile
707-884-1862 office
 <http://www.mdelectricsolar.com/> www.mdelectricsolar.com
 <http://www.facebook.com/mdelectricandsolar> 
www.facebook.com/mdelectricandsolar
 




On May 12, 2025, at 10:13 AM, Ray Walters via RE-wrenches  
<mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> 
wrote:

So the bypass switch gets the house power on, and I too always recommend a hard 
bypass switch. However, you still need a 48 v power supply to get the battery 
system back up, and that's becoming a serious pain in my aging backside.  Until 
AIOs with Li+ batteries, lead acid would have enough voltage to get the charge 
controller to come back on, and eventually the customer could get the inverter 
back on too.  No special trip out. 
We need an independent circuit that would sense array voltage, and wake up the 
battery, so it could take a charge: a backup battery for the offgrid battery.  
Without that, AIOs and Li+ batteries are not self healing like Lead Acid.  We 
are going backwards fast, but with an amazing amount of new Chinese technology 
driving the jalopy in reverse.  (Danger Will Robinson)
Ray Walters
Remote Solar
On 5/12/2025 10:54 AM, Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches wrote:
We always recommend a transfer switch to bypass the inverter and send generator 
power to the loads. Most clients take us up on it. For retrofits, sometimes 
there can be space limitations, however. 
 
As for the function of the AIO, there is no integrated mechanical bypass, and 
since there is an internal relay controlling the generator input (or smart load 
output on that breaker), I think the default function is for the relay to open 
when the inverter turns off. AC voltage on the load side of the breaker does 
not close the relay and turn the inverter back on automatically.



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 Mon, May 12, 2025 at 9:49 AM Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar via RE-wrenches < 
<mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> 
wrote:
All sounds wrong to me. Call Midnite.  
 
Typically there is a AC bypass mechanical switch that allows the gen to bypass 
the inverter and power loads.
 
 
Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
 <http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/>    <https://offgridsolar1.com/> 
https://offgridsolar1.com/ <http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/>  
e-mail   <mailto:offgridso...@sti.net> offgridso...@sti.net
text 209 813 0060
 
On 2025-05-12 9:29 am, Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches wrote:
Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like there is a flaw in the logic for 
how generator integration works with this product. Unlike some of the other 
AIOs, you can't put the generator on the Grid input in an off-grid scenario. 
You have to use the Generator smart load breaker, which isn't a dedicated 
generator input, but a programmable circuit. This is problematic because it 
seemingly has a normally open internal relay that closes only when the inverter 
is ON. At least, that's how it seems to work in my limited experience.
 
Why is this a problem? If the battery capacity drops below the low voltage 
cutoff, the inverter turns off. You have to turn the inverter ON for the 
generator relay to close so you can charge the battery, but since the battery 
is too low, the inverter won't turn on. You would have to reprogram the 
inverter to drop the cutoff voltage/SOC below the current battery state. For 
people who do not want to use AGS, or if AGS fails to start the generator for 
any reason, getting the generator to charge the battery manually is no easy 
task.
 
Moreover, turning the generator on manually when the inverter is in an OFF 
state will not pass power to the loads, and will not turn the inverter ON 
automatically. You have to get the inverter turned ON somehow so that the 
generator power can pass through to the loads. And since the startup sequence 
for this inverter is very quirky, non-intuitive, and unreliable, that makes the 
problem even worse. I'm not sure if you can even turn the inverter ON when 
there is generator input and the battery is too low. I don't think you can 
because the relay is open and the inverter doesn't even see generator voltage 
when it is in an OFF state.
This seems like a serious oversight and a reason to go with one of the other 
AIOs on the market. I believe the Sol-Ark 15K and EG4 18kPV will both 
immediately power loads and start charging when the generator is on, regardless 
of whether the generator is connected to the Grid or Generator input. Any AC 
input immediately passes through to the loads. This is because those inverters 
stay "on" when a low battery condition is met, and they simply stop using the 
battery to invert power if the battery conditions do not allow it, based on the 
settings. 
 
The logic of the Midnite AIOs turning "off" when battery cutoff is met and 
opening the generator relay doesn't make sense to me. Am I wrong about how this 
works?
 
Jason Szumlanski 
Principal Solar Designer
Florida Solar Design Group
 
 
 
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