Battery Charging
The battery may at times need charged by generator power. This will be rare, but if there are extended periods of minimal sunlight, or exceptional extended AC loads, it may be necessary to run the generator to top off the battery. In addition, if the battery SOC (state of charge) is below 40% it should be charged before putting the battery in standby mode. Usually this would be determined a day before departure so the generator can be run to bring the battery up to 50-60% (or more) SOC.1 - The Shed
Generator Health
When arriving at or leaving the cabin, the shed should be visited to check the generator status. Fuel should be topped off and oil level checked. The oil dipstick is on the inconvenient side of the generator at the bottom of the engine. Unscrew, check level and add as needed. Oil and gas are present in the shed. The shed key is on the key holder next to the door to the deck.
2 - Starting the Generator
The generator can be started via a remote in the garage or at the generator in the shed.
The remote start is a small black box adjacent to the Conext gear and above the brown breaker box. Press and hold the green button until the generator starts, not more than 10 seconds.
If you are already in the shed, or need to troubleshoot, there is a key in the generator that works like a car key. Turn it to start like a car ignition to start the generator.
The generator should be allowed to warm for a minute or so before a load is applied.
3 - AC Switchgear
Once the generator is started and has been idling for a minute or so, flip the AC IN breaker on the AC switchgear to the up/on position. The generator will respond to the demand for power by revving up. After a few moments, the Inverter "AC IN/Charging" light will illuminate. Concurrently the "Current" indicator on the BMS and on the SCP will show a value in the 40-45 AMP range, and the BMS "Power" indicator will show about 2.2-2.4 KW. This indicates the battery is charging. The battery SOC will grow about 0.1% for every 90 seconds of time.The Inverter is able to accomodate small loads while charging the battery, but does not do well with large power demands. I wish it was a bit "smarter". Avoid loads above 5 amps in the cabin while charging the battery or you may trip the breaker on the generator. If this occurs you will hear the battery return to an idle. A trip to the shed will be required to reset the breaker on the inconvenient side of the generator, next to the generator start key.
4 - Ready to Stop?
Once a sufficient SOC has been reached for your needs or goals, stop the charging session by flipping the "AC IN" breaker on the AC Switchgear off. Let the generator return to idle for 30 seconds or so, and press the red/stop button on the generator remote. Listen to esnure the generator has powered off.Let's Get Charging!
