Help need for Xantrex XW6048 or XW6848 Inverter/Charger.

[paulcheung]

Hi guys,

I understand you can use a laptop or desktop computer to control the XW series inverter. My question is how you do it. Do you connect the computer to the inverter through a Ethernet cable or a wireless adaptor? do you still need the optional control panel that cost about $300 USD? or you just download a program to your computer and connect to the inverter.

Thank you in advance.

[Sunking]

Paul I am not familiar with those two products, but generally it is a communication software you load onto a puter, and then use either RS-232 (antiquated) or a Ethernet cable to connect between puter and device.

[SunEagle]

Hi guys,

I understand you can use a laptop or desktop computer to control the XW series inverter. My question is how you do it. Do you connect the computer to the inverter through a Ethernet cable or a wireless adaptor? do you still need the optional control panel that cost about $300 USD? or you just download a program to your computer and connect to the inverter.

Thank you in advance.

It looks like you need a device called the Conext ComBox which allows you to communicate with the inverter via a computer. The ComBox has an Ehthernet, 485 Modbus or dry contact I/O port.

I didn't see anything about which software to use but I would guess it would be similar to a wireless router or Web interface box using IP addresses.

[paulcheung]

I went to the dealer this morning, the girl doesn't know much about it. they have the combox for $420 US and the remote control panel for $300 US and the Inverter on sale for $3000 US.

[Sunking]

I went to the dealer this morning, the girl doesn't know much about it. they have the combox for $420 US and the remote control panel for $300 US and the Inverter on sale for $3000 US.

$3720 USD if my math is right works out to about $390,600 JMD or about:

11 years salary for a skilled trade worker
4 years for an Engineer
3 years for an Advertisement Executive.
1 year for tipped Bartender at a Inclusive Resort
1 month selling Ganja to tourist.

I think Electricity cost according to JPS is down from 38-cent per Kwh USD ($39.9 JMD) to 33-cents per Kwh USD ($34.65 JMD). That is lower than some US states. Hard to justify using solar battery when it cost over $1 USD/Kwh or $105 JMD per Kwh in battery cost. How do you do that Paul?

[paulcheung]

I size the battery bank extreme small, do a lot load shifting to day time, the load on battery bank is about 10kwh per day. 750 AH @48 volts is about 36KWH. Less than one third of the capacity use daily hope the battery bank will last more than 5 years. JPS will cost me $275,000 per year in electricity, the two bank of battery $38500x16 will cost me $616,000 will be 2.24 years to payback.
20 to 24KWH per day.
33 cents per kwh @365=$2650 per year
System cost include the 750ah battery is $22,000 USD.

[Mike90250]

XW6048 owner here.

You NEED either the SCP (system control panel) which is a stand-alone menu driven product, or the Combox which is a much more powerful device, but needs to connect to a web browser that can interact with it, and unlock it's full features, which are more powerful than the SCP. I have BOTH SCP and Combox, and recommend the combox strongly.

[paulcheung]

Thank you Mike, so once have the combox you won't need the remote panel? any way I was wonder if I can just get the inverter and use the computer to do the settings. So $3000 +$400, total $3400.

[Mike90250]

Thank you Mike, so once have the combox you won't need the remote panel? any way I was wonder if I can just get the inverter and use the computer to do the settings. So $3000 +$400, total $3400.

NO, the inverter has no capability to talk to a computer. you HAVE to have one of the little boxes. The combox does work as a web interface to a browser, or an android app. I plug into a wireless router and access the combox via the wireless from my office. (too lazy to walk over 800' to check by hand)

[paulcheung]

Mike, my house already has a wireless network which has a router connect all the computers I have. Can I just get a wireless adapter to connect to the combox and connect to the net work?
Thank you.

[Mike90250]

Mike, my house already has a wireless network which has a router connect all the computers I have. Can I just get a wireless adapter to connect to the combox and connect to the net work? Thank you.

The wireless has to be smart enough to be able to assign a DHCP (or is it DCHP ?) address to the combox. I know a $30 4port wifi router works great.

[inetdog]

The wireless has to be smart enough to be able to assign a DHCP (or is it DCHP ?) address to the combox. I know a $30 4port wifi router works great.

DHCP = Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.