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Re: [RFI] SolarEdge RFI Inverter On/Off Test

To: David Eckhardt <davearea51a@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [RFI] SolarEdge RFI Inverter On/Off Test
From: Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2020 18:04:15 -0600
List-post: <mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
My dad, W5JHJ (SK 2007) would often lament the same thing. 

Kim N5OP 

"People that make music together cannot be enemies, at least as long as the 
music lasts." -- Paul Hindemith

> On Feb 5, 2020, at 5:57 PM, David Eckhardt <davearea51a@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> " solar power system is supposed to be."  True, ONLY if they are called on 
> the carpet for an RFI dirty installation.  Reading on this site pretty much 
> confirms that conclusion. One of the companies I worked for in my career had 
> the phrase (excuse):  "There is never enough time to do it right the first 
> time, but ALWAYS enough time to fix it after the fact with retrofits." 
> 
> Dave - WØLEV   
> 
>> On Wed, Feb 5, 2020 at 8:49 PM <r55stan@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I would second including some "no RFI requirement" wording in your contract 
>> with the solar installer to avoid potential problems with them after they 
>> are done.
>> 
>> A ham in Nevada contacted me about the SolarEdge system he had installed 
>> after he read my QST article on the subject 
>> http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/This%20Month%20in%20QST/May2019/Standke2a.pdf
>>   The installer came out and did the wire twisting and installing ferrites 
>> retrofit (similar to what Tony Brock-Fisher, K1KP did in his April 2016 QST 
>> article).  SolarEdge was not successful reducing the RFI to his 
>> satisfaction.  He had all the SolarEdge equipment removed and went with a 
>> Fronius string inverter.  He is now happy with solar power and zero RFI.  
>> That is how a solar power system is supposed to be.
>> 
>> Randy KQ6RS
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: RFI <rfi-bounces+r55stan=gmail.com@contesting.com> On Behalf Of David 
>> Eckhardt
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 5, 2020 10:13 AM
>> To: Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op@sbcglobal.net>
>> Cc: Hare, Ed W1RFI <w1rfi@arrl.org>; Tony <dxdx@optonline.net>; Rfi List 
>> <rfi@contesting.com>
>> Subject: Re: [RFI] SolarEdge RFI Inverter On/Off Test
>> 
>> Kim:
>> 
>> Quote:  " but any system will have to not merely RF quiet, but absolutely RF 
>> *silent* from DC to as high as I can collect the
>>                equipment to measure."
>> Put this (word smithed in 'legalize' language) in writing in any contract 
>> you sign with a solar power installation provider.
>> 
>> Dave - WØLEV
>> 
>> On Wed, Feb 5, 2020 at 3:58 PM Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> 
>> > All of this has been VERY informative. My wife suggested we look into 
>> > a photovoltaic system for our house, and I find the idea very 
>> > compelling. But I won’t do it at the cost of my Amateur Radio 
>> > activities. I may talk to some locals, but any system will have to not 
>> > merely RF quiet, but absolutely RF *silent* from DC to as high as I 
>> > can collect the equipment to measure.
>> >
>> > Kim N5OP
>> >
>> > "People that make music together cannot be enemies, at least as long 
>> > as the music lasts." -- Paul Hindemith
>> >
>> > > On Feb 5, 2020, at 1:59 AM, Tony <dxdx@optonline.net> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > All:
>> > >
>> > > My neighbor gave me permission to shut off his SolarEdge solar panel
>> > inverter while I ran some tests. I recorded the results at my home 
>> > station and noticed that the S-9 spikes disappeared when the inverter 
>> > was turned off. The noise floor also dropped considerably.
>> > >
>> > > A few remaining spikes were tracked to the cabling that feeds the 
>> > > solar
>> > panel optimizers which were still running in safe mode. Unfortunately, 
>> > there's no way to shut off the optimizers without physically 
>> > disconnecting them.
>> > >
>> > > The noise reappeared when the inverter was turned back on.
>> > >
>> > > Before I left, I decided to probe the AC lines running off the house
>> > main panel for RFI. Sure enough, there were high levels of the same 
>> > noise on the the exposed lines that run along the basement ceiling of 
>> > my neighbors home. All that noise is feeding into the AC lines so the 
>> > house wiring makes for one big antenna.
>> > >
>> > > Less significant, but worth mentioning is that the inverter does not
>> > have a dedicated ground rod. It's grounded instead to a water pipe in 
>> > the basement which then splits to the main panel with a 6 foot ground wire.
>> > >
>> > > I also noted the model number of the inverter and found that it's 
>> > > the
>> > same 6KW unit that Tony Brock-Fisher found to be very noisy.
>> > >
>> > > More to come.
>> > >
>> > > Tony -K2MO
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > RFI mailing list
>> > > RFI@contesting.com
>> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > RFI mailing list
>> > RFI@contesting.com
>> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>> >
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> 
>> *Dave - WØLEV*
>> *Just Let Darwin Work*
>> *Just Think*
>> _______________________________________________
>> RFI mailing list
>> RFI@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Dave - WØLEV
> Just Let Darwin Work
> Just Think
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