Building another new workshop.

[mtdoc]

Nice build and installation Kibi.   Interesting for me to see how the electrical installation differs from how it's done here in the US.    on the Midnite Classic.  I've had 2 of them running for several years now.  Excellent CCs.  I'll be installing another one for a new system install next year.

[Kibi]

Nice build and installation Kibi.   Interesting for me to see how the electrical installation differs from how it's done here in the US.    on the Midnite Classic.  I've had 2 of them running for several years now.  Excellent CCs.  I'll be installing another one for a new system install next year.

Sure, it's a good controller. It was the ultimate charge controller back when I bought it four years ago. Runs like a champ, sometimes the TCP stack crashes, but no big deal. Are yours also the 150V version?
Victron have some really strong contenders for the Classic these days. Their 250V @100A MPPT controller looks like a serious beast.
I need to get my Beagle Bone Black (which is running Victron CCGX firmware) to read the values off the Classic over Modbus TCP and have the data sent to Victron's VRM logging website, which is a very nice especially as it's free.
I currently have just the battery monitor logging to VRM.

[mtdoc]

Nice build and installation Kibi.   Interesting for me to see how the electrical installation differs from how it's done here in the US.    on the Midnite Classic.  I've had 2 of them running for several years now.  Excellent CCs.  I'll be installing another one for a new system install next year.

Sure, it's a good controller. It was the ultimate charge controller back when I bought it four years ago. Runs like a champ, sometimes the TCP stack crashes, but no big deal. Are yours also the 150V version?
Victron have some really strong contenders for the Classic these days. Their 250V @100A MPPT controller looks like a serious beast.
I need to get my Beagle Bone Black (which is running Victron CCGX firmware) to read the values off the Classic over Modbus TCP and have the data sent to Victron's VRM logging website, which is a very nice especially as it's free.
I currently have just the battery monitor logging to VRM.

Yeah, I have 2 150s.

I still think they're the best CC on the market though I'm not familiar with the Victron's - they're not marketed here in the US. I know they make solid inverters.

Yeah, the "Local App"  and "My Midnite" network connectivity issues have been a weak spot for the Classics - though it's never impacted the actual core functionality of the controllers.  They are rock solid at charge controlling - the network software has just been icing on the cake. Until recently no other manufacturers even attempted it.   

Are you running the latest firmware? I've heard it resolves some of the network errors, though to be honest it's been sometime since I even worried about that functionality.   They just do their job day in and day out and I never pay them much attention which is of course, how it should be.

There's lots of networking discussion on the Midnite user forum - including some people using BBB's.

I'm really excited about Midnite's new inverter  that will be available soon. I've got a new install planned for next summer.

[wasyoungonce]

More importantly...where are pics of the scope?

[Kibi]

More importantly...where are pics of the scope?

Indeed, we have strayed off topic a bit. Sorry.

First of all though, a 'scope needs a bench or shelf on which to sit. So, I have got on with the worktops.
I used 25mm plywood for the worktops and rounded the edges over with the router.



Then a coat of varnish, and left to dry.



These are the shelves for the 900mm deep workspace where the test equipment will go. It's a kind of cantilever arrangement, but I think it maximises the bench space whilst offering shelves of different depths for various bits of kit. The lowest shelf is 300mm deep and the ones above it are 450mm deep. The shelves are 1500mm wide.



Once the varnish had gone off it's time to get stuff moved in and make it look like a workshop at last.
All of the anti-static mats could be rolled out and set out on the various work spaces.
On the right is the dedicated soldering area which is 600mm deep, ahead is the computer desk and to the left is the 900mm deep space.



Soldering equipment slowly being unpacked and set out.



Same for the test equipment.



I have a 14 outlet MDU on the right to distribute power to the various bits of test equipment. Each piece of test equipment will come off it's own fused outlet.



The MDU is fed off it's own circuit coming from it's own dedicated RCBO in the breaker box.

[Towger]

Yery nice. What hight are the table tops? The traditional 40 inches from the floor?

[Kibi]

Yery nice. What hight are the table tops? The traditional 40 inches from the floor?

These benches are 750mm high. The bench which will have the small machine tools on it is 1000mm high.

[nanofrog]

Yery nice. What hight are the table tops? The traditional 40 inches from the floor?

40" is a bit high IME. Most I've encountered are no more than 36" high for stool height, and usually ~30" for a standard desk height. Higher has been both seen & available in the past of course, but the higher tables have increased in prices, making the more standard heights far more common.

[Kibi]

Here is a little bit of an update. I have been quite busy using the space and catching up on things that I couldn't do when I didn't have a workshop.

The place has surely assumed a good state of chaos (organised and not so organised). At least I am enjoying it and it's a nice place to be.

Soldering area


Computer area.


General work and test area.


Attempted organisation that never really ends up being so.


There are always bits and pieces to do and I have finally got around to installing proper network outlets rather than having CAT6 cables draped all over the place.



I sold the mini lathe that I had because a fantastic deal came up for a Myford Super7. The Myford is a bit too big for the space where the mini lathe was, so I have set it up in the garage.


I replaced the original motor with a three phase one for better control of speed and revering. This is the cabinet which houses the VFD and safety gear.





I have performed some upgrades to the energy system too.

As well as finally erecting a back fence, I built a rack for the PV modules. Here are two of them in place.


I also had the opportunity to upgrade my DC bus voltage to 24V. I got myself a more up-to-date Victron Multiplus inverter/charger. This one is 3KVA. It is powerful and feature rich enough to, at some point, supply most of the house loads. That's a bigger project for the future, but this Multiplus is one of many steps in that direction.


For now the 3KVA Multiplus is installed in the place of my previous 12V 2KVA Multiplus.
 As it is grid interactive, I have got a "smart" energy meter installed at the infeed to the workshop. The meter communicates with the Victron over RS-485. I have got loads (the observatory) placed between the energy meter and the Multiplus' AC-IN. These loads will then be supplied by energy coming out of the Multiplus' AC-IN. The Multiplus will supply enough energy (within programmable limits of course) out of it's AC-IN to ensure that the grid meter reads 0. No energy will go ahead of the meter or onto the actual grid unless you set it up to do so. I have no interest in this kind of behaviour.
Of course in the event of a grid failure, AC-IN will disconnect.
As expected, loads that are connected to AC-OUT will continue to be supplied by the battery even if AC-IN is disconnected. My workshop and the garage are connected to AC-OUT. I have an Enphase grid tied inverter which I might one day connect onto the AC-OUT side. Energy not used by the loads on AC-OUT can then go into AC-OUT and charge the battery. The Multiplus can frequency shift AC-OUT in order to control those type of "grid tied" inverters.
This new Multiplus is therefore quite an upgrade from my previous 15 year old one.
Santa got me a Victron MPPT charge controller which outperforms the Midnite Classic in terms of daily yield. Obviously, the Victron MPPT connects with the other Victron kit seamlessly and so the Classic is now redundant.

This is the new stuff all set up and working.


I have a Beaglebone Black which runs Victron's (mostly) open source "VenusGX" which gathers all of the information from the Multiplus, Battery Monitor and Charge Controller and uploads it to Victron's VRM site (which is a free service). Running VenusGX on a $40 Beaglebone is a lot cheaper than purchasing a Victron CCGX for $500+ to do much the same thing.