The AC Input on the Magnum Energy advanced feature remote (ME-ARC) is designed to allow the inverter to only connect to an AC source during a specific event. You might use this, for example, if you had grid power and only wanted to connect in the event of a low battery charge or a certain time of day when the grid power is cheaper. This episode in the Magnum video series is meant to guide you through the screens of the ME-ARC revision 4.0 in order to setup these AC Input parameters. Other revisions may show slightly different screens, but this video should get you through the basics of programming. Please note that this video is not meant to go over every possible scenario, but rather give you an idea of how to program your system for your particular setup. Please refer to your owner’s manual for more in-depth information.
The first step is to select the AC In Control mode appropriate for your system, by pressing the CTRL button, which brings up the AC In Control submenu. The ME-ARC provides several AC input options: Auto Connect, VDC Connect, Time Connect, SOC Connect, and AC In Disabled. Auto Connect is the default setting, which instructs the inverter to connect and pass through AC power as soon as a source is detected on the input. VDC Connect establishes a connection to the AC source when your batteries hit a particular voltage and will disconnect when the voltage rises. Time Connect programs the inverter to use an AC source during a particular time. SOC Connect uses State of Charge to initiate a connection to an AC source when the batteries are reading low. AC In Disabled completely disables the inverter from connecting to your AC source.
Once you select the AC Input option of your choice, you can set the start and stop parameters by pressing the SETUP button and navigating to 02 Invert Setup. Based on the AC In Control option you selected previously, you can use the following screens:
- 02C AC In Time. Edit this setting if you selected Time Connect under AC In Control earlier. This option allows you to set the hours, minutes, and AM/PM parameters of the start and stop events.
- 02D AC In-VDC. Edit this setting if you selected VDC Connect under the AC In Control menu. If the batteries get down to the connect voltage, the inverter will connect to the AC source until the batteries charge up and reach the disconnect setting.
- 02E AC IN-SOC. Edit this setting if you selected SOC Connect under the AC In Control menu. If the BMK reading gets down to the Connect SOC, the system will connect to the AC source and will disconnect once the batteries are charged up to the Disconnect SOC.
Once you have successfully programmed your AC IN Controls, press Meter to return to the Main Screen.