Did I fry my MPPT?

[sj01]

Was doing the final wiring today before the panels are installed and connected tomorrow. I've got a Blue Sky 3024il charge controller and was doing the very last wiring connection today. I mindlessly connected the Pos+ wire from my battery to the 3024 (with 40amp fuse in line) and then went to connect the Neg- to the grounding block. As soon as the Neg- touched the block it arced and I immediately smelled that dreaded burnt electric smell with a puff of smoke coming from the 3024. Now I'm afraid I just burnt up $400. I disconected the Pos+, connected the Neg-, and then re-connected the Pos+, and it still did the smelly and smoke thing without the arc. So, how bad off am I? When I connect the panels Thursday, am I going to cry?

[Lancerbye]

If you were connecting the the battery to the output of the MPPT, which terminal was connected first should not have mattered. Now that you have produced a smoke show you may be able to get it repaired but my bet is, that the repair might be more than the replacement. The good news is that you didn't burn your boat up. Sorry for your loss.

[sj01]

I had the proper connections to the battery from the git-go so I'm really not sure what would have caused all this fuss?

[xymotic]

So If I'm reading this right, you connected it properly, but in the wrong order? It could be that you just got a bad unit. I guess my advice is it's not worth fretting over, it 'is what it is' I'd call them tomorrow and tell them what happened. They can probably tell you if it was your fatal mistake or if it shouldna done that.

no matter what, it's prolly gotta go back for them to look at/test. Letting the magic smoke out is never good.

[colemj]

If you were connecting the battery leads to the correct terminals in the correct polarity, then nothing should have happened at all other than the unit powering up. Are you sure the battery leads were connected to the OUTPUT terminals and with the correct polarity?

If so, then perhaps the unit did have an internal short to ground directly out of the box.

Mark

[idpnd]

Send back for warranty in any case

[senormechanico]

Go here and call them.
They're very helpful.

Blue Sky Energy Inc. - Industry Leaders In Solar Boost Charge Controllers and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT)

[sj01]

Thanks to all for your input. I will be plugging in the PV connections Thursday morning and will see at that time if in fact the MPPT is toast. I am positive the wires to the batteries are correct but will triple confirm before I do anything else. I'll post the outcome just for closure.

again, thanks all.

[hellosailor]

sj, if you got smoke from the unit, something was damaged. At that point I wouldn't bother trying to finish the installation or testing it, simply tell them that you hooked up the battery and got a puff of smoke, you want to send it back to have it tested and repaired if need be.

There should be no way that hooking up the battery causes smoke. If I had to make a rash guess, I'd say there was something (a solder trace, a wire strand, a loose screw) that should not have been where it was on your unit, and that burnt off as soon as there was power. Might be nothing--but why take a chance when you've got a warranty and a new unit?

Things happen, even good products sometimes ship DOA.