@Roll2Videos only thing I have weird is the mppt. If you sure off the solar on a sunny day and turn it back on it seems to get more watts in. Otherwise good inverter. Ran 2 small ac,fridge,deep freeze, washer,lights,microwave ,and entertainment center for years. Only over loaded like ones so we don't run the washer with the microwave anymore.
Looks like a nice little unit. The PV connection on the heatsink puzzles me a bit. Not sure why they would have done that. Love the test bench setup! Keep up the good work!
I finally did get a response from Calpha, and they were very helpful. They talked with me for a week, very responsive.. so, I decided to purchase and I installed this unit last week. It has been working fine so far. The IoT (WiFi/BLE module) and app.... not so much :( There are many issues with the app. I contacted them through email and support forms, just some suggestions and pointing out some of the issues, and they seemed to have gone dark again. Been 5 days now, and I have not heard anything from the rep girl I had been talking to (she was very responsive when I talked to her about the unit BEFORE the sale), their tech support, or the support form in the app. None have responded. I hope this is not how they deal with warranty issues.. They did release a module update which I think was coincidental, which helped (and created other problems, unfortunately). At least the real-time information (which you get about 15-45 seconds apart) seems fairly correct. Hopefully, I didn't buy from a bum company lol. I will keep you posted!
So, an update. The salesperson I was contacting had left the company so most of my messages were never seen. Once I got Calpha's support, they were very impressive as far as their response times and level of support. I had an issue with my 3500W unit in which there was something with the firmware. During the OTA firmware update, unfortunately, neither Calpha or I thought about my modem and router going down because the unit recycled. This broke the update mid-stride, and the unit was bricked. They immediately sent me out another unit (I got a 5K as an upgrade this time), and it works perfectly. The APP issues were resolved as well. I will have to admit, I'm pleased with their response and support. I may have found another go-to vendor for my solar needs. Thank you for your video, I never would have taken the plunge without it! Cheers!
These units are supposed to have a BLE/WiFi dongle that allows for local and remote monitoring. I've made multiple attempts to contact this company to get that information, as well as the suggested wiring configuration (which should be in the manual, it will detail the suggested wiring gauges, breaker sizes, etc.). However, neither the company nor the reseller I found for them has responded to me and it's been over a week. What experience can anyone expect if the company will not respond to inquiries? What has been your experience? Also, only ONE neutral ground bond is to ever be in an electrical system that interfaces with grid in any way. Many AIOs (and inverters) are floating ground for this reason. A neutral ground bond can easily be installed in the panel servicing the AIO's AC output, so it's up to the installer to make the call if it's needed or not.
@@Roll2Videos Yeah, the sales person had left and her emails went to the void apparently. Once I got with support though, it was smooth sailing at that point!
Looks similar to my edecoa inverter. So many copies of these hybrid inverter around. I've been pretty impressed with my. So impressed I'm probably going to sell both my victron multiplus inverter
Why would anyone want to buy a 3.5kw inverter for that price? 😮 Good video, by the way. I just think it's too expensive when there are other inverters out there that do better for cheaper.
It's that price because it can run parallel units. Most 3kW range AIOs don't do that unless they're grid tied, and those are even more expensive. This is a decent price. My concern is that I get no response from CAlpha as to product information, manuals, etc. and I also want info on it's monitoring.
