mini-USB. Not like you have several of those just lying around anymore. The newer mk3s has the cable permanently attached (I think?), so no more missing cable.
You can also do the programming from the GX device via an SSH shell… if you’re into that sort of thing. So in an extreme situation, no internet, and no mk3, it can still be done by a suitable skilled artisan 
3 posts were merged into an existing topic: Eskom … is there ANY chance? In CPT there is
Yes my MK3 is attached like
Its 8:40 and the next episode has not aired yet, we all waiting, was it the multi or is it just a dud kettle, stay tuned.
Please accept our sincerest apologies.
Due to unforeseen “breakdowns”, the production had to close due to LS … no, wait … wrong apology … due to the lack of promised LS schedules.
ESP (Eskom-Se-Push) has promised me two 8am slots that have not been delivered. Service has gone down the tubes I tell ya.
And Eskom, who are trying their level best to deliver, is changing our slots again, they tried man, they tried.
Also, have a big suspicion that CoCT is somehow involved with Eskom/ESP not being able to deliver on said promises.
So, being a born and bred South African, time to take charge; ja?
Will be switching off the DB going forward, as I have done at 10:21, and will be doing the same on Sat and Sun and Mo … untill said promises are kept.
I am leaning towards my inverter being faulty but each and every time I think “YES! Gotcha!” … the joke is turned back on me.
LS is over … for now.
So I tried to:
I think I can maybe consider that it was my unit all this time, not the DB, not the earth, not the panels or anything else that was tested. However, irrefutable proof of that can only be under the exact same “test conditions”.
But that matters none now. Taking my unit to a repair center.
Would be so chaffed if they find the unit was the problem all this time.
Interesting observation.
Got this little Mecer ME 2000-VU for free. Some times of the day, the little relays clicks really impressive, so much so that after a while it has to recharge the batts.
Checked on the portal, and volts/Hz is fine, makes no sense that this little UPS is getting so worked up.
Grab a computer power cable, plugged it into the same plug as the UPS, Multimeter to AC, the leads into the computer cable.
Well blow me down.
241v - 202v - 242v - 210v - 241v - 210v - 242v … on and on it goes at certain times in 24h period.
It exceeds the ±10% drop the Mecer will accept, hence it trying to “protect”.
FYI, this Mecer is on the Critical Loads Circuit, pass-thru from Eskom via the inverter.
Feedback. There was no Tripconnect stock when I wanted to get one. Getting this now: https://segensolar.co.za/?s=AVS+30
Also realized 30a is fine for all the Critical loads, the sensitive stuff, and the inverter. What is left on the main DB, is the kitchen and geysers.
Anyhow, just thought I share the volts thingy, as I never knew how rough it can be.
Have started arrangements to have my inverter sent in.
I had a similar issue, and that turned out to be the supply breaker for my house slowly burning out - not in the db, but outside in a kiosk (I live in a complex).
When I saw this clip immediately @TheTerribleTriplet came to mind because he tests things in ways that no one thought about 
Hope you find the cause eventually and would love for it to be something simple that we can learn from
O my word!!!
You have NO idea how accurate that vid is literally.
Me: Here, let me test the new code.
Me: Click click boom!
Developer: F$*#&$%!!! Give us 2 hours …
Then we pass it to a client to test.
Client: Click click boom!
Me: F$*#&$%!!! Give us 2 hours …
Felt the breakers on the DB, all is cold, it is a cloudy cool day.
Supply breaker outside, opened it, stuck my hand in, and felt around in the dark … ok, not really.
Our breaker is the newest, being a new PAYG meter a couple of years back, also cold.
Man… divide and conquer.
Use multimeter in main DB. Measure. See if you see the same wide fluctuation. If not… go to the plug point where your Mecer is plugged in. See if you can see it there. If not, inspect the plug itself, is that properly wired, etc.
I have an interesting situation in my neighbourhood too, in that we can have some quite impressive voltage sag. I’ve recorded as low as 208V on a cold winter’s day. I have a Sonoff POW in an outside building with a different supply line, so by looking at that I can get an indication if it’s voltage drop on my end, or elsewhere.
Then I can also compare voltage while there is load on my end, and when there isn’t.
In my case it is a combination of things. It seems the voltage in the street drops down to about 220V during peak time, but on top of that, it seems I also have about a 5% drop at high loads. Since it only affects me a few days in the year… I’m ignoring it for now. At least it is a stable 208V
I MAY have identified the problem, Eskom is a constant ±242v.
During the ground relay test problem UPSes were fingered. Were ruled out and put back in a rush to keep stuff on. The wife also moved her office during those trying times.
Turns out I have connected 2 x modified sine wave UPSes, Mecer connected to an APC 700va, in a rush. Seems the Mecer wants none of that.
Connecting a UPS to a UPS is not recommended at all.
Temporarily swapped the Mecer with an APC 500va to see if the relay stays quiet on its own Critical Loads plug. Then I need to undo the UPS connected to a UPS. 
Slow is fast and fast is slow … I did not do it slow enough, I blame the stresses at the time.
Geez man, what next!
Just me and the wife and the critical loads DB starts tripping sommer net because.
Now to figure out the cause, one circuit at a time.
Main DB and inverter are totally happy FWIW.
… just get a damn sparkie in and redo the entire DB is what “they” would say.
This last bout of Eskom LS … the giver than does not stop giving drama, methinks.
EDIT: Still waiting on feedback from the inverter.
EDIT2: It was a washing machine. The wife went to help to elderlies to get the machine started, and then there was a bang. She knows what electrical faults “sound” like.
I was summoned and as I walked into the laundry I sommer felt at home … aaah, the smell of electrical shorting. Told them it could be a claim, as the machine could have been damaged by LS.
Victron repair center came back … they tested the inverter every which way from Sunday, works perfectly.
So I replied: That is exactly what I expected. Question: Why does the loan unit, with simulated LS, work when that unit even started getting errors towards the end, with me simulating LS, with and without a load?
Need a 8 am LS week.
EDIT: I’m replacing the DB with a 54way Surface mount, all Hager. That will eliminate the DB, house.
Must say, if I get the inverter back, and I refuse at this point to accept it back, when the DB is replaced, the unit is put back up and the error persists, now or later, I could maybe get a teeny bit grumpy for the situation I’m in.
YES!!!
We have an 8 am LS slot … will the new inverter get through without an error?
No? Just go away ok.
Yes? Here, let’s have a beer, the planes over.
Jokes aside, I want it to give an error.
Cause if it does not, my unit testing perfect … Then What. The. “Fuch”!!!
This, this is excruciating man… 
Groetnis
Sug.
Not sure if I’m happy or not … but the loan unit works perfectly.
So, Victron repairer suggested I keep onto the loan unit for now.
Then get mine back and test it again, they also want to find the cause it seems
Respect. Them wanting to find the problem with me.
My old unit is back on the wall, will see what happens. The loan unit is right next to it.
I see LS is suspended for CPT today.
And if we do get shedded, we are on the 10am slot.
Patience, “they” say, is a virtue. Must go and find some.
Update.
As previously noted, my inverter tested perfectly at the Victron repair center.
With the test unit for weeks, and my unit for a few weeks, not one problem.
The loan unit had to go back.
This morning, the first 8 am slot in weeks, I get the same error as before.
Geez I lost it … switched off all the panels again and it was fine.
Then I got an idea …
I switched on the 150/35 only. Worked.
Waited ±40 minutes then switched on one string of the 250/85 … instantly I got a trip.
Then I switched the 150/35 string off and switched all 3 strings on the 250/85. It worked
Waited until 10 min before LS ends at 10 am, and switched on the 150/35 string on again. It worked till LS was over.
Contacted the last installer that installed the 3 panels for the 150/35 … not getting any help there, as I supplied the 3 panels, existing wires, and all that.
My supplier has sent a new replacement inverter … geez!
The support is unheard of in today’s world.
But I feel bad … if my plea was just heard to wait a little bit longer before returning the loan unit, as I could not stop them in time that I first eliminate the newfound array behavior I accidentally tried.
I dread the thought of the same happening with a brand-new unit on the wall.