Community Forums

az99 · 08-22-2022, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrewskiRanch

Hello
The Firefly # 574-825-4600
I filled out the form online for support and Jesse Sidwell and I had been emailing back and forth, finally I said just call me and he did. That is when he told me that FireFly was never setup to get power from the inverter. What I have is a G12 setup of FireFly. It looks to me that the only way to get a new programing is to remove the unit and send it to them. The control unit is under the cooktop. The cook top is held in place with double stick foam.

Did you ever get yours reprogrammed?

BrewskiRanch · 08-27-2022, 10:27 AM

Re-programing is at least 6 months out IF they would do it, and cost would be at least $1,500 or more. My plan this winter is to run the output from the inverter to the shore power cord in back and feed the coach that way from the inverter. I will need to trip the inverter circuit breaker on the power panel for the inverter or I will just make a loop and problems. This should fool the Firefly unit into thinking it is getting shore power and allow me to run the AC.
Any other ideas?

Rick

lslblues · 08-28-2022, 06:30 AM

I think your plan will work but you will be tricking firefly into thinking you are hooked up to 30 amp service. Shed logic will still come into play. Can you run the ac you want to on 30 amp service?

BrewskiRanch · 08-30-2022, 07:57 AM

Yes you can run one AC on 30 amp service. You could wire the inverter output to both 120 volt lines so in theory you could run both AC units, but I do not have the solar and battery power to do this.

az99 · 08-31-2022, 06:18 AM

The Firefly must have a connection to the inverter. Maybe we can temporarily remove that connection when try to use the AC. I will give Magnum a call and see if they can shed any light on this. Firely is not response to this issue.

BrewskiRanch · 08-31-2022, 08:54 AM

From what I understand is that the Firefly does not have a comm link to the inverter. What I understand is that the inverter can only talk to one item and that is the display unit as you come in the door. The Firefly unit talks to the power filter/ surge protector. If you unplug the comm cable on the power/surge unit even if you are plugged into shore power the Firefly unit will not see any shore power.
Now if someone has an idea how we can get the power/surge unit to send a camm signal to the Firefly unit when it is not connected to shore power that would be great. Right now my only solution is to run the inverter 120 volt output to the shore power cord.

az99 · 08-31-2022, 10:44 AM

Have you tried it removing the RVC cable from the inverter? It supposedly is the Firefly connection. He said you may only lose the ability to turn on the inverter from Firefly and remote. But he thought the AC should work. Plug it back in the next morning. I would not mind that.
Could you try it on yours as I have already moved the AC wiring back to the main.

BrewskiRanch · 08-31-2022, 04:34 PM

I do not have a RVC cable connected to anything, port is empty on the inverter. Also I do not have the ability to control the inverter from the Firefly. It appears that the inverter does not talk in anyway to the Firefly system, but I could be wrong.

dbertheau · 09-29-2022, 12:10 PM

I'm having the same "SHED" issue. I just completed an online support request. I'll let you know how it goes.

az99 · 09-30-2022, 07:58 AM

After several emails and weeks of waiting Firefly got back to me. For only $3500 they will fix their unit. They are nuts.
As far as I am concerned it was poor programming on their part to sell a unit for coaches that had lithium power capable of running the AC.

BrewskiRanch · 09-30-2022, 08:15 AM

Ok I have been thinking about this and may be a solution. You run a cable from one of the Magnum outputs to the power transfer box at the back corner. The Magnum has two outputs. Install a rotary switch on the shore power cord that lets you select shore power, off, or power from the inverter. This should trick the comm cable on the transfer box to thinking you have shore power so no power shedding from Firefly.

Does anyone see problems with this?
Here is a link to one switch.
https://www.westmarine.com/blue-sea-...RoCNIMQAvD_BwE

dbertheau · 09-30-2022, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by az99

After several emails and weeks of waiting Firefly got back to me. For only $3500 they will fix their unit. They are nuts.
As far as I am concerned it was poor programming on their part to sell a unit for coaches that had lithium power capable of running the AC.

I interacted with Jesse yesterday. He washed his hands of the issue and forwarded my info to Fireflies sales team

dbertheau · 09-30-2022, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrewskiRanch

Ok I have been thinking about this and may be a solution. You run a cable from one of the Magnum outputs to the power transfer box at the back corner. The Magnum has two outputs. Install a rotary switch on the shore power cord that lets you select shore power, off, or power from the inverter. This should trick the comm cable on the transfer box to thinking you have shore power so no power shedding from Firefly.

Does anyone see problems with this?
Here is a link to one switch.
https://www.westmarine.com/blue-sea-...RoCNIMQAvD_BwE

There are only two wires going from the transfer switch to the FireFly controller. We should be able to use a multimeter to determine what signal is coming from the transfer switch to the Firefly.

In my coach there is an AC receptical in the box where there transfer switch is located...so we can probably do all the wiring within this box where the shore power is located.

BrewskiRanch · 09-30-2022, 09:25 AM

The way I see it is there are three signals from the transfer box to the Firefly unit.
1. No shore power
2. 20 or 30 amp 120 service to only one leg. Firefly will only allow one AC to run with this.
3. 50 amp 120 service to both legs. Now there is no reason that you could not take the one power leg from the inverter and power both legs, and fool it into thinking you had 50 amp service, but you will be tripping the inverter if you draw to much power.

If someone could figure what the comm signal is from the Transfer box that would be good, but that is beyond my skills, and I do not want to ruin things.