Mastervolt alpha pro 3 control

[Karanga]

As part of a large alternator installation, I have selected a mastervolt regulator to manage the output.
The rest of my system is Victron.
I would like (need) to adjust the mastervolt settings, but it appears that I must buy another piece of mastervolt hardware in order to access, change and manage settings.
Can anyone advise if there is any way around this?
I assume that a simple Cat5 patch cable between the masterbus RJ45 port on the regulator to the LAN port on my PC will not work?
Or that a USB-ethernet adapter plus patch cable won't work either?
It appears that the fancy galvanically isolated PC-Link unit they make is a very expensive way to adapt a RJ12 to a serial port, but with a fairly simple RS232 structure (Tx, Rx and Gnd).
Is it possible for me to make a similar adapter for RJ45 to serial (the old DB9 connector), then connect that to a USB port on my PC via a USB-serial adapter?
Tim

[smac999]

I answered yesterday. Was this post removed and reposted today? Can’t find the other one. It is my time machine working.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by smac999

I answered yesterday. Was this post removed and reposted today? Can’t find the other one. It is my time machine working.

Read on

Apparently there was a server crash and restoration lost 24 hours give or take

[smac999]

Anyways. You want the masterbus USB adapter.

https://www.mastervolt.com/products/masterbus-interfaces/masterbus-usb-interface/

What you posted talks about rj12 jacks. So that would probably be for really old serial based mastervolt stuff. Before masterbus came out.

[Karanga]

Originally Posted by smac999

Anyways. You want the masterbus USB adapter.



https://www.mastervolt.com/products/...usb-interface/



What you posted talks about rj12 jacks. So that would probably be for really old serial based mastervolt stuff. Before masterbus came out.

I was afraid you might be saying that. Thank you for replying (again).
So in addition to the NZ$500 for the regulator, I have to pay another NZ$300 just to make it usable... Ridiculous!
Others in the market should be aware of this.
I didn't choose a Balmar regulator, cos I didn't like the clunky interface. But at least all the settings are available on the unit.
Has anyone heard about this new-fangled communication environment called Bluetooth?

[Loredo]

Just as a heads up...
This winter I more or less went through the same ordeal. The Alpha Pro 3 (Standalone, nothing else Mastervolt installed.) was already there when I bought the boat. Now comes the time to change from AGM to Lipo. After longish research about the "how & what's needed" to set the thing up, luck had it that I found a real good marine electrician. He had me talk with one of his customers who has an Alpha Pro installed. After having bought all the bits and pieces he was very disappointed. Never got it to really do what he wanted. Options and settings are limited. (BTW, you know that "as is" the Alpha Pro has no temperature sensor for the alternator?...) To make a long story short, I went with a Wakespeed and dumped the Mastervolt.

My two cents, YMMV.


On Edit. Nothing is perfect! Setting up the WS is a PITA but manageable. Whoever worked out the system / HI was a perfect idiot.

[shimari]

Originally Posted by smac999

Anyways. You want the masterbus USB adapter.

https://www.mastervolt.com/products/...usb-interface/

What you posted talks about rj12 jacks. So that would probably be for really old serial based mastervolt stuff. Before masterbus came out.

You'll need a Windows laptop and the masteradjust software as well.

Mastervolt kit is solid, but they really aren't friendly to DIY. US tech support is decent though. Reach out to them if you run into problems configuring it.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Loredo

Just as a heads up...
This winter I more or less went through the same ordeal. The Alpha Pro 3 (Standalone, nothing else Mastervolt installed.) was already there when I bought the boat. Now comes the time to change from AGM to Lipo. After longish research about the "how & what's needed" to set the thing up, luck had it that I found a real good marine electrician. He had me talk with one of his customers who has an Alpha Pro installed. After having bought all the bits and pieces he was very disappointed. Never got it to really do what he wanted. Options and settings are limited. (BTW, you know that "as is" the Alpha Pro has no temperature sensor for the alternator?...) To make a long story short, I went with a Wakespeed and dumped the Mastervolt.

My two cents, YMMV.


On Edit. Nothing is perfect! Setting up the WS is a PITA but manageable. Whoever worked out the system / HI was a perfect idiot.

The Alpa pro system is quite expensive. You at least need the USB converter and a display is great help.

The system is very configurable and easy to program. Almost every parameter can be changed. Some units will only permit one temperature probe without accessories, but alternator temp sensing is supported. The temperatures at which the alternator starts reducing power and the temperature at which it cuts off completely are all programmable.

A feature I particularly like is if you have a display you can also force the regulator to bulk, absorption or float. Normally our batteries are fully charged from solar so it is nice to be able to switch immediately to float rather than going through the normal absorption time.

[noelex 77]

This is typical screenshot of the MasterAdjust software when connected to the Alpha pro regulator. Any of the parameters in the white boxes can be altered.

[Karanga]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

This is typical screenshot of the MasterAdjust software when connected to the Alpha pro regulator. Any of the parameters in the white boxes can be altered.

Thank you for your posts.
I have gone ahead and bought the USB interface, despite being grumpy about it. It's a bit like buying a car, then being told you now additionally have to buy a steering wheel, just to drive it.

Anyway, I am particularly interested in the ability to to adjust maximum alternator output (sort of like Balmar belt control?).
Anyway, in my config screen, I don't have a white (adjustable box) to adjust the output. What other setting do I need to change, in order to make the max output box changeable?

Also, my monitoring screen has no data...?

[noelex 77]

Many of the options that should be adjustable are greyed out in your case. The first thing I would recommend is installing a temperature probe on the alternator and selecting this option, but may of the other set points, even simple choices such as absorption voltage are not showing up as user adjustable and they should be. I am not sure why. I would contact Mastervolt directly and see what they say.

[Karanga]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Many of the options that should be adjustable are greyed out in your case. The first thing I would recommend is installing a temperature probe on the alternator and selecting this option, but may of the other set points, even simple choices such as absorption voltage are not showing up as user adjustable and they should be. I am not sure why. I would contact Mastervolt directly and see what they say.

I was astonished when I saw so many of the charging options greyed out. And this is supposedly a "smart" regulator??
However, once I selected user-defined battery as the option, lots of those settings became available to change. So selecting MLI (lithium?) as the battery type, brings up a pre-defined charging profile. Presumably this generic profile is simple and works fine for most situations.
Unfortunately, even the user-defined battery is still not giving me the option to change maximum alternator output.
So there must be some other issue preventing access to that setting (like not having a Mastervolt shunt?).

You are right the measuring alternator temperature is usually probably a better option than battery temperature. My situation is that I am trying to install and manage a Mark Grasser alternator setup, which has the rectifier unit mounted remote from the alternator. The rectifier is apparently the bit that gets hot when the alternator is working hard. So (in theory) monitoring alternator temperature is much less important.

[AKA-None]

Can’t comment on your situation but when I added the mv shunt more options became available if memory serves me correctly
Been awhile so I might be mistaken

[smac999]

Most mastervolt settings are password protected.

Log into it as in installer (lift click on product in list) Password is 498 I think. That should unlock the boxes.

[Cowpoos]

Originally Posted by Karanga

I was afraid you might be saying that. Thank you for replying (again).
So in addition to the NZ$500 for the regulator, I have to pay another NZ$300 just to make it usable... Ridiculous!
Others in the market should be aware of this.
I didn't choose a Balmar regulator, cos I didn't like the clunky interface. But at least all the settings are available on the unit.
Has anyone heard about this new-fangled communication environment called Bluetooth?

If you are in NZ you can maybe send it to me to program for you? I have the USB interface.