Added panels have killed my hub!

[SeldomSeenTony]

Off the grid system installed in 2008.
Initial system - Outback Inverter mounted on MidNight Solar e-panel, Outback FlexMax60 connected to 9 x 115Watt PV panels. Outback Mate controller. Trimetric 2020 meter with shunt mounted in e-panel. 8kW Generac back-up generator. Batteries: 16 x Deka L-16 configured for 24V.

All was working fine but available power was not sufficient so this summer I added:
Outback FlexMax80 fed by 6 x 300Watt PV panels. Outback hub.

I did all the grunt work to mount the panels then had a local, certified electrician with experience on off-grid solar to connect to the new FM80 to the existing system. He connected the output of the new FlexMax80 direct to the battery bank. Inverter, both charge controllers and Mate all connected to Outback hub according to the install instructions.

All was working very well. I left the property for a month (think lots of sun, very little load). When I returned the hub was dead and the fuse to the Trimetric 2020 was blown. I have tried re-connecting the hub but no luck. The power light does not come on. I first connect the inverter then the Flexmax80 then finally the Mate. The Mate boots up then says it cannot find any devices. When connecting the Mate directly to the Inverter or the new FM80 it powers up and finds the connected device. When connected to the hub it powers up but cannot find any devices.

Any ideas / suggestions most welcome.

[Willy T]

Check your cables and make sure they plugged in the correct positions on the hub. The Hub it's self in non powered and gets power off the bus. The Mate is in the first position and the second is unused and the master FX devices start in numbered Port one.

7 years, it could be toast, fortunately they are pretty cheap.

[SeldomSeenTony]

Thanks Willy T.

I have checked the cables and all seems ok.

The hub is new. In the original system the Mate was connected directly to the inverter. It was only when I added the second charge controller that I needed to also add the hub.

The hub had a power light / LED when it was first connected. Now there is no light so it looks like your conclusion - dead hub - is right. I will contact Outback about replacement/repair.

[Willy T]

I had a Enphase Envoy that was only reporting 21 out of 35 panels for the last couple weeks, I bought a new one and I opened the old one up and a spider had made a web inside and had some egg pods. I cleaned it out, re-connected it and it booted and reported all the panels, so you never know. Meanwhile I have a $300 part I do not need.

Those cat-5 cable connectors can be tricky on the hub and buss, you might want to check them. The manual has some trouble shooting tips.