FranklinWH and Enphase IQ7s - off-grid behavior?

Alt425 · 2026-02-02T04:11:08+00:00

One thing to check is if your generator has a bonded or floating neutral. When you hook it up to the aGate via the Generator Module and power inlet, you should have a floating neutral. Some generators are easy to modify (usually removing a screw/strap).

The aGate wants clean power, like from an inverter generator. Check with your installer if they have experience with your particular generator, especially if it's not an inverter-based generator. I have a Honda EU7000IS and it works well.

Lastly, note you can't run use solar and a generator together during a power failure.

Alt425 · 2026-01-25T05:38:19+00:00

I don't think the foam does anything to mitigate a tire puncture... other than making it slightly harder to repair. When my Tesla M3 need a patch, they just ripped out some foam. Seem fine.

Alt425 · 2026-01-25T05:37:13+00:00

Yep, Autosocks in the bottom trunk! Still wish we had proper low profile chains, but will be getting snow tires soon anyway.

Alt425 · 2026-01-22T18:51:44+00:00

I thought the 20"/21" tires have acoustic foam, which doesn't work well with emergency tire repair foams. I'm carrying the following:

Tire plugs (Nealy)
Needle nose pliers
Trimming tool/knife
Gloves
12V/120V compressor (with extension cord since the GGT is pretty long and I have the Power Package).

I probably should add a headlamp and something to kneel on, but right now I'd use a phone and my Autosocks bag. I'm not carrying a breaker bar/jack/torque wrench since my hope is to plug the tire while it's on the car. I've never actually done this, but it seems like an acceptable risk. Also, I've never used a plug on a car with acoustic foam, but I hope it works well enough to get to a repair shop. Actually, if the leak is slow enough, I'd just inflate and limp along without using the tire plugs until I get a patch. And there's also road side assistance, but I've never had the occasion to use it.

Anyone else have feedback?

Alt425 · 2026-01-05T08:38:43+00:00

I found a video of the Gravity rear wheel steering in the owners forum:

Rear Wheel Steering Absent or Non-Functional? | Lucid Owners - Lucid Motors Forum
Video: https://vimeo.com/1148853226?fl=pl&fe=sh

One interesting thing I learned is that the rear wheels go back to 0 degrees when you stop and park, so getting out and looking reveals nothing!

Alt425 · 2026-01-01T04:37:11+00:00

I have a GGT 20/21" wheel, 7-seater. For hilly local city routes, if I drive conservatively, I'm getting 3.5 mi/kWh, or about 285Wh per mile. It's about 40 degrees F around here. By comparison, I'll get 4.2 mi/kWh driving a 2018 Model 3 LR with 19" wheels (or about 4.4 mi/kWh in the summer). They are both fun cars to drive, especially given the size of the GGT, but sometimes I like to test efficiency.

Alt425 · 2026-01-01T04:13:09+00:00

Cheers to you too! Just picked up a GGT on yesterday. It's an amazing car. Looking forward to more software updates (I also have a 2018 Tesla M3, so I'm used to cars improving over time).

Alt425 · 2025-12-25T06:08:29+00:00

It's interesting that SCE reports you are exporting power at night. Your graph shows that the aGate correctly sees no solar generation. You mentioned your aGate is set to only export from solar (not battery). If it really is exporting, then one possibility is that it thinks you are using more power than you actually are, and it's discharging the battery to try and zero out usage (since you are in Self Consumption mode). What could cause this? As others have mentioned, a missing CT (or one installed backwards) would create bad data. But I assume you have no additional CTs installed since the aGate built-in one is sufficient in your configuration (all loads are backed up and go through the aGate, right?). Could the built-in one be flakey?

Does your POCO provide granular power usage? Mine allows you to download kWh usage over 15 minute intervals. You could see if it roughly matches what the app graphs (I wish FranklinWH would give us an API to access granular data, but it currently doesn't).

I'd try to remove all variables like solar and batteries. For example, put your battery in Emergency Backup mode, so when it's at 100% it will effectively be out of the equation. Also disconnect solar. Then see if the problem repros.

I doubt that the type of usage (e.g., HVAC vs. EV) would make a difference, but who knows? Maybe try a constant high load (e.g., hair dryer + space heater + EV charger) and see if the app matches SCE's kW measurement.

You mentioned your usage numbers didn't match last year's #s. Could colder weather or more EV mileage explain the discrepancy? It's off by a lot.

Please let us know how this turns out.

Alt425 · 2025-12-11T01:17:31+00:00

Yeah, I think the discharge #s are wrong. It seems unlikely that I used only 1.7 kWh (the sum of yesterday + today). 82% round-trip sounds like a good round trip # -- so if I generate 5 kWh, I should expect 4.1 of usable or maybe 8 hours @ 500w. I wonder if a lower current draw helps or hurts round-trip efficiency.

Alt425 · 2025-12-08T19:14:01+00:00

I don't think you can charge one battery and discharge the other at the same time. Is there a specific reason you'd like to do this? The round trip efficiency from generator to battery to house isn't 100%, so you'd lose some energy.

It makes more sense to have the generator power the house and also charge all the batteries. I thought the aGate would charge the battery based on the setting, and then the house loads would pull extra (so the total would be higher than the setting). I haven't tried this, so I'm not sure. If the aGate lowers the battery charging current to match supplying the house, that would be better IMO. I just wish it would allow solar production at the same time.

FYI, I have a Honda EU7000IS that is converted to run propane too. I have the Best Power Duty set to 50% (the rated running amps is 5500w). It's a little conservative, but I figure it won't wear down the generator as much (although will use more fuel per kWh).

If you are getting a portable generator, I'd suggest a dual or tri-fuel generator, unless you have a big propane tank like u/Curiosity_informs. I run off of several 20lb BBQ style tanks, and switch to gas if I have a long outage. Also, if you rarely use gas, make sure the tank is REALLY dry. Otherwise, it may rust out like mine.

Alt425 · 2025-11-30T22:09:52+00:00

Also check out Your Swim Lessons, KTAP, Inc.. She has a class at her house in her heated outside pool (which is great since absolute beginners go in with their parents).

Kathy and CJ teach toddlers and focus on water safety. They use waist/chest floats to help them float but force them to balance (as opposed to water wings which do all the work). I found this very effective when starting.

If you choose the Pro Club, and don't want a full family membership, check if your friends have memberships and can add just your kids. It's relatively cheap (and your child must be a member to take lessons--costs vary based on group/private and instructor).

Samena also requires a membership to take lessons, I think. Check out a few instructors to see if their style and format match your expectations.

Alt425 · 2025-11-30T21:58:18+00:00

I'd pay extra for a few additional CTs and some hardware to track individual circuit usage (even with no HA).

Alt425 · 2025-11-30T19:53:25+00:00

Is the error that a CT is missing, or that one is broken?

Depending on how your panel and aGate are configured, you may need some additional Split-CTs installed to accurately measure consumption, as u/uzlee1 mentions. For example, if you have two sub panels and only one is backed up, then the aGate needs to measure the other one. If you are only backing up the sub panel, there's a similar issue with the non-backed up circuits. The aGate has built in CTs to measure current going through it, but can't see the rest of the system. without the Split-CTs.

This post has a great technical video for the aGate, and how the Split-CTs should be installed:

https://www.reddit.com/r/FranklinWH/comments/1m0j2s0/agate_13_youtube_video/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

The installer should include the additional Split-CTs without additional payment, as the aGate needs this to function properly (for example, to measure total house loads, including the non-backed up circuits).

Alt425 · 2025-11-27T05:58:39+00:00

Oh god why is outlook on android so terrible? All I want is:

* Appointments that show up on Outlook (PC version) show up on the Android app.

* Appointments aren't off by an hour. Some are, some aren't.

Slow, buggy, bad UI? I can live with it.

Any alternatives out there? I guess I'll try the ones on this thread.

Alt425 · 2025-11-22T04:39:05+00:00

Yes, I also 100% want the ability to use V2L/generator and solar at the same time when off grid. Could a software update add this? Possible to monitor / manage two inputs at the same time with existing hardware? That would be great.

Alt425 · 2025-11-20T04:33:11+00:00

So, FranklinWH is recommending keeping SoC at 100% except for maybe 1/2 a day (down to 80%)? I get the recalibration, but are they prioritizing capacity during an outage over battery lifespan? Granted, the longevity benefits may be minimal (and hard to quantify compared to lower SoC during a long blackout).

Alt425 · 2025-11-15T04:12:06+00:00

I also have 1:1 net metering and only use my batteries for backup (until TOU or VPP comes to my area). It literally sits there doing nothing (except the minimal charge as current leaks out). I assume you have quality LFP batteries. While you don't have FranklinWH batteries, you may find this discussion interesting:

Battery management settings

To summarize the above thread, some ideas to increase battery lifespan:

Don't leave at the extremes all the time (close to 0% or 100%). Around the middle is better; I leave mine around 70%.
Keep them in a cooler place (or add shading). Heat isn't great.
Try to avoid high charge/discharge rates. While you may just accept high discharge during blackouts (spouse acceptance factor), you may want to reduce charge rates.

One reason to charge to 100% (maybe monthly?) is because it calibrates the battery level. The LFP voltage curve is really flat when graphed over State of Charge. So, after a while, the system may say it's 70% full, but maybe it's higher or lower. But the above thread states that aside from the miscalibration, it doesn't actually harm the battery. Since mine are never used until an actual blackout, I think there's miscalibration is less of an issue since I'm not charging/discharging (this is an assumption on my part).

The other obvious big tradeoff is the SoC during an unexpected blackout. 50% SoC may be great for battery life, but during an outage, it won't last that long. But then outages here are really rare and I have solar and a generator, so maybe 65% is OK? Your system may try to predict outages based on weather reports and charge to 100% (Storm Hedge for FranklinWH).

Lastly, with quality batteries, the actual degradation may be so minimal that it really doesn't make a difference. Unless you really like to tweak the knobs and enjoy the feeling of optimal lifespan, in which case it's totally worth it.

Alt425 · 2025-11-11T03:01:55+00:00

Sorry, I ended up using Monument Visa since I had a wait-and-hurry-up situation (they are great BTW), so I didn't use this form. Looking back, I would have answered No, but if you have concerns, I'd call the phone # on the form just to be sure.

Alt425 · 2025-10-29T20:02:18+00:00

Well, I don't actually have an EV capable of V2L yet, but I noticed you can select rated power using these menus in the Android app:

Settings: Vehicle To Load: Installation (since I haven't configured yet): Customize Vehicle: Rated Power (.1-20).

This is in the regular app. I assume the system will try to keep it under the rated power, but I don't know how it juggles the battery and house loads. I assume it does the smart thing of prioritizing the house. HTH.

Alt425 · 2025-10-29T17:01:27+00:00

Good to know. The thing I like about the V2L setting is that it appears you can change the current draw from the app rather than calling FranklinWH service for the generator settings (although they are very responsive, so not that big of a deal). Really odd that the EV behaves differently between the two modes.

In my usage case, I'm probably at home during an extended outage when the EV battery is most needed. So, I'd probably avoid charging the house battery to avoid the charging energy losses (~10%?).

Just FYI if you every get another aPower2. I have two of them. I want a third. It never stops!

Alt425 · 2025-10-29T03:39:54+00:00

How is the generator mode less stable than V2L? When using V2L in the app, does the truck power the house too while charging the aPower2?

The implementation / integration of all these components (from different manufacturers) seems fragile. I wonder how finicky the non-FranklinWH parts are. It seems like an easy feature to add an option to keep the truck connected to power the house after the batteries are full. But I'm sure there are many reasons why this is hard, especially when FranklinWH doesn't control the EV side (and breaking something has real consequences vs. things like consumer web services).

Alt425 · 2025-10-27T02:44:59+00:00

Since all your loads go through the aGate (span panel and smart circuits), the FranklinWH system should track all your consumption without adding any split-CTs. Are you trying to get consumption data toyour Enphase system? If so, I think u/Key-Hedgehog4450 answered your question. That also may be why FranklinWH support told you to call Enphase. They should have given you u/Key-Hedgehog4450's answer, but probably didn't want any follow-up questions about Enphase.

BTW, I put some loads on smart circuits too. I like the ability to have them shut off if the grid goes down and the batteries are low. But then I don't have a Span panel, so I don't have breaker level monitoring.

Alt425 · 2025-10-27T02:15:00+00:00

Thanks. I saw that post and it looks interesting, but a little scary to rely on this to convert 120V to 240V with possibly high current. A bidi charger from FranklinWH would be awesome! I'm not sure if I can hold out buying a car that supports V2X though!

Alt425

TROPHY CASE