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Thanx for all your input... I have mixed emotions about the pv array wiring... It I've gone over over everything else in the wiring... I'm going to contact the manufacturer in the morning an see what their take is on the pv voltage... I will definately post my findings and results here... Any and all other input or ideas would be wonderful!!! It's looking like I may have a dead controller on my hands.... Seems to be the only logical explanation at this time.... I'm perplexed about the array voltage now... It seems I've read that it's okay to run high voltages as long as you don't exceed the max input of the controller... For instance people that run long distances between their array and their controller?? Is this not common practice?

hard to tell if you fried the controller or not...best to disconnect everything and start over...follow the manual on hook up...as mentioned battery bank first then rewire your panels for 24 volt.....then connect them to the controller ..then see what happens

Meant to say not sure if it's safe to unhook the bank and check voltage output at the controller

I have some readings I would like to share... I just got to the cabin and state of charge is at 43 % ugghhhh... I have 42 volts coming from the pv array... My battery bank voltage at the charge controller is 25.05 volts ... It's getting dark so pv voltage is dropping fast... Should I just assume this controller is junk??? I'm sure if it's safe to disconnect the bank from the controller and check for charge voltage

first you should check output voltage from the panels...confirm 24 volts...then hook up your batteries to the controller....then hook up your pv to the controller....you can check output to the batteries from the ports on the controller...you should be getting 24 volts....though if your batteries are connected the reading will be 24 volts anyway unless you have a disconnect between the controller and the batteries then you can check it there.....
......indicator lights on the controller should confirm all inputs and outputs

stepping up voltage is common to reduce wire gauge size as long as all voltages are in sync.....

no error lights or messages... I'm heading to the cabin now to do some more checking... Is there a way to check charger output without dissconnecting the back to the controller#   Also am i to assume that stepping up the pv voltage for wire effeciency is not common practice#

look on page 22. it shows max solar input for 12 and 24 volts...operating voltage.....the 100 v is what it can handle max input without frying it. ..just like the V oc on your panels. it's always higher than operating voltage and is the max it will output without being connected to anything..the mppt part of the controller is to adjust for varying sun over the course of the day, not the input voltage....are there any lights flashing on the controller?

product code is CTRL-MPPT40 ... from renogy. I was under the impression through my research the mppt controllers were able to take the larger voltage supplied by grid tied modules and series run modules... therefore requiring smaller diameter wire... is that not the case%   The owners manual states that this controller can withstand 100v input and actually has an auto shutdown feature for over 100 volts

Not sure about that 100 volt input to the controller you mention or the reasoning behind inputing 56.7 volts. Perhaps you can give the model number or link to the manual. Otherwise as I mentioned in my previous post

"Rewire your panels for two panels in series (24 volts) sent into a combiner box, then out of the combiner into the charge controller, then out of the controller to the batteries."

Not sure why you are thinking you can just add any amount of voltage into the controller, unless that is how it works. Never heard of one til now.

And i certainly agree with the statement that the charge controller may not be charging the battery bank.. Is there a method I can use to test if i actually have charge voltage coming from the charge controller to the battery bank I'm quite capable with a dvom.. I also just installed the remote mount display unit model # mt-5 which will give me very basic readings..  Of course when i probe the leads coming out of the controller it reads battery voltage because the bank is hooked up. When i probed the pv leads they range from 50-60 volts at the controller so that verifies pv voltage.