|
|
Post Reply 
|
Page 12> |
| Author |
 Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search  Topic Options
|
SteveA 
Groupie 
Joined: 19 Jul 2017 Location: Sandpoint Id Online Status: Offline Posts: 56 |
 Topic: Solar port 17 1/2 179Posted: 25 May 2019 at 2:34pm |
|
Hey guys, hope everyone is having a good Memorial day weekend. Last year I hardwired a solar port and controller to the front of the Pod behind the propane tank and fed the wires directly to the battery. It's a 50watt panel and controller purchased from Harbor freight and the set up works fine. Quick question: I'd like to also use the prewired solar port at the back of the Pod and understand that the proprietary wire set up from Forest River only needs to have the red and white wires reversed at the battery for me to use that rear port. True?
|
|
|
2017 179 1/2
|
|
 |
|
|
offgrid
Senior Member 
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 26 May 2019 at 5:07am |
|
I would strongly suggest that you don't do that.
White is designated as the neutral (grounded) wire in the electric code. That means its the negative in your 12V system. If you switch it around you'll not only be non compliant with the Code but will be creating a problem for someone (maybe yourself) down the road. Either they will short out something or could start a fire. You won't get shocked by 12V but batteries sure can put out plenty of current to blow up electronics or melt wire insulation off. Do you have a voltmeter? If not, get one, they're really inexpensive and very useful for many things. Use the voltmeter to confirm which pin in the solar port is +12V and which is negative. Do the same for the output of your solar charge controller. Then, wire up a connector on the output of the charge controller to match the polarity that you measured on your pod. |
|
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
|
|
|
|
podwerkz
Senior Member
Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Posted: 26 May 2019 at 11:14am |
|
+1 to above. Do not reverse any wires inside the trailer or at the battery. It's a bad idea. I believe the 'Zamp' SAE connectors have inverted polarity, so if that is what you have: If you plan to use the SAME panel at that port, you can build a 'gender changer' connector, simply buy the appropriate SAE connector, then cut and reverse the wires. Use the gender-changer when plugging into the rear factory port. You will need to mark that panel or connector to remind you and anyone else that the polarity is reversed. Related info: |
|
|
r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
|
|
|
|
|
voisj
Senior Member
Joined: 19 Jul 2016 Location: San Luis Obispo Online Status: Offline Posts: 471 |
Posted: 27 May 2019 at 8:31am |
|
The wires that run from the port to the battery are a dedicated pair (port to battery) that were not hooked up to or used in any way except for the port.
They were not reversed for the panels I bought at Harbor freight. but test it to be sure. It wont hurt anything if you plug it in reversed, the controller/panels just wont work. If its wrong just flip the wires at the battery, Knowing they are dedicated. (Or make or buy something) I ended up installing a new port up front on the battery box and only us that for the solar. (larger wire shorter distance). I use the rear port as a 12 volt power port By adding fuses in the storage cabinet below it. also runs my cabinet lights and awning lights. Cheers John |
|
|
|
|
SteveA
Groupie
Joined: 19 Jul 2017 Location: Sandpoint Id Online Status: Offline Posts: 56 |
Posted: 27 May 2019 at 8:38am |
|
Thanks for the info guys! Got it wired...so to speak :) |
|
|
2017 179 1/2
|
|
|
|
|
offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 28 May 2019 at 4:37am |
No. This post is doubly wrong. 1) Not all solar charge controllers are reverse polarity protected, and some that claim to be aren't. One should never just connect electronics up to a circuit with unknown polarity and hope things are OK. 2) Just because a circuit is "dedicated" doesn't open the door to miss wire it. If your electrician did that in your house to say your "dedicated" electric stove circuit you'd probably lodge a complaint to the state contractor's board, and rightfully so. The color code means something. No one knows what that circuit might be used for in future. Its a code violation and an accident waiting to happen. Electrical circuits are not that hard to work with but there are basic tools needed and guidelines to be followed. If you don't know what those are and how to do it properly then get professional help, same as you would for anything else. |
|
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
|
|
|
|
voisj
Senior Member
Joined: 19 Jul 2016 Location: San Luis Obispo Online Status: Offline Posts: 471 |
Posted: 28 May 2019 at 9:23am |
|
(Quote from OffGrid) No. This post is doubly wrong. 1) Not all solar charge controllers are reverse polarity protected, and some that claim to be aren't. One should never just connect electronics up to a circuit with unknown polarity and hope things are OK. 2) Just because a circuit is "dedicated" doesn't open the door to miss wire it. If your electrician did that in your house to say your "dedicated" electric stove circuit you'd probably lodge a complaint to the state contractor's board, and rightfully so. The color code means something. No one knows what that circuit might be used for in future. Its a code violation and an accident waiting to happen. Electrical circuits are not that hard to work with but there are basic tools needed and guidelines to be followed. If you don't know what those are and how to do it properly then get professional help, same as you would for anything else. OG, 1. Small charge controllers are by their nature are polarity protected. both my harbor freight and Renogy have been plugged in reversed (different rv's, wired different) But you are correct, test first, things should ALWAYS be plugged in properly the first time, I'm just a dork. As an electrician (40yrs, still working) I disagree. We use marking tape to mark wires that must be used for other than their intended purpose. (3 way and 4 way switch circuits are a prime example) also main service drops (three black wires,ones a neutral), and in my pod I have found black ,white and bare wires as ground. Never assume. The two large wires that run under the pod from the battery to the port are all by themselves, not run with, or connected to, any other wires. and its 12v DC not 110 ac, if someone cuts or bites into it they wouldn't even know. (Side note; there is no fuse on these wires, which scared me and I put a 30 amp fuse on it at the battery, everyone should. if this wire gets grounded somehow (cut by a rock/branch) this wire could easily cause a fire, and/or ruin a battery.) If someone down the line is going to, find ,cut and use this wire for something other than it's intended purpose they would have know its source to turn off power to it or know what they are tapping into. properly marked this isn't an issue. You could pull the port and swap the wires at the port, but in my opinion not necessary. I did forget to mention in the op to mark with red/white tape. Yes, my comfort level with wiring is WAY different than most, and you are correct, if possible always follow standards. And if you are not comfortable with wiring have a professional do it. but some things have leeway and a dedicated 12v item like this, done properly, is still standard compliant, and safe. cheers John |
|
|
|
|
SteveA
Groupie
Joined: 19 Jul 2017 Location: Sandpoint Id Online Status: Offline Posts: 56 |
Posted: 28 May 2019 at 9:41am |
|
They were dedicated on my Pod as well and had the exact same experience as voisj. I plugged in a solar panel I had used on my former coach into the Zamp port and …… no charge... no blown inline fuse (on my panel) …..no nothing. I then traced the wires from the port to the battery only loosing sight of it a couple of times to make sure there were no breaks and all was good. This is what prompted my thread. I do VERY much appreciate the input from all and understand that in a home 120 ac white is ALWAYS a neutral. However these pods don't always follow the rules, 12v should always be "hot" red and black "ground" so the red and white leads from the Zamp port threw me a bit as I'm not as familiar with DC. I was out camping without my volt meter so a simple test wasn't an option. I'm not suggesting anyone here willy nilly swap wires on anything but on my pod it was the solution. Again, thanks for all your input,
|
|
|
2017 179 1/2
|
|
|
|
|
offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 28 May 2019 at 10:30am |
I have to continue to disagree.
Solar charge controllers have voltage comparator circuits in them, they are not necessarily polarity protected. Most are nowadays, but don't count on it. As a solar engineer (40 years, NOT still working!) I've seen plenty where the installer found out where they've hid the smoke by installing them wrong. I agree no one should ever assume what wire colors indicate, always check, but the Code does call for white to be neutral, and there is a reason. Trust but verify. if someone flips the white wire to the battery positive terminal and then someone else shorts that wire to the chassis they'll know in a hurry. i fully agree that there should be a fuse in that circuit. I've removed mine as I don't use it, otherwise it would be fused too. Marking is allowed for ungrounded conductors but I don't believe it is for a neutral less than 4 AWG under 200.6. But I could be wrong,let me know. Besides, by the time you pull the port to mark the wires you can simply rewire the connector on the solar controller you are connecting to it, and that leaves the wire colors consistent and compliant. In any case, its is my understanding that there are more RV fires in the 12Vdc circuits than there are in the 120/240Vac ones. If so, the reason is most likely that folks don't feel confident working on 120V circuits yet somehow 12V ones are OK. There is no shock hazard but there certainly is a fire hazard, perhaps more so than in 120V wiring because of the high currents involved. |
|
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
|
|
|
|
GlueGuy
Senior Member
Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2629 |
Posted: 28 May 2019 at 10:37am |
|
I will disagree with the notion that color on DC circuits means anything to anyone unless you were there to witness the installation.
I've been involved with telecom equipment for quite a while, and some telecom equipment is positive ground, and some is negative ground. On on the installations I've been involved with, I've used red to mark positive, and black to mark negative. Curiously, that means that some installations have the black tied to ground, and some have the red tied to ground. The really interesting sites are the ones that have a mix of positive-ground and negative ground equipment. As a result, we usually have two "hot" leads; one positive and one negative. In those installations, we usually mark the negative "hot" with blue wire. Bottom line is that DC circuits are all over the map. Color conventions have come, and color conventions have gone, and they are all different.
|
|
|
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
|
|
|
|
Post Reply
|
Page 12> |
| Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
Solar port 17 1/2 179