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Topic ClosedSolar Panel - Event Date: 12 Feb 2020

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190 Fan View Drop Down
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Joined: 13 Oct 2020
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Direct Link To This Post Calendar Event: Solar Panel
    Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 6:38pm
CamFrye
Thank you for the additional information. With offgrid’s detail advice and with your pictures and information I feel in a better position to complete the installation of the controller.

Thank you and offgrid very much!!
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 6:39pm
MC4's are okay if it is going to be a relatively permanent connection. However, if it is going to be plugged and unplugged frequently, then powerpole connectors are the way to go.
StephenH
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 7:00pm
Good luck getting full sized solar modules without MC4's, they have been the defacto solar standard for many years now. The original manufacturer is Mulitcontact aka Staubli in Switzerland but there are now multiple Chinese knock offs.  

MC4's are fine to be disconnected and reconnected but to meet the National Electric Code all solar module connectors must require a tool for removal. That is a safety requirement so that people can't go wandering out in a solar array and disconnect the modules by hand and electrocute themselves with 600 or 1000Vdc. They are NOT approved for load break, meaning that you need to disconnect the solar module/array somewhere else first so that there is no current flow when you disconnect the modules. Solar is always on when the sun is shining so there has to be another way to disconnect the module(s), otherwise you will draw an arc. Its not a big issue at 12Vdc but at 600Vdc I can assure you that it gets pretty interesting.LOL
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CamFrye View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 10:20am
190fan,

Just to go overboard: here are a couple photos of the solar controller mounted:






Good luck with the install.
2020 R Pod 172
2019 Subaru Ascent
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