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Solar panel rewire

Jon Wildsmith

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I wanted to be able to use the solar input of the CTEK dual DC-DC charger with my new folding solar panel but the panel is supplied with it's own controller hard wired that won't switch on until it sees 12v across its output terminals which means it won't work with the CTEK. I'd had a good look at the product manual before purchase and was pretty sure the hard wired controller could be bypassed and so it proved. A few snips and a bit of soldering to fit Anderson Power Pole connectors and it can be bypassed and connected to the CTEK or left in circuit if I need to use the built in controller for some reason. I was short a couple of casings to finish the job but the direct to CTEK option is tested and working which was my main goal.

Before:


20190713_100051-hd.jpg

After:
20190715_193932-hd.jpg
 
Nice job Jon. Just rewired my whole solar set up too this week. Something just wasn't right and I couldn't work it out. Cut all the plugs off, new cables and connections and suddenly my panel works with the MPPT ito the batteries or without, it works through the CTEK on the 80 as well. Really happy. Biggest surprise was just how many amps the MPPT produced. Figured it wouldn't be much more than a trickle charge but I was wrong. It's German made and really kicks ass.
 
How you finding that Photonic Universe stuff Jon? I keep running into their kit around the internet on my search for batteries and controllers.
 
Nice. Decent enough to keep pace with current draw.
 
Hi

What would be the max Amperage being drawn do we think with a say a 150w solar panal?

G.
 
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Quality seems ok Crispin but I haven't had it a week yet so I don't know about longevity.
 
Hi

What would be the max Amperage being drawn do we think with a say a 150w solar panal?

G.

Seems like a simple question but for any given power output the amperage is a function of the voltage (watts / volts = amps) so it depends on what voltage the controller you use converts it to. I'm typically seeing 6.5 to 7.5 amps from my 120 watt panel connected to the solar input of a CTEK.
 
Should be fine. I’ve used a 50A Anderson but that’s clearly overkill.
I'm a fan of the Anderson SB50 connectors and that's what I use. Definitely overkill though - the 50 amp rating is @ 600 volts AC or DC!
 
Personally I use the MC4 connectors designed for solar panels.

Screenshot 2019-07-16 at 21.06.46.jpg
 
I use Anderson's on mine, no dramas and robust enough for continual unplugging etc.

The amps you'll see from the solar regulator is dependent on the state of charge of the battery, a battery heavily discharged will show lots of amps on the initial bulk charge and tail off as the battery gets nearer to full charge irrespective of how sunny it might be outside.

Another plus one for photonic universe.
 
I have ended up using Anderson as the wires on the panels them selves are to thick to fit a superseal.

G.
 
Thanks Jon / Trevor. I'll give their stuff a go
 
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