Solar Panel deal - Page 5

MudDog · 12-30-2010, 12:44 PM

I bought a single MC4 50' extension cable with a male connector on one end and a female connector on the other. Just cut the cable in half and use the MC4 ends to connect to your panel and the cut ends to connect to your controller terminals and you're done without having to make your own connectors.

I bought the extension (and Y adapters because I had two panels to connnect to) on E-Bay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/MC4-Solar-Panel-...item439fac5a83

--jim

OneMoBear · 12-30-2010, 12:51 PM

I copied that and have it. I was just wondering at what location on the TM you brought it down.

Malinda

MudDog · 12-30-2010, 01:04 PM

Opps...sorry.

I think I had actually sent a private message to M&MHokie when he was doing his that described in detail how I ran the cable, but I deleted it from my sent items recently...perhaps if he still has it he could forward to you.

But, basically on the roof I used the plastic cable management that Wayne used on his latest install. I brought the cable to the back of the front shell roof right by the radio antenna and then followed the existing cable bundle down the roof line and left a loop where the black electric cords have loops so there is enough slack when opening the shells. I followed the black electrical cords to the bottom of the TM and came up thru an existing grommet by the fridge and then thru to the storage under the dinette seat where the water tank is on the 2619...that is where I mounted my solar controller.

OneMoBear · 12-30-2010, 01:10 PM

Thanks! Got it!

Malinda

12-30-2010, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MudDog

I think I had actually sent a private message to M&MHokie when he was doing his that described in detail how I ran the cable, but I deleted it from my sent items recently...perhaps if he still has it he could forward to you.

I checked my private messages and do not have one describing cable routing. The messages I had from MudDog concerned LinkLite wiring with an inverter and the rocker feet used to mount our solar panels.

OneMoBear · 12-30-2010, 02:22 PM

No problem! Thanks for checking! I get it :-)

Malinda

OneMoBear · 12-30-2010, 02:35 PM

We're almost all dressed up with no place to go!

This looks pretty good to me under the circumstances. Yes, that is snow in the background (as in NO sun today).

Malinda

Wavery · 12-30-2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneMoBear

We're almost all dressed up with no place to go!

This looks pretty good to me under the circumstances. Yes, that is snow in the background (as in NO sun today).

Malinda

Just a tip......Although a volt-meter may tell you if the solar panel is a dead player or not (as in zero volts.....no continuity), it has very little practicl value other than that.

I always suggest that anyone with a solar array needs to have some way to monitor amperage output. Your typical multimeter will not read DC amps.

Some people have gone ahead and installed expensive amperage panels that will also keep track of input, out-go and give you a pretty decent score as to how many amp-hours may still be in your battery (through a mathematical calculation). I had a similar panel on my sailboat but find them a bit over-kill for a small RV with a small solar system (just my personal take on it). Some people just love gadgets......

However, I would suggest that you do have something to tell you the quality of output from your panel.

I have found this device to be invaluable to me, extremely accurate and relatively inexpensive.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...5&blockType=G5

scrubjaysnest · 12-30-2010, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneMoBear

We're almost all dressed up with no place to go!

This looks pretty good to me under the circumstances. Yes, that is snow in the background (as in NO sun today).

Malinda

From the pics that looks like my fluke, mine will do a 4-20mA output besides a 1 A input.

Wavery · 12-30-2010, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrubjaysnest

From the pics that looks like my fluke, mine will do a 4-20mA output besides a 1 A input.

This one will do .01A to 400A. It's the only one that I know of that will do that. I've compared it with shunt type inline ammeters and it is extremely accurate.

It's hard to see the decimal point in the pic above but it is reading 47.2A as the output of my converter.