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MC4 scam buster - what you have all been waiting for

Well there you go Bananarama and why I have been banging on about this travesty. Imagine you are a commercial business with these products and customers complain about faulty connectors. You are faced with cost of replacements, loss of brand image, insurance claims for melted parts and so on. What a nightmare way to run a business. Getting up on pitched roofs to locate these parts hidden under panels - work all under guarantee. In the States its all highly geared to blame and claim $$$$$$ lawyers

Maybe my mickey mouse solution you all rubbished in my OP starts to make sense. Its bomb proof (with a few mods - feel free to tinker and report back)
 
Boron said:
Well there you go Bananarama and why I have been banging on about this travesty. Imagine you are a commercial business with these products and customers complain about faulty connectors. You are faced with cost of replacements, loss of brand image, insurance claims for melted parts and so on. What a nightmare way to run a business. Getting up on pitched roofs to locate these parts hidden under panels - work all under guarantee. In the States its all highly geared to blame and claim $$$$$$ lawyers
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I'm not telling anybody how to run their business but any contractors stocking their truck from scam-azon or Evil Bay is probably a fly by night not expecting repeat business NOT how I was taught to operate.

As long as you can produce a high quality product regardless the price you will never have to advertise. No compromise+No worry

Don't use the L word.
dems fight-n words
 
Boron said:
Problem I found was actually finding a proper source from a German source) for authentic Staubli MC4s very expensive
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Eh, I'm in the UK and there are plenty of places that sell Genuine MC4 pairs. we use hundreds per week. Segen, Midsummer Wholesale, CEF, bimble Solar to name a few. The humble MC4 doesn't need reinventing, just need to be genuine and made off properly
 
shavermcspud said:
Eh, I'm in the UK and there are plenty of places that sell Genuine MC4 pairs. we use hundreds per week. Segen, Midsummer Wholesale, CEF, bimble Solar to name a few. The humble MC4 doesn't need reinventing, just need to be genuine and made off properly
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How do you know its genuine? Evidence?

OK I checked Bimble here is the result (what they dont tell you)

Crimping needs professional tools with precision anvils and tolerances - else they dont work and clamp properly
 

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HRTKD said:
The solar panels I plan to purchase has it explicitly stated in their brochure that the MC4 connectors that they use are Staubli and includes the part Staubli numbers too. It doesn't get any better than that.
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The problem is that this NEC matching connector requirement is creating multiple questionable problems/scenarios :
  1. Automatically out of NEC compliance for not having matching connectors on all equipment opening oneself to insurance issues / lawsuits
  2. Having to remove a bunch of hard wired connectors, replacing them all with one brand
    (You would think this would violate the UL certification of the product by modification, as it wasn't tested with different connectors.)
  3. Granting a de-facto monopoly in a huge industry to one company (Staubli) just to most easily meet the NEC requirement.
They should not have picked something that isn't an open standard with a testing body of some sort to ensure compatibility between brands with the appropriate marking.

I would rather every solar device come with no MC4 connectors at all given this NEC policy, just bare wire or a terminal attachment point. Let us choose our connector to use. It's better than giving Staubli a monopoly, and better than wasting other brand connectors that are pre-attached by removing them.

I'm not arguing against the NEC's determination that matching connectors is the safest thing to do with MC4 connectors, only that it's not the appropriate solution.
 
cs1234 said:
The problem is that this NEC matching connector requirement is creating multiple questionable problems/scenarios :
  1. Automatically out of NEC compliance for not having matching connectors on all equipment opening oneself to insurance issues / lawsuits
  2. Having to remove a bunch of hard wired connectors, replacing them all with one brand
    (You would think this would violate the UL certification of the product by modification, as it wasn't tested with different connectors.)
  3. Granting a de-facto monopoly in a huge industry to one company (Staubli) just to most easily meet the NEC requirement.
They should not have picked something that isn't an open standard with a testing body of some sort to ensure compatibility between brands with the appropriate marking.

I would rather every solar device come with no MC4 connectors at all given this NEC policy, just bare wire or a terminal attachment point. Let us choose our connector to use. It's better than giving Staubli a monopoly, and better than wasting other brand connectors that are pre-attached by removing them.

I'm not arguing against the NEC's determination that matching connectors is the safest thing to do with MC4 connectors, only that it's not the appropriate solution.
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Buy American, Buy Molex
 
As for finding genuine Stabuli connector - buy from their website/recommended vendor they list. I bought the Temco from them and some others from Stellavolt.

The official Stabuli crimper kit and crimper - Way overpriced and out of stock in every store I looked at. I generally buy quality tools once and spend the $$ to get them. If I had a solar business using their connectors I would find the tools and get them.
 
Surprised I didn't see the Amphenol H-4 connectors mentioned. These have a totally different set of contacts needing a totally different crimper. They (the contacts) are superheavy compared to the light gauge contacts all other MC-4's have. I doubt they can even be connected together with any other than their own brand.

h4_female_pair.jpgamphenol-h4sfc6dm.jpg
 
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littleharbor2 said:
Surprised I didn't see the Amphenol H-4 connectors mentioned. These have a totally different set of contacts needing a totally different crimper. They (the contacts) are superheavy compared to the light gauge contacts all other MC-4's have. I doubt they can even be connected together with any other than their own brand.

View attachment 231404View attachment 231406
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I looked for these to get a few - from what I can tell they are either discontinued or only available in lots of 5000 sets. Everywhere I looked if they exist at all they are backordered.
 
Id be ok using a Wago lever nut connection device. They work well. Of course they arent weather tight so thats a problem. But they seem to have nailed the mechanical design. Ive used hundreds of them and have yet to have an issue with them.
I believe they are rated for 600 vdc.

Perhaps a snap over enclosure could be made to make them waterproof and provide strain relief?

It seems like people have good luck with Tempco MC4s?
 
Dave911 said:
Id be ok using a Wago lever nut connection device. They work well. Of course they arent weather tight so thats a problem. But they seem to have nailed the mechanical design. Ive used hundreds of them and have yet to have an issue with them.
I believe they are rated for 600 vdc.

Perhaps a snap over enclosure could be made to make them waterproof and provide strain relief?

It seems like people have good luck with Tempco MC4s?
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I thought about wago connectors. Shoot them full of dielectric grease, cover in heatshrink with adhesive. Not easy to remove is the only rub that way. The self-adhering rubber tape like you use over split bolts might come off easier.

Not a suggestion, just a thought.
 
I think just go with butt splicing and use that heat shrink has the glue in it. Granger little more costly then Amazon at least I know getting quality.
 

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