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    Sizing parallel battery cables

    I agree. Paralleling cables are short, there's little money to be saved by going with a smaller gauge. I'd go with the 2 AWG myself, no matter that load or charge current you expect to have Don
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    11KW EVSE

    . . . . and the VW ID.4, and the Porsche Taycan, and the Audi eTron, and . . . . Don
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    11KW EVSE

    You can use the charger at full potential - You just need a car which can accept that much current. My new VW ID.4 has a built in 11Kw charger and it CCS charges at up to 125Kw Don
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    Is there anything wrong with using a thicker than necessary cable?

    IMO, it's always a good idea to go one or two sizes larger than the calculated wire size for your installation. You never know when you'll want to add another panel or two on to an existing system and if you didn't start with larger cables, you'll be changing them all when you upgrade That...
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    my 540 watt setup will this work ok

    *If* all the panels are the same, or relatively closely matched so far as Voc and current output are concerned When designing a system it's always best to use identical panels as adding in a panel or two later on manufactured by someone else can lead to problems and poor performance Don
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    Parallel three EPEVER Tracer4215BN, need help

    It sounds like it's working normally to me. Each separate string of 600 watt panels will develop different voltage and current levels with regard to the other two strings. Each controller takes that input and converts it to a charge voltage for the battery bank. I would actually be a bit...
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    SOLAR POWER AND FRIDGE

    Also depends on how full your fridge is and how often you're opening the doors. It's unlikely it's drawing 125 watts continuously. It's ratio of on time to off time will depend a lot on how well your system will power it. A couple days of very little sun and you'll probably need some form of...
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    New Rich solar panel tested

    Full sun at 90 degrees? - Perpendicular to the panel? Not a cloud in the sky? Test voltages and current are under *perfect* conditions
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    Recommended mounting material for mobile

    The 0.025" Diamond Plate would have to be screwed to something (likely plywood) to support the weight of the components he wants to mount on it - But, I guess it probably *would* pretty much fireproof the plywood Don
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    Recommended mounting material for mobile

    I just don't see where properly installed modern electrical equipment would be any worry at all with regard to catching the plywood it's mounted on fire. If you want something to worry about, look at the absorption refrigerator above your electrical panel. Out of 100 RV fires, I'd bet that 90...
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    12v DC motors

    What's powering your motor? If it can't supplt 12 volts at 40 or 50 amps, I think you'll have problems. I agree you'll need all new wiring and fuses Don
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    Combining Arrays?

    Yes, all three are done the same way you would do a single controller - All 3 controllers connect to the battery bank separately Don
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    Series / Parallel????

    I ran into the same issue when I put 3 panels on my motor home. I went up a wire size on the feed wires and put them all in parallel. So far as I know, the only real disadvantage of paralleling panels is the higher current sometimes requires larger gauge wire Don
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    Combining Arrays?

    I think you can combine them, but if it was me, I would keep all 3 separate and use 3 separate charge controllers. That way, you can evaluate the performance of the 3 separate arrays and make changes to azimuth and elevation for best performance. When you have a problem and your output dips...
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    AC to DC Charger Specifications

    Yes, it's 35 amps at 12 volts. If it was at 120 volts, your old 55 amp charger would pop your 30 ampm breaker every time you turned it on Don
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    Is a dc-dc charger really needed for a van setup?

    This is the one most folks use for charging lithiums with a vehicle alternator https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Battery-Batteries-Multi-stage-Charging/dp/B07Q4SVX3M/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3TATIRWGLXC2W&dchild=1&keywords=dc+to+dc+charger&qid=1631912307&sr=8-3 Biggest problem I think is when the engine is...
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    Upgrading existing solar in new RV

    The components can be installed pretty much anywhere you like, so long as they have proper ventilation. A large inverter is best installed as close to the battery bank as possible since they will draw a very large amount of current and the farther from the battery you place it, the larger the...
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    [SOLVED] Intentionally undersized battery array for RV air conditioner?

    That's my question too - Since you say you want to run at least one AC when boondocking, why not add 200 to 400AH of battery to the system so you can keep things running when a cloud passes overhead, or when you need to run other DC loads in addition to your AC and your solar isn't putting out...
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    Need suggestions for A/B transfer switch between 15A receptacles

    A standard household single pole, double throw light switch should do what you want - They're typically used when you have one light controlled by two light switches. When the light is on, either switch will turn it off and when it's off, either switch will turn it on Don
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    For the best connection I solder, do you? Why not?

    I solder everything for #10 wires and smaller - I have a history of doing wiring on salt water boats and corrosion is the big enemy there and crimped connections seem to corrode faster than soldered joints. I have made battery cables in the past with soldered lugs - Heat the lug with a...
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    Xantrex Freedom X 2000W inverter - poor AC connection due to friction fit connections

    What were they thinking? It's gonna be a portable thing of some sort and they didn't want you to have to go to the trouble of removing six screws to get the wires off so you could easily move it from place to place??? I installed Xantrex inverters on 7 or 8 sailboats nearly 25 years ago for...
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    Xantrex Freedom X 2000W inverter - poor AC connection due to friction fit connections

    An inverter with push in wire connections . . . . mounted under a sink?? What could possibly go wrong? Don
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    Unistrut maximum span distance

    The last hurricane that hit 62 degrees North in Alaska was probably before the last ice age :ROFLMAO: Don
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    Connecting two TOTALLY different batteries and Panel - Problem?

    I would respectfully disagree with all the above As for adding a 300 watt panel to an existing 100 watt panel, your existing SCC might not handle the combined power and if so, you'd need to upgrade. Since your panels have different voltages, you really shouldn't be connecting them in parallel...
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    Where to buy wire? Lots of local trouble ...

    The size of the cable required is determined not only by the current in the circuit, but also by the length of the cable. My (limited) experience with controllers is that they all seem to have questionable contact points which barely support adequate sized cable, even for short runs. My...
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    Fusing problem.

    Your inverter is 'looking back' at a pair of 250 amp fuses in parallel. Since the inverter calls for a 250 amp fuse, you either need a third 250, or, better yet, replace the existing fuses with 125 amp fuses. What made you select 250 amp fuses for each battery? Do you have cabling on the...
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    Unistrut maximum span distance

    I think you're probably OK for the space between the vertical pipes, but the one panel on the Unistrut outside that first and last pipe should probably have some additional support. A strong wind is very probably going to be moving that single panel around, flexing the Unistrut where you have...
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    Technical question

    The entirely depends on how large the tree you parked next to is Don
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    Battery bank issues

    Swapping out an older battery for a new one is fine - Paralleling a new one with an older one may lead to problems Don
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    PWM Controller Recommendation for Mismatched Panel System?

    I don't think that's going to be a problem. I have a very similar setup on my RV to what you're proposing - A pair of 175 watt panels in parallel with a single 100 watt panel, all from the same manufacturer (Newpowa IIRC) with the same Vmp I'm using a Tracer 4210AN 40 amp MPPT controller and...
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    Battery bank issues

    If the batteries are all the same type and voltage and the same age, then sure - I wouldn't be connecting some new batteries I've just bought in with my bank of 3 or 4 year old batteries . . . . especially if we're talking lead acid batteries Don
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    Technical question

    Are they on top of an RV where some will eventually get shaded while others are still in full sun? If so, your parallel connection is the better way to go Don
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    Looking for advice on older battery bank

    I would toss the weakest 5 or 6 - Connecting 50AH batteries in parallel with the other, higher rated ones is gonna pull everything down and soon they'll all measure low. Paralleled batteries should be of equal capacity Don
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    Why would battery bank voltage drop significantly whenever I switch on heavy loads

    That was gonna be my first question too. I'm pretty sure he is because with a 40 amp load, his voltage drop is only a little over a volt. If they were lead acid batteries, it would probably be three times that amount. Lead acid batteries have a higher internal resistance than lithiums so any...
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    Overhead Cabling

    Buy the correct wire, slide it in a 1/2" gray electrical conduit and attach the conduit to your steel supporting cable? Don
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