Current Setup

[PsXtreme]

So over the past month I have been watching Will's videos and doing my own research here and there. Anyways, I found flaws in my current setup the way it was. First of which was the way the solar panels were hooked up. I found burnt wires because I was using too thin of wire with all the panels in parallel. I have 5x100 watt solar system. I have 3 hooked in series to the 40amp MakeSkyblue MPPT Solar charge controller and then I have 2 hooked in parallel going to a 20 amp PWM charge controller. That is what I came up with after trying several different hook up scenarios. So today I took out the old burnt wire and I rewired the entire solar system front to back with brand new wire. I didnt get pictures but I have the PV wires taped to the side of the RV going to the solar panels nice and neat. Those batteries are 19.2Ahr CompuCaddy Lithium Iron phosphate batteries. I had 10 but one died completely so now its 19.2Ahr x 9 batteries for a total of 172.8Ahr. Its not a bad little system but I am hoping to upgrade some day soon. Anyways, enjoy the pictures and if you have any suggestions, I am all ears. Thanks!

PS. There is normally a recliner in front of the battery box, its just all open because I rewired everything today.

 

[Sanwizard]

Whats with the knots in the cables?

 

[PsXtreme]

Whats with the knots in the cables?

Its just something I do to distinguish positive from negative without having to break out a volt meter. I put a knot on the positive wires. Also helps when I have to service the stuff down the road.

 

[Sanwizard]

Its just something I do to distinguish positive from negative without having to break out a volt meter. I put a knot on the positive wires. Also helps when I have to service the stuff down the road.

Ah... I usually just use red and black cables for that...

 

[Bob B]

Ah... I usually just use red and black cables for that...

Or red and black heat shrink

 

[DerpsyDoodler]

Ah... I usually just use red and black cables for that...

Well, if you have the right size cable but not the right color, do you throw the cable away?

That said, i don't like the idea of tying knots in electric cables. heat shrink!

I hope you got proper copper cable and not CCA cable (copper clad aluminum). That would be bad cause you could end up burning wires again.

 

[PsXtreme]

Well, if you have the right size cable but not the right color, do you throw the cable away?

That said, i don't like the idea of tying knots in electric cables. heat shrink!

I hope you got proper copper cable and not CCA cable (copper clad aluminum). That would be bad cause you could end up burning wires again.

No, its pure copper wire my uncle let me have. The sticker said it was rated for 135 volts. Since my solar max pv is 65 volts it will do just fine. The reason the wires got burnt is because I had the solar hooked up for the past 5 years in parallel and it was too many amps going through the wires. Now my panels are all in series.