Help with Zamp Obsidian and Jackery 500

[James1025]

Hello,

First post here but a long time reader. I have a small travel trailer with a 12v house battery, a Zamp 100 watt Obsidian that plugs into the Zamp port on the side of the trailer. I also have a Jackery 500 that normally stays top charged via my truck when traveling but I would like the ability to charge the Jackery 500 when parked and not run the truck.

I am able to easily bypass the Zamp charge controller, as the Jackery has a built in controller. Where I am having some confusion is how to plug the panel into the Jackery. Zamp uses ATP connections for most of the cable run and then an ATP to SAE plug that goes into my trailer. Zamp's male connection is shielded on the ATP-SAE adapter which is not like most SAE plugs.

Zamp makes a few different adapters for their ATP cables, ATP-Anderson Power Pole, ATP to MC4, etc. They do not make an ATP to 8mm male barrel plug that the Jackery 500 excepts. Of course Amazon sells many different adapters that terminate to the 8mm barrel plug but ATP seems specific to Zamp.

I was thinking of using the ZAMP ATP-MC4 adapter and then the following adapter from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Connector-Compatible-Generator-with5-5MMx2-5-Converter/dp/B09DPPC84V/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=mc4+to+8mm&qid=1676633097&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFHMFFENlgwS0FSN0smZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4OTIyNDAzQTVKRE9RUDlSQ09FJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxODgwMjAyR0pZSVY3UVhVMEdJJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Could someone point me in the right direction of what I need? I understand Zamp's male SAE is shielded but does that mean all of their adapters are reversed as well? When I email Zamp they tell me to ask Jackery and that I "might" need a reverse polarity adapter.

Thank you very much,
Jim

 

[Techman Solar]

Hey James,

You'd want to connect a solar panel direct to the Jackery. As you rightly mentioned, the E500 has an MPPT charge controller built in to the unit.

If you absolutely must use the ZAMP, I'd personally go with ATP to Anderson PP, then APP to DC7909 connector, something like this. But I'm not sure how the process of having 'two charge controllers' would impact on solar yield. It's not the most efficient set-up. Hence going direct to the E500 would be preferable.

You could always daisy-chain the E500 to your 12v battery and keep the ZAMP connected to your battery. I would perhaps invest in a 12v LiFePo4 battery. They're a cost-effective way of expanding the capacity of the E500. I have done this before, as mentioned in my review here.

Hope this helps!

Techman