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LIon Energy portable 100 watt panels

chrisski

Solar Boondocker
Joined
Aug 14, 2020
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I recently purchased 4 lion Energy 100 watt portable panels. For outputs, there is not a positive and negative MC4 cable like most panels I looked at. Instead, it has two cable sets, an input cable set and an output cable set designed to hook these in parallel. Each of these cable sets has a positive and negative Anderson connector. A picture of the device is below.
Lion Energy Panels.jpg
The spec sheet I found for these has very little data, perhaps a page. Not like my renogy panels where there's volumes together. In fact, I used my multimeter just to see whether the panels are hooked up in series or parallel. When the voltage didn't change when hooked together, must be in parallel. I couldn't measure with my ammeter because it is fused at 10 amps, and probably would have blown the fuse since each panel puts out 6.5 amps measure IOC.

Anyway, I want to hook these Lion Energy 100 watt portable panels in series and not parallel, so wondering if anyone with these panels has tried that successfully? I know how I want to go about that, but I'm not sure of the electronics inside the small box attached to the panel where the diodes go are designed to only handle voltage of one panel.

I'd like to go higher voltage and reduce amps for the same wattage especially for cable runs. I can work around that now with a 12 volt system, but I had planned on upgrading to 24 volts, and with a VOC of 22.5 VDC, that's not strong enough to charge a 24 VDC system.
 
The connector on the left looks like an SAE connector. No idea on the connector on the right. Maybe it's just the way the plug on the left is turned?
 
Both sets of connectors are Anderson Plugs. I like Anderson plugs better, mostly because I have not found a way to crimp a SAE plug. So for me use an SAE adapter, I have to cut one end off and butt splice or solder the wires together. Anderson Plugs are supposed to be the go to plug for DC Accessories that use a quick disconnect device, like a spotlight for a vehicle. Anderson plugs are only slightly harder to crimp than MC4 plugs.

I’ve never opened a Diode box on these panels before. Is there anything typically inside besides the diodes, or is there other electronics in there?

I’ve got my Lion Energy Panels packed away now, and the Renogy panels are miles away at the RV Storage area.
 
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