Victron is Over-priced Eurotrash. Why would anybody buy Victron over an AiO?

[cs1234]

Nice! Which model did you get?

The blue one!

 

[Q-Dog]

Nice! Which model did you get?

I got another 150/60 to match the one I already have. Eventually it's gonna replace the 100/20 in the house and the 100/20 will go on the power cart.

 

[Brucey]

Making some 1/0 cables for the 450/100. Going to fly close to the sun with ten Aptos 370W at 41.7 Voc. Saw some pics of the internals looks like caps are rated for 500V so maybe a little margin there from technical 450V limit? When it gets colder in winter tho ..may have to take one off the string.

 

[Hedges]

450/(10 x 41.7) = 1.079
Less than 8% headroom.

Double check with your frigid New York record cold and actual temperature coefficient, but I'd say Don't Do It.
Stick with 9s.

Caps have a limit, and transistors have a limit.

 

[Brucey]

Switched over from woefully undersized 6 awg to 1/0 for the 450/100 to distributor connection. SCC was turned off but still scared the crap out of me with big spark when I reconnected the new positive to the power bus (had the 48/1200 doing an initial charge of some 280Ah cells so I didn't want to turn the main battery breaker off).

All set now to connect the Aptos tomorrow.

 

[cs1234]

View attachment 223433

I think it looks very pretty, but I would lose my mind cleaning debris off them constantly.

 

[Brucey]

I think it looks very pretty, but I would lose my mind cleaning debris off them constantly.

Once I've wired them up they'll be aligned flush with the others. Then just a weekly string trim to take care of grass and weeds at outside edge and some that pop up between panels. Then quick blow off with backpack blower.

They will be going to 80 degrees for winter tho.

 

[ShirBlackspots]

Making some 1/0 cables for the 450/100. Going to fly close to the sun with ten Aptos 370W at 41.7 Voc. Saw some pics of the internals looks like caps are rated for 500V so maybe a little margin there from technical 450V limit? When it gets colder in winter tho ..may have to take one off the string.

Have you been using this? https://www.victronenergy.com/mppt-calculator It'll help a lot in determining how to set up the strings with your SCC/Inverter.

 

[Brucey]

Have you been using this? https://www.victronenergy.com/mppt-calculator It'll help a lot in determining how to set up the strings with your SCC/Inverter.

Shows as good to 10F, I will remove one panel from that string before winter temps.

Proposed ten 370W Aptos as tracker 1, existing ten Hyundai 300W as tracker 2:

 

[740GLE]

You like to live dangerously.

How much was that MPPT you’re willing to toast?

 

[Brucey]

You like to live dangerously.

How much was that MPPT you’re willing to toast?

$1100 or so. But I don't see a risk when temps are 80 degrees above the entered low temp of 10F. The Hyundai's are currently actually maxing out at around 365V, versus worst case forecast of 430V at 10F.

 

[cs1234]

What happens with VOC when panels do that weird cloud thing, where they suddenly produce a bunch more off the trailing edge of a cloud?

I don't know what it's called but I've seen it mentioned here before.

That could be bad if pushing it so close to the limit.

 

[Brucey]

What happens with VOC when panels do that weird cloud thing, where they suddenly produce a bunch more off the trailing edge of a cloud?

I don't know what it's called but I've seen it mentioned here before.

That could be bad if pushing it so close to the limit.

cloud edge effect.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

What happens with VOC when panels do that weird cloud thing, where they suddenly produce a bunch more off the trailing edge of a cloud?

I don't know what it's called but I've seen it mentioned here before.

That could be bad if pushing it so close to the limit.

Cloud edging. Much bigger effect on current than voltage.

 

[Q-Dog]

It's so ... blue!!

 

[cs1234]

cloud edge effect.

Yeah, that's the one. Looks like your good as long as you remember to change them before it gets cold then. I can't see it hitting anywhere near freezing during the day for at least a few weeks, let alone near 10 F.

 

[featherlite]

It's so ... blue!!
View attachment 223446

I am jealous that your terminals have Philips head screws. My Victron Smart Solar 100/50 MPPT’s have single slot screw heads, even though the manual has an image showing the unit with Philips head screws.

Congratulations for choosing blue!

 

[grizzzman]

Cloud edging. Much bigger effect on current than voltage.

I agree. I had set up a 200 watt pwm set in a motor home and was monitoring it using a low amps probe and a graphing meter set to 20 amps. It went OA on the meter during a cloud edge event. That was using the Bogart system.

 

[NC_hydro]

Switched over from woefully undersized 6 awg to 1/0 for the 450/100 to distributor connection. SCC was turned off but still scared the crap out of me with big spark when I reconnected the new positive to the power bus (had the 48/1200 doing an initial charge of some 280Ah cells so I didn't want to turn the main battery breaker off).

All set now to connect the Aptos tomorrow.

View attachment 223433

Very nice, haven’t started doing anything yet with mine, trying to get the last items planted in the garden and some spring fed irrigation going since this summer has been a little drier than normal.

I did measure to see how long my 4/0 jumpers need to be for the battery to Quattro connections.

 

[Q-Dog]

I am jealous that your terminals have Philips head screws. My Victron Smart Solar 100/50 MPPT’s have single slot screw heads, even though the manual has an image showing the unit with Philips head screws.

Congratulations for choosing blue!

yea, our 100/20 has single slot screws. It has been mounted and remounted a few times and hasn't been an issue so far.

 

[Brucey]

Very nice, haven’t started doing anything yet with mine, trying to get the last items planted in the garden and some spring fed irrigation going since this summer has been a little drier than normal.

I did measure to see how long my 4/0 jumpers need to be for the battery to Quattro connections.

I made some 3/8ths to 5/16 jumpers so I could hook these mnedc250s direct to my power in and give me more granular control:



Also ordered 40 feet more of the windy nation 1/0 to make some longer battery cables. Trying to figure out a good length where everything will be in reach and same length. They are kind of scattered about a little. May eventually move to a 2000A midnite battery combiner box but not at that stage yet.

 

[740GLE]

Which one doesn’t look like the other?

You run out of tinned lugs or just bad camera angle?

 

[Brucey]

Which one doesn’t look like the other?

You run out of tinned lugs or just bad camera angle?

Yup just ran out of lugs. More on the way.

 

[HRTKD]

Yup just ran out of lugs. More on the way.

Color it with a silver crayon and you'll be fine.

 

[Q-Dog]

More blue stuff came in. My wife asked for a shunt for the power cart. And since we are running 12v batteries in series to get to 24v, I decided to give a battery balancer a try. (probably not needed, but not expensive) We haven't had any issues with the DC House batteries so far, but I notice slight imbalances after charging, so this should keep it from getting worse.