Disconnecting panel from charger

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Willowflowage

Willowflowage

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 22, 2018
Posts
79
Location
Ladysmith Wis
100 watt panel I want portability with to take advantage of sun and setup location. Control panel connection to solar panel is not conducive to hooking up and disconnecting every trip, to allow storing the panel for travel. Searched for an easy plug to connect and disconnect but no luck. The mc4 plugs don't seem to be made for that. I do understand the issue of power still being generated by the panel when unhooked from the controller but isn't there a fix?
 
Don't use extension cord plugs.  You'll fry your solar panel in a spectacular fashion if someone accidentally plugs it into a regular 120 volt outlet.

Anderson Power Point plugs will work.  They're widely used for DC power distribution and their unique design allows same connector to be used on both ends of the connection.  They only fit together in one orientation so you can't get reversed polarity.

https://www.grainger.com/product/3BY20

Your solar panel will generate voltage any time it's exposed to light, but no current will flow unless there's a path from the panel's + and - terminals.  Unlike a battery, a solar panel's current is self-limiting, it will never go much above it's normal operating current even into a direct short and at 12 volts there's little chance of getting a shock.
 
With Solar panels you want a minimum of resistance in teh charging system.  now 40 amp Anderson Power poles work well for loads but for the charger I'd be thinking of the 200 amp models or ones like the disconnectable jumper cable on a tow truck (Those are the 200 amp model) but even the 40 amp power poles will work. 

power poles are kind of need ... even though they are polarized (Tab up red right when looking into them) they are asexual or if you like bi-sexual. There is no male/female.  They plug into each other.
 
Dittos on using Anderson Power Pole connectors.  Use them on a lot of stuff in my RV and other stuff. 
 
I use SB-50 PowerPole connectors. Most of them I purchased on eBay and some from Powerwerx.com. They come in different colors. You can choose any color but all the connectors must be the same color because they keyed differently. A red one will not plug into a green one. Also there is a color code. For instance, 12 volt is yellow and 24 volt is red. These connectors are used quite often on battery chargers so it helps to identify which charger to use.



 

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