scrubjaysnest
Solar Enthusiast
Been to that rodeo. Added 2nd 105Ah battery to a 160 watt system with 10 amp pwm cc.
What was your worse DIY solar mistake ever?
- Thread starter Mattb4
- Start date
Boomerweps
New Member
My OCD kicked in on my “starter” solar lit and I removed the data stickers from my first two supposed high wattage flex panels. I figured using the controller they came with, it wouldn’t matter. Now I’ve learned about the performance specs and their use in configuring a system. I now have and use other panels and controllers.
PotusGobbleBottom
Corn Pop was a bad dude.
What happened to the inverter?
Not really my greatest DIY solar error but it is a classic problem I have with measurements. The old saw about measure twice, cut once does not help. For instance I measure something to be cut as 40 and 1/2 inches. When I lay out the material to be cut I proceed to find 40 inches on the tape measure and go to the 1/2 inch designation. However this is the 1/2 inch designation to the left of 40 inches. Which makes it 39-1/2 inches. My mental process will repeat this over and over unless I make a special effort to allow for this fact.
Bit like the fact I repeatedly type "teh" when I want "the". Makes for fun crafting posts when you type words with the letters out of sequence all the time. Mental processing errors.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Lt.Dan
Solar Wizard
I had one a few months ago that I was pretty embarrassed about...
I was replacing my SolArk 12k, and I had unhooked the battery cables from the inverter, and they were hanging down. I made sure all the breakers were shut off, and assumed it was safe because of that. My stupid brain didn't realize that I only disconnected the positive lead with the breakers, so i thought it was safe, but the negative cable could still touch the positive terminals of the batteries (oops). Well I didn't realize it until my leg pressed the negative cable against the positive terminal and burnt the hell out of my leg from the short circuit. It barely affected the 4/0 terminal of the cable, or the battery terminal, as it was such a small short, but damn did it hurt!
I was replacing my SolArk 12k, and I had unhooked the battery cables from the inverter, and they were hanging down. I made sure all the breakers were shut off, and assumed it was safe because of that. My stupid brain didn't realize that I only disconnected the positive lead with the breakers, so i thought it was safe, but the negative cable could still touch the positive terminals of the batteries (oops). Well I didn't realize it until my leg pressed the negative cable against the positive terminal and burnt the hell out of my leg from the short circuit. It barely affected the 4/0 terminal of the cable, or the battery terminal, as it was such a small short, but damn did it hurt!
SilverbackMP
Solar Addict
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2022
- Messages
- 962
Shit, I thought me welding and then vaporizing one fo the BMS wires was bad. I got more batteries to build. Honestly I hate the assembly part. Feel like I’m trying to diffuse a bomb.
Mahendra Gomanie
Solar Enthusiast
True no matter how many time you have done it
Brucey
Solar Wizard
Is it time for a scar thread?
Heh... when im in the house assembling bms and cells, i routinely get asked what kind of bomb im building now...
I currently... sorry... have four 4s packs, three 8s packs, and a 48v 16S pack in what SHOULD be my dining room...
Long ago i emptied the dining area of foodie accouterments and setup two desks, a storage table, and three cabinets for my various indoor projects...
I have an understanding family...
profesor79
...
there were a few, but this one I can't understand. I disabled overvoltage electronic breaker ... and that happend:
so in next 5 seconds the generator blew off my inverter...
so in next 5 seconds the generator blew off my inverter...
Lt.Dan
Solar Wizard
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Sub catagory to "Up in Smoke" could be...
"Black And Blue"
"Black And Blue"
featherlite
Solar Enthusiast
Damn!!!
Bad Randy
New Member
While adding a string of 5 Canadian 395's,
striped 3" off each wire for the snake.
I picked up the black in one hand and red in the other off the floor,
I got to waist level before I could let go!.
striped 3" off each wire for the snake.
I picked up the black in one hand and red in the other off the floor,
I got to waist level before I could let go!.
Yikes!While adding a string of 5 Canadian 395's,
striped 3" off each wire for the snake.
I picked up the black in one hand and red in the other off the floor,
I got to waist level before I could let go!.
Yeah, solar panels dont have an off switch, and handling more than one wire at a time is VERY dangerous. Glad you are still with us!
I recommend wearing at LEAST one high voltage glove any time working with over 36V DC.
️
Oh, I once made a 12V battery pack for the first time without installing a BMS. Later...the battery bulged! I asked customer service and found out that a BMS was required to install the DIY battery pack. This is a profound lesson!
After removing the nuts from the studs that hold down the diagonal jumpers, I lifted the balance leads off and one snagged a jumper. Well, of course it had to swing around and find the opposing terminal. Lucky it only blew off a small nick off the terminal.
I noticed that the new two hole terminals use busses that can reach the other terminal. So now my rule is each buss being worked on must have at least one fastener in each end threaded down several turns before control of it is released and moving on, or it must be completely removed.
I noticed that the new two hole terminals use busses that can reach the other terminal. So now my rule is each buss being worked on must have at least one fastener in each end threaded down several turns before control of it is released and moving on, or it must be completely removed.
SilverbackMP
Solar Addict
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2022
- Messages
- 962
I charged some of my cells on my mom's dining room table.
Now I have benches and carts down in my shop. And power.
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