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A good crimp has better mechanical strength and lower resistance than a solder joint, but hammering a solder joint will fracture the solder and degrade it's performance. If you must do both, hammer first, then solder.

Same with sex toys - never use silicon lube on silicon rubber. black o-rings are likely to be a nitrile rubber, while orange are probably a fluro-elasomer Vaseline will destroy latex, but is ok on silicone. You need to know your "rubber" before you pick your lube.

I decided I didn't need the larger sizes and went for the smaller (cheaper) 10/12t version. I payed considerably less than the current price, but they are still good value. Edit: This is the tool I use - cost me less than $40 You could do that after you have crimped - as @Zwy says, the crimp...

Standard heatshrink is great for a lot of things - reducing fatigue, identification, insulation etc. But if you want it to be waterproof, the you need the glue lined heatshrink. This stuff is tough and provides a lot of protection above standard heatshrink. An alternative is 'liquid insulation...

For me, the two desirable reasons for using the Load Port for the load is: a/ low voltage cutout b/ being able to see the PV/charge/load characteristics over the network

If you continued reading as far as post 16, you'd see a contradictory quote "I’m sorry, but this is nonsense. MPPT charge controllers have no ‘PWM mode’." Can you quote a reputable source? https://diysolarforum.com/threads/any-problem-mppt-charge-controllers.17130/post-239905 If you follow the...

Ah! that would explain the weird pin numbering in the Renology manual I'd completely failed to notice they are different products. I guess because so many ebay type offerings are the same thing under different names.

This was discussed recently https://diysolarforum.com/threads/147-volts-dc-will-not-pass-thru-breaker-yes-breaker-is-on.72644/page-3#post-958803 A hostile environment certainly makes a grease attractive, but you need to know your rubber before you select your grease. A Dialectic Grease would be...

I've been searching for a paper, but just come up with 'received wisdom' from other forums - it's as bad as twatter! It does however make sense that cold welding (bonding at the atomic level) gives a better electrical connection than wetting the copper with tin/lead.

ignoring the bits I don't agree with - what sort of NiFe cells do you have? I've always had an interest in NiFe, but not gone down that path. Did you buy commercial cells or roll-your-own? What exactly do you mean by: Charging profile? unsuitable terminal voltage?

Looking for an easy solution to power a (say 120mm muffin) fan at a remote site. Currently the setup is 100V from PV's that only feed a pump controller, so no batteries, no low voltage. Obvious solutions start with a DC fan, but I've never seen one Next is DC-DC converter with a suitable input...

Good points - thanks. This one is 5V 20A, so unsuitable for a variety of reasons (it just happened to be within reach). Having a voltage doubler is a complication I don't need for this project.

Sounds like you used an acid flux. (not from our grandfathers toolshed was it?) Flux is great, but you need to choose carefully. A modern Rosin flux will give excellent results. I suggest RMA223 intended for surface mount components for more info on fluxes...

I was trying to contact Epever direct both by email and using contact page on their website

:) Rules are great, but context counts for something too. Good luck finding a 183.823529412 A fuse A 200A fuse might be easier to come by!

Unless I'm missing something, Power Factor (PF) is only relevant to AC circuits and can be ignored. As for the cable, for a given current, the voltage drop is a constant regardless of system voltage. Compare 10V @10A vs 100V @10A on the same cable with 1V drop. the 10V system will give you 9V...

Ok, yep, both situations that would suit parallel connections. Unless otherwise specified, it's reasonable to assume the panels are pointing north (or south depending where you live). Boats of course are a whole bag of trouble. The OP has two panels, so that's the sort of scale I was thinking.

Thanks for your replies. One approach I've used elsewhere is not to tap into the "big" system, but simply add a dedicated (say 30W) panel and 24-12V DC-DC to spin a fan when ever there is light. I've installed this style in my workshop to stop is baking in summer (it would often get to 60C in...

I agree with using breakers for convenience and that fuses serve little purpose. Here's my thinking: - if you select a fuse rating 'less' than Isc, you will blow the fuse when operating within normal spec. - if you select a fuse rating 'higher' than Isc, even with a shorted cable or reverse...

I bought a USB cable along with my first AN reg. It is definitely an Exar device. For me, the USB cable was great to get the first one setup, but converting to ethernet is more practical as more reg's are added.

+1 Unless you really need low voltage, higher voltage has many benefits including thinner cable for the same loss and increased hours of useful output per day. As for fuses, under what circumstances would a fuse in the PV feed blow?

If both the positive and negative become shorted: Something has gone seriously wrong You can't get a shock (it's shorted) Put an over rated Double-Pole switch on the feed and worry about the important things.

I've installed one of that type from my own use in the deep bore. I ordered direct and got a special build - for a modest additional fee (and waiting for delivery instead of local dispatch) I received a pump with 50m of cable. The two advantages are: 1. there are no joins under water 2. I'm...

stranger and stranger, the part numbers are very different

I Just looked it up on wiki "Multi-Connect" was the company name before it was changed to STÄUBLI The MC3 was also theirs and as you describe, the "3" refers to a 3mm contact pin

The "N" on the AN, BN etc series designate them as "Negative Common" (positive switched), so the negative terminals are always tied together. The typical non-MPPT SCC is 'positive common' (negative switched).

Absolutely. For short lengths, you can get way just about anything, but twisted pair is recommended (making Cat5 perfect). You could just use a fully wired ethernet cable, giving Orange-white & Blue on RS485-A and Blue-White & Orange on RS485-B (two pairs for each). The downside is it will...

While I agree, it doesn't really apply here. The higher the capacitance, the greater the ability to smooth transients. Too low and it doesn't really do anything Too high just costs more, but doesn't really work any better. Neither too large or too small should result in catastrophic failure...

A "good" crimp is significantly better than soldering as described above, but a gotcha for soldering is the solder wicks up the filaments making it very stiff. The point the solder stops acts as a sharp stress concentrator that can easily become the fracture point. Also good! I've used my...

Your panels - clearly!