Help with adding folding panels.

[Transit Neil]

Can anyone offer me any advice on adding folding panels? I currently have a 50W panel on my roof with a PWM controller and a 110a lead acid battery. Over the winter, I would like to add another battery, and a 150W folding panel. When I put out the folding panel, what is the best way to connect it up to the battery? Do I just connect it with the crocodile clips?

I wasn't sure if having 2 power sources would ruin the batteries. Will the PWM controller cope? I will upgrade this anyway, but I'm trying to work out the best way to do it. Thanks for reading. Neil.

 

[Spriddler]

To save faffing about accessing the battery and using croc clips I'd fit a permanently connected socket for the battery and a mating (shielded) plug for the panel.
I can't help with circuitry or controllers though.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

As Spriddler has said, a male and female socket is best, a more positive connection and less messing about. I would use a seperate controller also for the solar panel.
The 50w panel won't give you much power, if you can change it for a bigger panel that may help. Certainly the bigger battery bank will help also. I would connect the 2nd battery to the first and a lead with plug from both batteries to the 150w fold up. solar. panel via a controller. Some fold ups come with a controller. You may also need to secure the panel to your van when you go out.

 

[Off da Grid]

Anderson connector

 

[autorouter]

If you are going to connect a socket to the battery with a short wire, it's best to wire in an inline fuse in the positive wire near the battery. For a 150W panel a 15A fuse should be fine.

Some panels come with special solar panel connectors. These are very good, 100% weatherproof and UV resistant etc, but can be a pain to take apart without the special tool, which you can never find when you need it. There are many possible plug and socket types available, but I like to use MNL (Mate'N'Lok) connectors, which have separate crimp terminals. I find standard NON-insulated crimp pliers work fine on MNL terminals.

Mate N Lok Universal Connector Pair - 2 Way

2 way Mate N Lok connectors for 0.5-2.0mm² cable provide secure and robust multiple connections. Supplied as a pair of male/female housings with all terminals.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

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