Solar Show and Tell

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by pcskier

Or just use the side cutters as a fuse.

Nice work Ronnie. Tight and organized. Yet again my electrical area is a disgrace by comparison. Everything works, but still...

Maybe use the wire cutters to cut the wire then the fuse would slide off the wire and the zip tie is a nonissue....

[rmkrum]

The use of plastic covered bread ties are a nice way to recycle them, temporarily tie wires in bundles, and would be very useful for spare fuses as well.

Bread ties now seem to be the wire coat hangers nowadays. They seem to be everywhere and when you stash them in a drawer, they rapidly reproduce in the darkness therein.

I also use zip lock plastic bags and a bit of duct tape to stash spare parts like fuses and screws next to the point of possible need. I’ve been known to use a bread tie and a ziplock bag with a small hole punched in it to accommodate the use of a bread tie.

[KiwiNZ]

Originally Posted by Wolfwhistle

DC breakers could serve as switches... not constant use, but works for what we might need. I would go with 30 amp between combiner and MPPT, and then 40 amp (seems like its enough) between MPPT to a bus rather than the load center (DC side) using Midnight solar mini breakers on a DIN rail. Also why increase wire gauge PV to MPPT from 10 to 6 awg? Of course, I don't know the length of the run. Surprised that you can fit 160s on a 27 footer. Link to mini breaker housing. Breakers are easy to find.https://www.googleadservices.com/pag...gQIDRBC&adurl=
WW

Thanks for looking at the drawing.
I think I will stay with the switch.
There is a possibility If everything was right on a good day, I could get over 40amps out of the mppt so thats why I went for the 60.
The wire size at 6 was just because I had it I could use 10
Will post photos of panels if I can get them to fit. If I can't will have to look at a 30ft

[JBBeaubeaux]

Here is our solar setup: https://livinginbeauty.net/2019/04/07/hot-stuff/

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by JBBeaubeaux

Here is our solar setup: https://livinginbeauty.net/2019/04/07/hot-stuff/

Looks great! Vinnie does a super job. He is a class act.

[GMFL]

Here is a a NERD post. New crimp tool does a great job. Check out this cold weld. The ends are acid etched so you can see better.

[Troutboy]

Cool Ronnie, what tool is that?

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by Troutboy

Cool Ronnie, what tool is that?

Burndy MRC840 UL listed $$$ but works great.

[DaveP]

When I did my original electrical system rebuild, Lewster was my main advisor. He convinced me that good crimps were one of the keys to a quality system. I bought a good crimping tool from Germany, Greenlee, and have never regretted the investment.

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by DaveP

When I did my original electrical system rebuild, Lewster was my main advisor. He convinced me that good crimps were one of the keys to a quality system. I bought a good crimping tool from Germany, Greenlee, and have never regretted the investment.

Very nice!

[KiwiNZ]

Originally Posted by GMFL

Here is a a NERD post. New crimp tool does a great job. Check out this cold weld. The ends are acid etched so you can see better.

Thats impressive
I had no idea that you could compress the wire that tight

[AirMiles]

I bought the Harbor Freight Hydraulic Wire Crimping Tool: https://www.harborfreight.com/hydrau...ool-66150.html

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by KiwiNZ

Thats impressive
I had no idea that you could compress the wire that tight

I’d never cut one open because the dang crimps cost so much, but I messed up the other day and needed to shorten my battery jumpers so I had a few very short ends with crimps on them.
I’d seen it done on YouTube before so I thought I’d give it a go.

I carefully cut across the center of one of the crimps being careful not to get the cut to hot. Then I cleaned up the end with a file one going in one direction. Then I acid etched the end to remove any copper filings that might have gotten “smeared” into the joint and to “stain” the joint to help identify any gaps. Note that the acid etch actually ate off some of the tin coating the lug had on it.

Pretty cool test of ones tools ability.

I just bought this Burndy tool and I like it because when you cycle it you cannot under or over crimp a lug. ( provided you use the correct die).
It also stamps/embosses each lug letting you know you did it right.

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by AirMiles

I bought the Harbor Freight Hydraulic Wire Crimping Tool: https://www.harborfreight.com/hydrau...ool-66150.html

I have this crimp tool also and it works great for smaller stuff like 6ga-2ga.
Mine will not crimp anything larger than 0awg.

[pcskier]

I'm not going to even mention my $20 hammer crimp tool. Embarrassing.

[KiwiNZ]

Originally Posted by AirMiles

I bought the Harbor Freight Hydraulic Wire Crimping Tool: https://www.harborfreight.com/hydrau...ool-66150.html

How does it it work? Well I Know how it works but how have you found it?
Are you keen to cut a crimp in half to see the difference, it would be interesting

[Fair_Enough]

I use a 16 ton (so called) Chinese, bought off Amazon. I did cut into a crimp from a #4/0 copper - not annealed or zinc type... I also use an anti corrosion paste - it looks almost like solid copper not a hint of any gaps. I kinda think one could crimp with too much force; although, I squeeze pretty darn tight. Now this cheap crimper is just that and the dies are in metric. So, I use the one that seems to be right. It goes down to around a 4 awg cable and up to something larger than #4/0. If I knew how many cables / crimps I would eventually make, the professional model would have been the way to go.

Edit: I meant to add, a ratcheting PVC cutter cleanly cuts up to #4/0 cables.
WW

[Troutboy]

I used an anchor, similar to the greenlee and the burndy....

https://www.ancorproducts.com/en/703040

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Wolfwhistle

And a pair of side cutters to cut the zip ties, so you don't try it with a knife and cut yourself to the bone.

.......

WW

Hi

Wish you had brought that up about 4 years ago before I got these stitches in my left hand .....

Bob

[CarterKraft]

Flush cut pliers are really too cheap to not have in the tool box. SPEEDWOX Side Cutters 6 Inches Flush Cutters
Alternatively I have taken spare side cutter pliers to the grinding wheel and converted them to flush cut pliers for zip ties.

I have used some really crappy pliers this way and they all cut zip ties great even though in their previous form they could barely cut bailing wire. The flush cut conversion makes them very sharp. You will wonder what took you so long to make a set. This is my current set from some old pliers in my tool box that had broken tips.