Vanadium +4 ion color and solar wiring

[smsasf]

Ok, now that I got your attention. The color is azure blue. Lovely. Now on to the real purpose of my note. I’ve been here before, but little different topic. 2020 Bambi 20’ with prewired/installed Zamp solar 90W on roof and the A-Frame connection going straight to battery. I’ve been consumming, like a wood chipper, as much as I can from this forum, Zamp, Victron, AS, etc. After so many of you folks have sounded the trumpet regarding the Victron charge controller I thought it might be good idea to change out the Atkinson 40 amp Sun Explorer II charge controller and monitor before I make a 30-60(?) trip out west after mid-August. Hope to do 70% boondocking. I’ll be coming back to you on some particular regarding the change out, but for now on to the solar wiring. And I mean fundamental wire and gauges.

Zamp triple port roof cap has 10 AWG ports according to their website and AS wiring diagram from the port to the charge controller states they use 10 AWG wiring (not sure if they use the Zamp harness or they took cheaper alter). So other than limitations on ultimate solar size related to wire gauge I suppose this is cool.

But I scratch my head, out of sheer (or maybe even “shear”) ignorance about the A-Frame and Zamp Portable wiring gauges. I explain. I purchased a Zamp 230 watt portable fold out solar panel (2 panels) recently (before I really understaood overall system, battery and needs limitations). The wire coming out of each panel back goinging into the portable controller is 14 AWG. The longer wire coming out of the controller is smaller diameter and more flexible, so I assume it must be at least 16 AWG. I bought their 15 extension cord so I can reach the sun if need be. That is 10 AWG. So I’d be plugging in a 16 (or 18???) AWG into a 10 AWG. Now to the Zamp A-Frame bracket port. Their web site claims it is 10 AWG, but I looked at the wire (and it is theirs, not an AS substitute as far as I can see) and it is actually 12 AWG going directly to the battery posts.

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away in university I had to take a 5 credit, 5 days a week Electrical Engineering Theory course, but what I remember from that is what a plug and socket looks like and electricity can be a shocking experience. So I ask you electrical guru, is it ok on this stuff to just grab whatever wire might be left over in the box to make all your connections from A to B and B to C and so on? And if I decided later that I actually wanted to run the portable straight into a charge controller that also serves the roof should I change out the 12 AWG from the port to 10 AWG since the wiring from the roof panel to the controller is 10 AWG (if AS really did use that)?

Didn’t think the process would be as painful. Thanks. Stephen

[wulfraat]

For 230w of portable panels you are fine running a 15’ run of 10AWG guage wire from the controller output terminals to the Zamp connector at the battery box. I think that is your question [emoji4]

BTW - I believe it was in 2020 model year that airstream started running 8AWG guage for the pre-wire from the rooftop box, FYI... prior to that it was 10AWG.....

[smsasf]

Originally Posted by wulfraat

For 230w of portable panels you are fine running a 15’ run of 10AWG guage wire from the controller output terminals to the Zamp connector at the battery box. I think that is your question [emoji4]

BTW - I believe it was in 2020 model year that airstream started running 8AWG guage for the pre-wire from the rooftop box, FYI... prior to that it was 10AWG.....

wulfraat, thanks for your response. I suppose my question was more philosophical-technical from the standpoint of the wiring run from the face of the solar panel to battery first has a 14AWG, then 16AWG, then 10AWG (if using extension cord), then 12AWG before attaching the battery. And here I thought electrical engineering was a more precise and exacting engineering. Silly me.

I was a frustrated and curious and my son was not answering his phone, so I sent message to ASforum. My son works in electrical, controllers, automation, from Navy days, then to residental, to large scale commercial/industrial. Things like Catepillar equipment assembly factory robotic assembly lines. I should have waited for him, he picked up phone this morning.

Learned that since the solar basically charges batteries at a trickle, ie, not heavy load being drawn, the mishmash of wire sizes is ok. But if that chain of wire was moving a heavy load, say to a welder, then the 16AWG would melt. He also said that the 15’ 10AWG extension cord, to be attached to a 15’ 16AWG wire from the solar panel, could be because Zamp has spools of the 10AWG that are used for other things and at the end of the spool they have 15-30 left over, so they build an extension cord at a wire gauge that is unnecessary and upcharge the customer for it just because it is 10AWG.

Live and learn. Thanks again for taking the time. Stephen