cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

Flexible solar controller cables?

jaycocreek
Explorer
Explorer
What kind of wire are you guys using from the solar controller to the battery and solar panels?..To the solar panels is not an issue but to the battery is..

I have tried Renogy and some other tray cables and they are either to stiff or to big for the Victron 75/15..

Is there a place to get them already made up and flexible?

Thanks
Lance 9.6
400 watts solar mounted/200 watts portable
500ah Lifep04
8 REPLIES 8

2WheelJB
Explorer
Explorer
Use this website to calculate the wire size you need:

https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/dc-wire-size

StirCrazy
Nomad III
Nomad III
use wire ferrules to go to the right size for your victron.
2014 F350 6.7 Platinum
2016 Cougar 330RBK
1991 Slumberqueen WS100

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
you're welcome
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
This place should be able to help.

You want welding cable, maybe #6. My system is 48v so I'm only 15 amps.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
WindyNation 10 gauge from each of my three panels to the combiner box, 8 gauge from the box to the controller and 6 gauge from the controller to the battery.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

shastagary
Explorer
Explorer
you could use a terminal strip next to the solar controller to connect thicker cables from the battery and then a shorter pieces of thinner wire from the terminal strip to the controller that fit its terminals.
doing so will keep the voltage drop to the batteries to a minimum it depends on how far your batteries are from the solar controller.

shastagary
Explorer
Explorer
one of the reasons solar panel cable is stiffer than some other wire is the insulation is rated to be exposed to the sun and not break down it also has better abrasion resistance than some other wire.

Cptnvideo
Nomad
Nomad
I added a 1500 watt MSW inverter to a previously owned Class C MH. I ordered a single large (black) cable with lugs (don't remember the gauge, but it was at least thumb size). I cut it in half, bared the ends, attached the bare ends to battery clamps, then to one of the batteries. I put red tape on the ends of the + cable.
I believe the same could be done for solar controller to battery.
Bill & Linda, 2019 Ram Laramie 3500 dually 4x4 diesel, Hensley BD5 hitch, 2022 Grand Design Solitude 378MBS, 1600 watts solar, Victron 150/100 MPPT controller, GoPower 3kw inverter/charger, 5 SOK 206AH LFP batteries for 1030 ah