Post by swampmonster on Nov 9, 2018 23:03:15 GMT
Well folks, I want to share the combiner box I ended up with that I am extremely pleased with.
It is very small, supports 6 panels PLUS MC4 fusing external to the box, with MC4 connectors also on the box exterior. ALL is very waterproof and very durable. It is also something you can make yourself for any number of panels.
Those neat little box MC4's are called "Panel Style"..That means they are designed to stab thru a hole in a panel and be held securely in place with a locking nut with waterproof seal on the weather side of the box.....Just like you see them installed here in the pic....You have to search for these panel connectors because they are not usually stocked on store shelves, but they are readily available....Just google key words "MC4 panel connectors"
I highly suggest that any MC4 type connectors you select be made by the absolute top companies, because there are MANY that are junk....This particular box uses Amphenol brand panel connectors, but the same folks that make Renogy's top quality inline fuses and other MC4 connector assemblies and devices(SLOCABLE) also makes very high quality panel connectors...Myself, I would only use one of those two brands.
OK, layin beside the box you can see my 6 Slocable MC4 inline fuses offered by Renogy but obtained from Home Depot via mail order. They are the 10A version....They come with one of many different replaceable fuses you can select....I needed 10A for my Renogy Eclipse 100 watt panels....Replacement fuses are offered by many places, but you are best off ordering them....Best quality fuses are made by Bussmann and are about 5 bucks each from eBay and other folks...You can get them in many different amp ratings.
I also have two 30 amp versions of these for my charge controller outputs before my battery bank.
Alright, let's talk about the box....The box is made by Cantex Ind....Which happens to be all American and the premier company for PVC electrical devices and fittings...Very high quality stuff....They are also available thru Home Depot in many different sizes and configurations....Those interior bus bars are just your standard buss bars made of high strength alum alloy where any hole will accept from 4 gauge down to 22 gauge...Cut them to length as required...Really easy stuff, huh?...The box you see here was fabricated from two 4" buss bars where I sliced one bar in half for my two separate positive busses and used one single 4" bar as my common ground buss....The bars are held in place only by the boxes interior partition stand ups so they do not need to be glued in place....I drilled a one inch hole in the middle of the box bottom to feed my four 6 AWG conductors down into my RV to my CC's and ground buss.
So, WHY a combiner box? That is a very good question, and you should ask it. The answer for ME was that it offers a much needed place on my roof to interconnect all my panels in a really neat and orderly fashion....I have tons of MC4 Y branch connects I can use, but instead selected to use the RIGHT combiner box for my particular situation....ESPECIALLY seeing as how my box employs MC4 connectors and fusing all external to the box....I will NEVER have to re-enter the box for repairs or testing of my panels, and it greatly reduces the number of connections required to parallel all my panels...Because EVERY connection offers the opportunity for added resistance and voltage losses and we should be careful to reduce them the minimum yet also include proper fusing and ability to made repairs and also troubleshoot.
I posted this example just as an example of what YOU can perhaps employ in your install....this works very well for JUST me....I understand that fully, and what method you select should also work well for you.
Enjoy your experience with designing and using and discovering the wonderful world of Solar enhanced RV living!
It is very small, supports 6 panels PLUS MC4 fusing external to the box, with MC4 connectors also on the box exterior. ALL is very waterproof and very durable. It is also something you can make yourself for any number of panels.
Those neat little box MC4's are called "Panel Style"..That means they are designed to stab thru a hole in a panel and be held securely in place with a locking nut with waterproof seal on the weather side of the box.....Just like you see them installed here in the pic....You have to search for these panel connectors because they are not usually stocked on store shelves, but they are readily available....Just google key words "MC4 panel connectors"
I highly suggest that any MC4 type connectors you select be made by the absolute top companies, because there are MANY that are junk....This particular box uses Amphenol brand panel connectors, but the same folks that make Renogy's top quality inline fuses and other MC4 connector assemblies and devices(SLOCABLE) also makes very high quality panel connectors...Myself, I would only use one of those two brands.
OK, layin beside the box you can see my 6 Slocable MC4 inline fuses offered by Renogy but obtained from Home Depot via mail order. They are the 10A version....They come with one of many different replaceable fuses you can select....I needed 10A for my Renogy Eclipse 100 watt panels....Replacement fuses are offered by many places, but you are best off ordering them....Best quality fuses are made by Bussmann and are about 5 bucks each from eBay and other folks...You can get them in many different amp ratings.
I also have two 30 amp versions of these for my charge controller outputs before my battery bank.
Alright, let's talk about the box....The box is made by Cantex Ind....Which happens to be all American and the premier company for PVC electrical devices and fittings...Very high quality stuff....They are also available thru Home Depot in many different sizes and configurations....Those interior bus bars are just your standard buss bars made of high strength alum alloy where any hole will accept from 4 gauge down to 22 gauge...Cut them to length as required...Really easy stuff, huh?...The box you see here was fabricated from two 4" buss bars where I sliced one bar in half for my two separate positive busses and used one single 4" bar as my common ground buss....The bars are held in place only by the boxes interior partition stand ups so they do not need to be glued in place....I drilled a one inch hole in the middle of the box bottom to feed my four 6 AWG conductors down into my RV to my CC's and ground buss.
So, WHY a combiner box? That is a very good question, and you should ask it. The answer for ME was that it offers a much needed place on my roof to interconnect all my panels in a really neat and orderly fashion....I have tons of MC4 Y branch connects I can use, but instead selected to use the RIGHT combiner box for my particular situation....ESPECIALLY seeing as how my box employs MC4 connectors and fusing all external to the box....I will NEVER have to re-enter the box for repairs or testing of my panels, and it greatly reduces the number of connections required to parallel all my panels...Because EVERY connection offers the opportunity for added resistance and voltage losses and we should be careful to reduce them the minimum yet also include proper fusing and ability to made repairs and also troubleshoot.
I posted this example just as an example of what YOU can perhaps employ in your install....this works very well for JUST me....I understand that fully, and what method you select should also work well for you.
Enjoy your experience with designing and using and discovering the wonderful world of Solar enhanced RV living!
