connecting wires to a solar charge controller

[centerline]

as I try to wire up the blue sky charge controller, im setting here wondering what the point of having a 25amp controller with tiny screws on it for the wires to connect to...
when one needs to connect an AWG6 wire to it to keep the resistance loss to a minimum, the copper lugs I have that will fit the wire, wont fit the terminal strip on the back of the controller...

I would like to hear what others have done to make a secure connection with the larger wire to the #8 screws on the controller...

 

[damauney]

I used shrink tube down to the blade of the lug then ground the blade on the sides so it would fit between the post dividers.

Good Winds
DaveM

 

[Chris & Lenore]

I've used this on two different controllers - one 10 watt and one 29 watt. Neither were in a vibration area so on the 10 watt I stripped 3/8 inch and tinned the wire with solder (rosin core). For the 20 watt I stripped twice as much, bent the wire into a "U" and tinned with solder. The solder keeps the strands together and flattens as you tighten the screw giving full (or close) contact.

On the 20 watt controller I just installed (EP Solar BN series), the terminal screws are 3/8 diameter.

Oh, and be sure to leave a "drip loop" (extra wire in a U) so any moisture on the wires won't travel into the controller ( don't ask me how I know this).

Chris

 

[nautikaljeeper]

One can use a bus bar or power point and if possible mount as close to controller as possible. I have a 4 inch 10 gauge coming out of my controller to a bus bar.

 

[Maine Sail]

The Blue Sea 2016 works quite well for this.

 

[jssailem]

So you have a short splice wire from the buss bar to the controller using small sized wire (10 awg). Then you use large size wire (6 awg) to make the buss bar to battery connection. Do you put a fuse on the 10awg for protection?

 

[centerline]

The Blue Sea 2016 works quite well for this.

as shown, this would work well if the solar controller had room between the separator fins to fit the teminals on the studs, but the connection strip only has 5/16" between the separators....
the picture im posting is copper lugs for #4 wire for a #10 stud... you can see my dilemma...

 

[walt]

The manufacture must have a gauge spec for those connectors. Is your gauge choice withing that spec?

 

[seadaddler]

More info and what size panels and what model controller,try finding smaller wire lugs to fit the screws on the Blue Sky like grinding them to fit.
I have a Blue Sky and think I used #6 wire but my lugs were smaller and not really sure but
my Blue Sky3024 something I think,the lugs you show very large for sure and pretty sure mine a little smaller I got from a internet suppler.
I have 2-190 watt panels and 3024 maybe controller I think .
Nick

 

[Head Sail]

Looks like a spade connector would work instead of the ring connector.

 

[centerline]

I had the same issue when I added solar to my 25, but I knew I didnt have the right connectors at that time so I soldered the end of the wire solid, then cut it away and left a tang so it would fit under the screw.....
I was trying to be a bit more prepared this go 'round and thought I was getting the right terminals.... because soldering the end of the wires solid and trimming away is a pain in the a55, and it removes a lot of the flexibility of the wire near the terminal.

 

[NotCook]

I did what DaveM did: I ground down the sides of the 6AWG connectors to fit on the posts.

 

[NotCook]

The Blue Sea 2016 works quite well for this

Maine, what exactly are we looking at there? I know what the terminal block is, but how are the connectors used with it?
Thanks!

 

[Maine Sail]

Maine, what exactly are we looking at there? I know what the terminal block is, but how are the connectors used with it?
Thanks!

Large positive & neg wires come in one side from the PV and smaller wires out the other to the controller.. I will usually mount them within 3-4" of the base of the controller so the 10GA or 8GA has a very short run... On sailboats we often have long runs, parallel arrays which keeps voltage low, and thus the potential for large voltage drops. This causes a need for up-sizing the GA of the wire beyond the terminal size rated for the 30A rated busbar on the controller in order to avoid voltage drops..

 

[nautikaljeeper]

Maine, what exactly are we looking at there? I know what the terminal block is, but how are the connectors used with it?
Thanks!

I hope this helps. You will see in the pic I posted below that both positive and negative 10 gauge wires coming out of controller and then as Maine Sail states they are up-sized. Panel is 90% complete. Solar is up and running. Controller/Batt breaker is a 50 amp breaker only to disconnect power from controller to house bank. There is a 35 amp ANL fuse between controller and house bank. The 50 amp breaker was added after as I found out a need to shut off power from controller to house bank. I could of used a single 30 amp breaker to do this but as I said it was an after thought. Very happy with the power output. 2-240 watt panels measured 25 amps bulk mode on a fairly sunny afternoon. I might add my only experience with a controller is with MidniteKid. I am not really impressed with the wiring accessibility it has. One has to remove controller from mount and remove back panel to access terminals. This is the reason for using the terminal strip so I could remove controller.

 

[SFS]

Nautikal, just out of curiosity, what are the overall dimensions of that panel, and where is it located on the boat?

 

[nautikaljeeper]

Nautikal, just out of curiosity, what are the overall dimensions of that panel, and where is it located on the boat?

Dimensions are 2'x2' located in the port lazarette mounted on the bulkhead.