Wiring for Solar Panels on Hunter 356

[t054281]

I am installing two 90 watt solar panels and are confused with the wiring connections to the two house batteries. They appear to be wired in parallel but the positives from each house battery are separated {to the selector switch?}. I have connected the negative from both solar panels to the negative {negative terminal is strapped on each} of the house batteries. This part is correct.
The positive from the solar panels goes through a controller and the positive out to the postive of the batteries goes where? The positives are separated, not in parallel as you would expect. Also the sensing wiring also needs to be terminated on the negative {common} and the positive. Which positive?
Can anyone shed some light on how to wire correctly? The battery selector switch is the House 1 or House 2 with a switch on the bottom for 1 or 2.

 

[Don Lucas]

I ran mine to the main DC panel via a breaker. Sense I always have both house batteries on line both get charged that way.

 

[Chief RA]

Since both battery plus leads hook to separate terminals on the main switch the batteries are now in parallel only when the switch is in BOTH position. This is one of the problems with using those switches with solar as one battery is getting charged if you are on switch position #1 or #2. I would think you would want your pos. solar lead hooked to the switch output terminal. Just be sure you are on BOTH position so the solar can charge the full bank back through your switch.
I could elaborate but think it may only confuse the issue. Hope this helps.
Chief

 

[seadaddler]

batteries

I ran positive to batteries and have one bank

 

[Maine Sail]

I am installing two 90 watt solar panels and are confused with the wiring connections to the two house batteries. They appear to be wired in parallel but the positives from each house battery are separated {to the selector switch?}. I have connected the negative from both solar panels to the negative {negative terminal is strapped on each} of the house batteries. This part is correct.
The positive from the solar panels goes through a controller and the positive out to the postive of the batteries goes where? The positives are separated, not in parallel as you would expect. Also the sensing wiring also needs to be terminated on the negative {common} and the positive. Which positive?
Can anyone shed some light on how to wire correctly? The battery selector switch is the House 1 or House 2 with a switch on the bottom for 1 or 2.

If these are both house banks lose the 1/2/BOTH and replace it with an ON/OFF and hard wire the bank as one large bank.

 

[Chief RA]

Maine Sail: Why not save money by hooking ALL batteries to BOTH #1 & #2 positions and it will act as a simple on/off unit. Chief

 

[Maine Sail]

Maine Sail: Why not save money by hooking ALL batteries to BOTH #1 & #2 positions and it will act as a simple on/off unit. Chief

You can use the 1/2/BOTH but there is no "both" lug... There is #1, #2 and "C"/ Output. If you can stack both lugs onto the #1 stud that will work too but with big fat cables this can be problematic.. Generally better to properly wire the bank for balanced flow and use a simple ON/OFF. Stacking both lugs onto one stud has you entering the bank in the middle not across the bank.. Little details that over time can make differences.

A Blue Sea ON/OFF runs $29.00 - $37.00 depending upon where you buy..

 

[Chief RA]

MS: Yes, by both I mean't to cross jump between 1 & 2 as I know there is no both connector post. Of course you can spend money! My wife says if it doesn't work right throw some more money at it! Good boaters wife! Chief

 

[Chief RA]

I only have 2 batteries so I would likely put them both on 1 or 2 as Maine Sail did mention. Then change over to the other one in a few years! Switch should last longer not shorter!
Chief

 

[splax]

My solar charger has a place for the solar panel negative and an output to the battery, I caution you to wire the solar panel charger correctly according to the manufacturer instructions. This is so the controlling circuits in the solar charger are correctly energized to charge appropriately.
I ran my solar charger to the terminals on battery #1, to use for house loads, and use battery #2 for engine starting. I consider that I can charge both batteries with the solar panel or the engine if the selector is in BOTH, but either battery is otherwise isolated if a battery is damaged and becomes a load on the system so that I can recover with the remaining battery. With the selector in OFF, battery #1 is maintained by the solar charger float charge and isolated from the DC system, even though my negative battery terminals are connected together like yours.
My breakers at the switch panel are good so if I left the battery selector switch in BOTH with the main DC breaker OFF, I think the solar panel charges both batteries. I have replaced my selector switch and a battery cable in the last year which improved my situation immensely, since I was frantic being unable to charge the batteries correctly or keep the batteries charged if I took them out of the system to charge them. It took me a year to find it was the positive cable from a battery to the selector switch causing the apparent load on the system. I guess I am just slow.

 

[seadaddler]

Solar Charge contol

My Blue Sky charge controller goes to the house bank and it also has another
connection for Aux start battery as needed and it was not cheap but works great.
I have 2 panels mounted off the arch and one support stainless bar on rear of bimini support and have cables go down arch tubes into under nav station where charge controller is and a remote unit up top Nav station and very little shading if any.

Nick

 

[seadaddler]

solar panels

Here some photo's
nick

 

[Kai-Ser]

solar panels

Great Pictures Seadaddler!
Did you run the Solar Panel wires through the port side of the arc?
Can you tell me / show me how you pass the cables and where you installed the controller?
Many thanks,
Kai

 

[tfox2069]

I can't speak for Seadaddler, but I ran a similar solar setup on my 2009 H36 last year, and I was able to run the wires through the port forward arch and into the large cockpit locker, where the solar controller and batteries are located. BUT, I had to sacrifice my speaker wires to the top of the arch to do so. On the H36 there's two holes drilled through the closed end of the top section of the arch where the two sections meet. They are only big enough for the speaker wires, and the arch light wires. I hate those speakers, which blast downward at the helmsman, so I left them in place for the sake of the look, but disconnected them. I used a small bluetooth endoscope camera to see that there were only the two holes drilled, and neither had room for a third set of wires from solar - I tried to pull both thru and could not. The other option is to run the wires outside the arch through a deck flange. But I didn't like the look, or the vulnerability of the wires that way. On another forum I posted the photo of the inside of the arch where the wires are run.

 

[Kai-Ser]

Thank you so much for your detailed and useful response!
Could you post a link to the other forum that you mentioned?