Spiral 2-core 1.5mm wire to extend solar panel connectors

[webcraft]

I have 2 Phaesun Mareflex 55w solar panels mounted on the guardwires. They came with 5m of cable and I thought there was enough spare to swing them up to 90deg or beyond, but there isn't.

Looking to put about 1m of spiral cable in each side and needing advice on suitable cable and connectors please.

- W

 

[Kelpie]

Why spiral?
I've just used whatever I could get, bigger the better to reduce voltage drop.
And MC4 connectors if outside, crimps or (gasp!) choc blocks if protected.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Looking to put about 1m of spiral cable in each side and needing advice on suitable cable and connectors please.

- W

Make your own

diy spiral cable - Google Suche

 

[webcraft]

Why spiral?
I've just used whatever I could get, bigger the better to reduce voltage drop.
And MC4 connectors if outside, crimps or (gasp!) choc blocks if protected.

Spiral because when the panels are vertical or only partly extended there wont be lengths of cable lying on a very small and cluttered aft deck, catching on cleats etc.

Concertina effect. Short when not needed, long when needed.

Probably not an issue on Moodys the size of a planet!

Can you use MC4 connectors to join 1.5mm to 2.5mm?

- W

 

[webcraft]

Make your own

diy spiral cable - Google Suche

Would rather spend a few pounds on something professional that will uncoil and coil repeatedly and reliably, but an interesting idea - thanks.

- W

 

[Kelpie]

Spiral because when the panels are vertical or only partly extended there wont be lengths of cable lying on a very small and cluttered aft deck, catching on cleats etc.

Concertina effect. Short when not needed, long when needed.

Probably not an issue on Moodys the size of a planet!

Can you use MC4 connectors to join 1.5mm to 2.5mm?

- W

Ah ok, understood.
1.5mm² is a bit small for MC4 I suppose. But you want to minimise the total number of connections and I presume the panels already have MC4 connectors on them?
Bit of bungee to keep the cable tidy?

 

[PaulRainbow]

I have 2 Phaesun Mareflex 55w solar panels mounted on the guardwires. They came with 5m of cable and I thought there was enough spare to swing them up to 90deg or beyond, but there isn't.

Looking to put about 1m of spiral cable in each side and needing advice on suitable cable and connectors please.

- W

If they have 5m of cable, why not fit the glands/sockets or whatever closer to the panels and have any joins below deck ?

 

[webcraft]

I don't think I am explaining this very well.

The panels came with 5m of 1.5mm cable attached. The cable is run from the controller out through the cockpit coaming, emerging as close to the panels as possible. The cable is connected to the panels at the bottom end. This is a fixed connection that cannot be undone. I guess I should have mounted the panels upside down, but heyho.

The 'spare' cable then lies around on the aft deck, and the length remaining is only enough to allow the panels to be tilted to 45 degrees. I need more cable to allow the panels to be tilted to 90 degrees or more.

The concept is to replace the approx. 1m of loose cable currently lying around getting tangled in cleats, tiller lines, mooring lines etc. with an equivalent or shorter length of curly cable that will extend an extra metre.

I would then cut the metre from the cockpit coaming to the panels off, and replace it with curly cable joined just inside the cockpit coaming. This would be extendible from (say) 0.75m to 2m, causing less clutter when the panels were stowed vertical but being extendible to 90 deg or beyond.

I would make the new (curly) cable 2.5mm instead of 1.5mm to compensate for the voltage drop caused by increasing the total length of the wire, hence the part of my query ablut joiningv1. 5mm to 2.5mm. I already have some MC4 connevtors I could use.

So - does anyone have a link to a source of about 5m (extended) of suitable 2.5mm curly cable?

— W

 

[webcraft]

 

[rogerthebodger]

If you run the cable up the underside of the panel to he hinge point then down the nearest stanchion to the deck thn to the connection point you would not need a curly cable

 

[Kelpie]

If you run the cable up the underside of the panel to he hinge point then down the nearest stanchion to the deck thn to the connection point you would not need a curly cable

That's how mine works. But I don't think there's enough cable for that.
It would certainly be easier to source normal cable than curly stuff.
Another option to keep it tidy would be a bit of bungee.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

That's how mine works. But I don't think there's enough cable for that.
It would certainly be easier to source normal cable than curly stuff.
Another option to keep it tidy would be a bit of bungee.

Suitable connection box, in suitable location, and cable back to controller springs to mind!
FWIW "Curly" cable readily available with aid of search engine, expensive though. Edit. Maybe not that expensive!
LOW VOLTAGE 12V / 24V CURLY CABLE BLACK 50 / 200cm | eBay

 

[PaulRainbow]

Suitable connection box, in suitable location, and cable back to controller springs to mind!

That's what i said.

The panels have 5m of curly cable, so fit a deck socket on the transom, shorten the curly cable to suit. Then use normal 2.5mm cable from the deck socket to the controller.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

That's what i said.

The panels have 5m of curly cable, so fit a deck socket on the transom, shorten the curly cable to suit. Then use normal 2.5mm cable from the deck socket to the controller.

Paul, I don't think he actually has "curly cable" that is what he wanted to fit. Kelpie said he didn't the original cable was long enough to do what R the B said. Hence my comment