MC4 Solar Connector, Cable and Crimp Tool Issues
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2019
- JLCPCB Prototype for $2(Any Color): jlcpcb.com
Professional grade MC4 crimp tool has numerous issues. Even more issues when I try to use cable which is way too small. - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
The connectors are normally designated by the pins, thhis is important on mixed multipin connectors wher you have to know the differencce between 6 male and 4 female, and the other way round.
A;lso, you're stripping way too much, you only need it slightly longer than the crimp area, having too much going inside the connection could impede full insertion of the male pin
Came here just for this.
Like everyone else has said, swing the depth gauge out of the way and just eyeball it. :)
exactly!!!
I think the first thing I'd do if I had that crimp tool, is pull the magnetic guard thing off and bloody throw it away 😕
Once you use the pliers to squash the crimp slightly closed (protip, do this after you put the cable in not before, it'll be less fiddly for you 😜) the crimp stays on the cable by itself to an extent. Just line up the crimp in the tool by eye with your left hand, then crimp shut.
Don't use pliers at all and don't use the alignment part of the tool. Put the wire in a connector and press the connector into the female part of the suage. The springyness of the part you've been improperly squeezing with the pliars naturally holds it in place so you can squeeze the crimper.
Re: using it with your thin wire. just pull the stripped part back over the insulation. then slide into the connector and swage it. this will give you a good contact on to the wire part and good physical holding on to the insulation. As you showed by crimping with no wire in at all there's no room for anything to get loose.
exactly!!!
A great resource which shows the internal metal barbs in the connectors that no other vids even bother to mention. You are all over the place with the bits and pieces mate, like you have had too many cups of tea. Thanks for showing the idiosyncrasies of the crimping mechanism. Your magnifier and illumination techniques for internal and close up details is brilliant and excellent.
sack the guide off, problem solved :) will be easier to check the the crimp is positioned correctly too. the tiny versions of these crimps can be mega fidely!
There are many manufacturers of MC4 connectors. You cannot mix and match the parts, or the brands male to female. I suggest trying to figure out who makes the connectors on your panel, then getting that brand. If you can't figure it out, then you might have to cut off the panel connectors and use whichever brand you find.
There is a bit of a voltage drop at every crimped connection in a wire. By soldering the connection after it is crimped then there is no more voltage drop than the wire itself.
There are special tools made to remove most terminal connectors from the plug. I haven't had to check for MC4 connectors specifically, but I have used them for other applications.
As some others have said, halve the length you're stripping. Put the wire into the crimp area and close the top of the U with pliers so the wire is held in place, bung it in the tool and close the crimp.
If you look at machined crimps the last segment of the crimp should grip the insulation to stabilise the join - you may have to remove the outer of the double insulation.
The 2 curls should dig in and separate the strands to grab two bunches of strands to grip them securely (cross section looks like "B").
... if you are doing it for yourself - measure the cables crimp and if necessary bring the cables down and solder the crimp (be very sparing with the solder) - no big globs or it won't fit in the plastic housing just wet the strands in the crimp to hold them securely.
Finally - weather proof the connection, grease the top outsides of the fitting, push home then close gaps with a dawb of hi-tac hi-temp food grade silicone grease to keep it dry and stop corrosion.
Yours are mounted vertically on fence and won't have the usual angle to let rain drip off the backs.
I was going to suggest a bit of silicone sealant to fill the gap but it seems like you have a good solution for that. I also like to use tweezers when I fold over my wires. Maybe not the best solution, but it does make things a bit easier. Keep up the entertaining videos and I can't wait to see your best impersonation of Max Headroom once the vocoder is done.
I also love that you enjoy variances in connectors. As a collector of connectors myself, I approve.
That bit about the gripping of the wire reminded me of some Switchcraft quarter inch phone plugs I ran into some years ago. The usual cap had a tapered face, and a smaller cap screwed on top of that one with a rubber washer getting smooshed (technical term, there) between them. You would NOT pull the wire off of its connections, but rather pull the plug out of whatever it was plugged into.
I have a couple of ratchet-type crimping tools, one having dies very well suited to BNC connectors and I've used it to make up some cables for my shop. The other one, I'm not so sure about...
I recently completed a project that used a lot of push-on connectors (to the back of toggle switches), ring terminals (to some copper busbars I made out of copper pipe), and a lot of Anderson PowerPole connectors, which are very popular among the amateur radio crowd (it's a DC distribution box for my station). In the case of the push-on terminals and ring terminals I used an "AMP Champ" manual non-ratcheting crimping tool, hitting each connector twice on the wire and once on the insulation. In the case of the powerpoles, I just soldered them. They do sell a crimping tool for those, but I'd just rather see if I can get a set of dies to fit one of the tools I already have. BTW, Their recommendation for wires that are way smaller than the wire ends is exactly what you came up with here-- fold it up multiple times, until it about fills the connector pin.
I rather like these powerpole connectors, as they're non-gendered. :-)
The yellow wire you plan on using is only heat resistant. The clear plastic tube around yellow wire in your demonstration will let moisture work it's way into the connection. When winter comes water will freeze and open space between clear tube and yellow wire. Then spring more water can enter the space. etc. Cheap wire and expensive connectors do not seem to go together well.
I was thinking the same. At least glue the tube to the wire, but best to use proper wires all the way.
I would use some adhesive lined heat shrink tube over the PVC and extend over the cable to make it water tight.
Towards the end of the video, are you sure you’re not just pulling the insulation back rather than the strands out of the crimp?
I think you're right
That's what I was thinking too. It would take incredible force to make copper wire slide through a crimp like that.
It's rather obvious too, actually - there's NO stress visible on the strands of wire, which there would be if it had been crimped.
Normally with those sort of barbed metal inserts, you get a metal cylinder tool to poke in the other end which pushes all the barbs flat, allowing you to easily remove the metal insert without damaging the barbs. Not sure about MC4 connectors but for the Molex connectors used for computer power supplies you can readily get tools from the usual places that push the barbs in to allow easy removal. Also the MC4 connector was originally designed to prevent it from being disconnected unless you were a solar installer with the appropriate tools, so the Amphenol one is more strictly following the original idea there.
Just drill out one of the holes in the crimper. With it drilled right through you can still set the distance manually and it will line it up centered without being at an angle like it is now. And you are still left with 2 more holes for the shorter connector so nothing lost.
Amphenol is a very high quality connector. You get one of the disconnect tools in each package of connectors as well.
I work for Amphenol! Been there 15 years. World headquarters in CT, USA.
@@jlucasound Lucky you! I bet you get a great employee discount, too.
I have exactly the same problems with these MC4 connectors. In fact they are more an impedance for hobbiest PV users than an advantage. I came up with normal solder connections and heat shrink tube combined with some self vulcanizing rubber bands on top to make it water- and weatherproof. Will se how long this is going to work. Its near my roof window so i could easily fix it just in case :-)
For bigger solar panels which are less easy to access i would still stick to the MC4 connectors but with correct PV cable and just solder the last bit to the converter / charge controller inside the house - so water proof is not necessary.
Instead of folding the cable in a zigzag, just cut and strip a few more lengths of cable and insert them as packers when crimping then afterwards you cut off the excess cable.behind the crimp. You also need an extract tool to remove the crimps from the connector, you're not suppose to pull them out with force.
I simply don't use the additional device and align manually as necessary, but then again it is my first time ever using this tool and indeed MC4 connectors.
I love these videos, I am wanting to experiment/prototyping with smaller systems (because we live in apartment atm, but hopefully get our own place, is there tutorials on making like a similar system on a very small scale?
@MD4564 - not sure if I am too late to the party, or you are already sorted, but if you do still want to know more about Solar, Will Prowse has some great videos for both beginners and more advanced users... 👍🏻 🤷🏼♂️
His web site is also very useful - www dot mobile-solarpower dot com
I believe his UToob channel is ‘DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse’ - enjoy... 😉 ✅
I didn't think I could watch a 23 minute video on solar connectors but by the end, I was sad that it was over!
I was getting ready to slit my wrists.
@@curtw8827 perhaps you're browsing the wrong channels?
@@curtw8827 - LOL... I haven't even watched the video and you made me laugh, Curt! :-)
I'll try to suffer through it! LOL.
Simply putting 2 vents on your shed (1 high & 1 low) will help prevent your tools from rusting.
The tool I just got doesn't have the moveable guide, I have to make sure it's in far enough before squeezing. It takes a little more time but I always get a good crimp
The location part is an option and you can use the crimper without this. You can find the same crimper without location part.
Most location fittings only allow adjustment to fit male or female at a time to save labor on big job or at a factory. If true, Adjuster Screw is offset to hit the side of the female connector and you have not turn the screw enough or have rubbish in the hole. Those screws are very long and most picture and videos have them turned out a lot more then you have.
Rarely the Adjuster screw is only for Male terminal. If so then Screw goes inside Female so can bottom that connector in the plastic. Dirty tool is possible the hole is holding rubbish in there preventing female bottoming out. I would remove the adjusting screws and clean the holes in the plastic. Then try the female to fit all the way in again before installing the screw.
You enlightened me about solar cable. Never looked at it...it was just there. I need to look at the price and start using it more.
What about just using solar cable on your controller and eliminating the wire folding and additional tube? (Hey, I fold wires all the time.)
Is it a calibrated lolly stick?
"PV1-F" Cable was used until 2015 and is not UV resistant.
Decent cable should have the “H1Z2Z2-K” marking.
According to the EN 50618 standard, this is weather-, abrasion- and UV-resistant.
But I don't know if the UK uses cheaper cables after UKCA
I took the supplied screws out and screwed a dome headed screw with a slot in it. This allows the sleeve of the female tube to butt up to it and not slide past it.
Fantastyczny materiał, Dziękuję :)
excellent video. thank you...i have made a mistake and put the wrong connectors on and wrong pins, how can i remove the pins out to start again? hard to find anything on this which seems stupid because surely i am not supposed to throw away the ones i made a mistake on... HELP PLEASE!!
What about a drop of silicon to ensure the safety of MC4 with the little wire? Or why not to use 4mm2 wire connected to the board anyway? ✌️
I saw problems with the mc4 type tool that doesn't have the magnetic side add on also. IN fact , I was very much not impressed with the ratchet jaw tool I purchased. SO, since I use AMP crimps for MANY Years, I use my non ratchet blue amp tool I've had forever. It rolls the crimps perfectly. Also, I wouldn't try to depend on the water proofing at the ends of the mc4. I'd add some water proofing stuff, your choice. . Also, if your system is in snow, EVERYTHING on the panel should be completely insulated. nothing should be in contact with the snow . Corrosion happens even when it is cold. In salt water climates I would go all out. no connections should be exposed at all. Even fiber glassing over things might be an idea. Exposed panels will not last long in marine environments if you don't do some special protective work.
My 10p's worth:
1 This is not the correct crimp tool. It should not need so much fudging. The "adjusted"crimp does not even hit all the metal.
2 As with most crimp connectors that insert into a plastic housing the barbs are designed to be one time fit, however, it is possible to buy a set of removal tools that can sometimes have limited success at separating them without destroying the gripping mechanism.
3 The 0.75mm cable is IEE rated to carry about 6A. It has no chance of safely conducting "30A at 600v". As 25A copper fuse wire is 0.75mm, the wire will certainly get very hot until it melts with unpredictable consequences. From what I can seen in the video, I doubt the module can handle that current either, but if it can, should the 0.75mm cables not be replaced with the same 4mm cable?
What crimp tool do you recommend?
@@diydan6045I haven't used this type of connector myself, but the genuine Amphenol crimpers should reliably do the job but I'm sure there are several other brands that will also work to varying degrees of reliability. Some of the un-branded crimp tools are advertised as suitable, but in reality this is not always the case. A poor crimp joint carrying high current will likely overheat, arc and cause RFI.
I'm not familiar with these connectors in particular but usually the connectors with wings are supposed to (partially) teeth into the insulation.
@Daniel Egger
the insulation gripper ones have two sets of wings and the tool has two jaws the insulation one is a bit wider than the conductor one :-)
@@YTANDY100 Unless you want to spend hundreds of $ for the proper tool with the proper jaws you'll probably end up with something like the www.engineer.jp/en/products/pa09e.html which only has a single jaw. Even if it's not supposed to grip into the insulation the wings are supported to grip into the strands of the slightly twisted cable for proper connection strength.
Very Informative. I am in the process of putting together a small solar system and have just come across these MC4 connectors. I have read elsewhere that MC4 connectors from different manufacturers are not inter-connectble. Is that true? I sure hope not, because that would be absurd. For example, let's say I buy a PV panel and it has short cables with connectors from A. I then buy or make extensions with connectors from B, only to find out they will not mate! What a cock-up if true!
What is the difference between the positive and negative connectors ?.Do you make positive on female or male connection? And negative on male connector?
Do you just leave the connection as crimp only? I'm about to add solar to my dad's motorhome and was planning on crimping and then lightly soldering at the crimp location.
Do not use solder on a crimped connection. Either only solder or crimp. Don't remember why it was a bad idea to solder and then crimp, but it was something with different metals, and that the soldering could open the crimp. And that the crimping didn't worked when wires soldered. Like overheat the connection the soldering is melting, and makes the electric connection even worse, and heating more.
Anyway, the suggestion was to either crimp or soldering, not both.
There is zero issue with crimping and then soldering. I do this exclusively with MC4 connectors on all my installations.
@@mygamertag2010X that is not what I have been told. If you do a proper crimp, you do not need to solder them.
At all of you... A properly crimped terminal (using proper quality crimp terminals which are the correct size for the conductor size and using a proper professional ratchet crimping tool) makes an excellent electrical and physical connection. The connection is so good that the crimp or wire will corrode before the crimp/wire connection becomes poor. And the mechanical connection will be so strong that when you try to pull it apart with force, in most cases either the crimp breaks or the wire breaks before the wire pulls out of the crimp. Hence not only is it not recommended to solder a crimped connection, it’s actually bad practice. A crimped connection can be made far faster (using the correct tools) than a solder connection. And because of its strength, crimped connections are strongly recommended for applications that are safely critical or environments that are subject to vibration. How do I know this? I’ve been working with crimp terminals for 33 years working on safety critical systems where reliability is extremely important. Systems that have a service life of up to fifty (50) years.
I use those amphenol power connectors on my servers, very robust power connectors there.
as allways, w0nderful teaching, Thanks!!
In your situation I would have just held the crimp in the correct position and not used the end stop at all. It also looks to be crimping the wire too much.
No way did the wire pull out the crimp the wire sheath slipped down the wire.
HOWdy J-I,
you could always utilize the BLUE full sized cable in your MC-4 connector
& then SPLICE your YELLOW Wire onto your BLUE wire down-stream with a BUTT-CONNECTOR
or a Solder Splice & Heat Shrink ?
COOP
...
As Sparky says, it's the gender of the actual conductive elements that determines whether it's the male or female connector. As for the + and - designations, the idea here is the +ve one is on the more +ve potential side of the circuit and vice versa for the -ve. So if you look at the +ve output of the solar panel, this would be more +ve than the input to the charge controller if, for example, you interposed a volt meter at this point.
Why pfaff around with crimping for such a low volume of connexions? It would be easier to simply solder them and end up with a superior result. As for your cable size adaption, that's a pretty cool idea really. Although when I have encountered this problem I have simply bulked up the wire with lekky tape at the point the chuck grips down on it. Works perfectly well, haven't had any noticeable moisture ingress issues with connexions prepared like this.
Crimping usually get a better connection then soldering.
@@AndersJackson Theoretically, a crimp provides a lower resistance at the connexion interface. However, this really depends on how well the crimp is done. The right gauge cable, with the right tool, using the right amount of pressure. Soldering is generally more forgiving, plus it also protects the connexion from the environment better. This is important when there is moisture or corrosive mists involved.
I actually cut those connectors of my panels and crimped normal lugs on to connect panel together, was way cheaper than getting multiple connectors
have you found that video on welding with solar panels
Search my videos for 'welding'.
That was easy to do took me a sec to find it even on my slow internet
th-cam.com/video/WWRhVpsxcTk/w-d-xo.html
Do I see the the aligner is held on by a screw? Consider shimming it out to gain the desired alignment. Or, drill a smidgen deeper in the hole so the connector can slip in deeper.
Then the male would be off?
@@ColinRichardson The adjustment set screw would set the male. The female ID is larger than the set screw.
Ten amps is not a high amperage. I have a 400A service to my house; and there’s a 50A outlet in the garage for one of my plasma cutters. Yes, that’s at 240V.
I think Julian is too attached to that alignment tool. My crimping tool doesn't have that and I am fine crimping connector all this time. It nice to have it if it doesn't get in the way.
Just add solder to the connections, heat shrink, ans enjoy your perfect connection. Fixed.
My crimper does not have that depth gauge on the side. I just hold the connector at the correct position, which does not seem hard. Is the depth gauge for additional quality? I am wondering if I need a better crimper for MC4 and H4 connectors.
Also forgot to say that the locator on the tool is only for the male contacts and you need a different locator for the female crimps. Or just move the locator out of the way and eyeball it. Usually I put the crimp in the tool and do a couple of clicks until the crimp is held in place, then you insert the cable and finish the crimping process.
But Julian, is that wire gluten free??? :p
EEVblog just did solar panel arcing.
I think superseal connectors would be a better sollution for your application,
Nice.
HOWdy J-I,
Thanks
I beLIEve that your CRIMPING tool is made for a specific BRAND of Connector
to use it for your generic CONNECTORS - you might want to totally remove the Magnetic Rear portion of your TOOL which seems unnecessary ?
COOP
...
If it were me, I'd be highly tempted to drop a bit of solder in the crimp fitting and wire after crimping - just to give it a bit of belt and braces.
A properly crimped terminal (using proper quality crimp terminals which are the correct size for the conductor size and using a proper professional ratchet crimping tool) makes an excellent electrical and physical connection. The connection is so good that the crimp or wire will corrode before the crimp/wire connection becomes poor. And the mechanical connection will be so strong that when you try to pull it apart with force, in most cases either the crimp breaks or the wire breaks before the wire pulls out of the crimp. Hence not only is it not recommended to solder a crimped connection, it’s actually bad practice. A crimped connection can be made far faster (using the correct tools) than a solder connection. And because of its strength, crimped connections are strongly recommended for applications that are safely critical or environments that are subject to vibration. How do I know this? I’ve been working with crimp terminals for 33 years working on safety critical systems where reliability is extremely important. Systems that have a service life of up to fifty (50) years.
@@Mark1024MAK Aye all true, but I would still add solder. :)
Don't fudge the small cable into the big connector! You have the correct size wire already so just make a proper connection between the small and large wires and then connect the large wire into the connect the way it was designed. There are YT videos on how to splice two wires together but it isn't difficult. Solder it and put a good sealing piece of heat shrink tubing on it. This will work better and look more professional than adapting a small wire that isn't even close to the right gauge for the connector. You won't have any difficulty, Julian.
Sometimes aesthetics win over technical excellence :)
I really don’t like those connectors but the tool does a good job
What happened to your flashlight? :-O
Take the holding mechanism off and hold the cable in position.
That's a slightly overcomplicated connector format? They should have repurposed the glorious SCART connector for everything electrical, France surely re-defined the future of mankind with their advanced wobbly tinplate technology...
Julian .just rotate the hold out the way use the ratchet to hold the connected to the first click, slide in and then depress it's not rocket science
Just get the Phoenix Contact Sunclix connectors. They're tool less and reusable.
Crimp and solder. Crimp and solder.
No! A properly crimped terminal (using proper quality crimp terminals which are the correct size for the conductor size and using a proper professional ratchet crimping tool) makes an excellent electrical and physical connection. The connection is so good that the crimp or wire will corrode before the crimp/wire connection becomes poor. And the mechanical connection will be so strong that when you try to pull it apart with force, in most cases either the crimp breaks or the wire breaks before the wire pulls out of the crimp. Hence not only is it not recommended to solder a crimped connection, it’s actually bad practice. A crimped connection can be made far faster (using the correct tools) than a solder connection. And because of its strength, crimped connections are strongly recommended for applications that are safely critical or environments that are subject to vibration. How do I know this? I’ve been working with crimp terminals for 33 years working on safety critical systems where reliability is extremely important. Systems that have a service life of up to fifty (50) years.
That crimp tool would work much better using un-soldered bare strand wire.
I thought I saw some adjustor at the opposing magnetfor the jaw but I might be wrong.
Crimping tool model number please
A-2546B
That kinda looks like copper clad aluminum...no copper color at all...
While watching this, I came to appreciate the great favor bestowed upon us humans by -Mr- -Evolution- the Creator by giving faculties such as intelligence and dexterity, without which we would be as dumb and primitive as -Mr- -Evolution- the Creator willfullly and intelligently designed non-humans to be.
Who?
Why not hold the pin, not use the holder/ guide, then there should be no alignment issues!
The holder is there... it should work :)
Yet again the issue is you, not the tool!
Isn’t it like in real life; that there are special tools for males and for females? ;)
Not that I would do anything different....I say I have the ability to adapt. However, from my own experience, a kludge leads to kluging the kluge, which leads to kludging the kludged kluge....as all my projects can attest.
I don't even bother buying crimpers, i just take thick face pliers and squeeze it down.
I can tell you your squeezed crimp is not nearly as strong. I think you should test one. You might be surprised how easily your wires pull out. I've never used 4mm wire but even 10 AWG wire breaks before it pulls our with a proper crimp.
No Idea how many times I've put the wrong Terminal in the Connector or how many times I put the Wrong Connector on the wrong wire. I seem to be quite good at it. Why do they put the Red Pos ring on the Male End knowing it will be the Female end being extended ? LOL XP-90 go on all inside wires here. Being Poor I just use a Automotive Terminal Crimper and solder the things. No Problem Encountered. Male Terminal in the Female Connector , FeMale Terminal in the Male Connector, Positive Male Connector unless being extended then a Female Connector , Eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa #4@^&## Save yur self a bundle and just use the Automotive Terminal Crimpers.
pulesjet, I wish I could not relate 🙃
@@mikemead2315 LOL, The whole situation is BackAzzWards start to finish. Nothing making sense.
Swing the alignment arm out of the way after crimping it the first time and just crimp it again rather than shoving sticks in it.
Now why didn't I think of that :)
@@JulianIlett ... You were just about to think it ;-)
Why not just take the aligner off?
I saw it first... :)
Pfusch.
Seems that you are making a big deal out of nothing...Get rid of that magnetic crap and line up connectors by eye!!!! Simple!!!
If you have a installation where you get both 1000V and hundred amps... You either have a 100kW installation, or you made something very very wrong.
There is no real reason to go for very high voltage for a domestic installation. It just becomes very dangerus. Remember DC is much more dangerus than AC. Keep it under 100V
Did I say 100 amps?
@@mekuranda
"I doubt anyone else thought that max current and voltage would occur at the same time."
It usually does, but its no law of nature. If its installed very wrong, it may not be the case.
"nearly all Grid Tie solar inverters in European (220-240 V) want to see above 340V DC at max power point.....s 100 v is not much good for anything other than off grid/battery systems. "
You don´t have a clue what you talking about. most domestic inverters are step ups.
"Also I am not sure about your advice re danger of DC vs AC.."
If you don´t know about this that is very common knowledge, you should not be informing anyone about electricity
@@matsv201 Just for fun - with reference to the danger of DC - a fun video (well I thought it was funny) is th-cam.com/video/trmxzUVT2eE/w-d-xo.html .
I am guessing you live in a country that has curated products and you may not be aware of mainstream Grid Tie inverters - i.e. the ones manufactured and installed on mass in the western world. The highest efficiency for all power distribution systems relies on minimizing IR losses hence higher voltages and lower currents. I re watched Julians video and I could not spot where he mentioned 100amps - I am fairly confident he didn't - so please correct us all and give us the time stamp. The whole presentation was primarily about MC4 connectors which have a maximum current rating of 30 Amps and the 4mm square conductors would be OK to about 20-30 amps depending on ambient Temp etc - 100Amps would be exciting to be sure - luckily solar panels are generally 10amps or less (each) - and approx 25-35v at max power point - and it is not uncommon to series 12 panels per bank - giving in the order of 350 volts - that is a max power level of a theoretical 3.5kW - so in most installs where a 5kW system (again Grid Tie) they may run two strings - the cable then only carries 10 amps max. If you shorted the string the power to the short will be near zero - The solar panels can only provide a 10 amp max current level hence the max power point is where the panels can supply good current and voltage - nothing in a bad installation can generate 100amps at the DC stage!
You don't need to use the alignment part of the crimper. Just place it in as far as you need and only use it on the male piece.