A slight correction about the "60" on the victron controller. The "60" refers to the maximum current (in amps) that the charge controller can deliver to the battery, not the amps from the solar panel.
Yup, exactly right. And probably add up this is can be throttle, meaning actual harvesting can be battery voltage x more than current, but it can limit to maximum of 60 Amp for example
Avoid that huge spark, which is harmful to the connections and batteries, by using a 10 ohm-5W resistor to jump accross the inverter first. Watch DIY Solar Power With Will Prowse do it... Great job helping out with your host's solar install!!!
Thank you for this video. I've been curious on how solar panels and everything works and getting the set up for what I think I'll be using. You answered several questions I've been contemplating for months on! Keep up the informative videos. I appreciate them dearly! And I hope you're having a great time in Cali!
Thanks so much for the love! Solar is something I’m definitely passionate about. It’s honestly fun for me haha. Anything else you’d like to see regarding solar??
I would love a break down of the energy that solar supplies. Trying to relate it to running the appliances and other features. I have a guide for solar panels but the terminology is really dry and I think having someone break it all down would be great! How do you manage your solar supply for the power needed for certain appliances? And selecting the best panels for the system you have as far as inverters and battery banks. I'm also interested in having a back up generator just incase of a rainy day(s). Thank you so much for all of your help!
there is no 32000, you mean 3000? That’s like 10kg lighter but all other components are heavier in 12V, including batteries and fat cables. And well, the Quattro 8000 is like 3 times the power
I vent for 24V system in my Ford Transit box van camper, reason for that was it did cost half as much for the solar charger because they give double effect at 24v and also thinner cables (but I did dimension them for 12v anyway if I have to rig up for 12v in an emergency). The four 320w panels is mounted flat with 2 connected in series giving 80v into 2 separate identical solar chargers. I could have gone 48v but if I did that it would be hard to find inverters as 90% for sale is 12v and 10% 24v and 48v you have to order... Also at 48v the solar charger would be more expensive and so would the inverter.
On a vehicle consider using the same battery voltage as the engine start battery, this way you can recharge the house battery while driving or start the engine from the house battery.
So take away from this one...size really does matter, in a big way!! Def important info to know. Other take away...this Devon dude is a good one helping set up the new system. It's like he's from the Midwest or something. Looking forward to the Yosemite footage. It's been way too long since we've been out there. Speaking of footage...how's that x-ray tech doing with hers??
She just lost her toe nail finally haha.. took a while but it finally gave up the fight LOL. Thanks for watching as always!! I have to be honest, solar is one of my favorite things to cover. I could easily see myself just doing solarv videos haha. Really enjoyed making this one.
Great video thanks for the tips I'm hoping to start looking at my system and what I'll go with I have 24 volts and love Victron they rock safe travels.
Sounds like you're gonna have a pretty sweet system! Glad to help! Let me know if you have other solar questions. I'd love to cover some more solar stuff in the near future!
The hydraulic cable crimper is causing wings on your lugs. See @00:21.This is because you're using metric crimper dies for AWG lugs. Also, the Victron MPPT controllers are notorious for creating RFI/EMI.
I have problem in my Ford Transit box van that had 750kg to spare in the cargo. Now the van is already overweight and that is with only 6mm plywood walls and 2cm glass fiber insulation all over and one 120cm bed with garage under and a shower room next to the bed. No kitchen, no interior with storage, nothing, just empty space the rest and it is already over the weight limit of the car... I see other just fill up their car with 3cm thick wood countertops and thick wooden cabinets, bathroom with tiles all kinds of crazy heavy stuff with no regard for weight... And here I have been considering every nut and bolt to save a much weight as possible and I ended up with overweight at only half finished... I can not understand anything else that others campervan projects must be weighing 4 to 5 tons with 1 to 2 tons overweight lol ;) (Limit is 3500kg total if it is class B).
Yes 12v is virtually useless. I had 12v system in my RV and ran around 2000 watts for a little while as a test basically and the battery wires began to melt and smoke! They should never sell a 3000 watt inverter for a 12V system. I also tried re-configuring my solar setup today and a weird thing happened. When I wired my positive battery wire to the Victron terminal it acted like a short circuit and it was not just a little spark but it actually burned the metal out of the ring connector. I then tested with volt meter and it showed 26V on the Victron positive battery terminal while the other end was still connected to the positive wire of the battery. So it was acting like a short! I was very confused as to what to do. So I went back up on the roof and connected the solar panels positive wire back up and then tested it again with a meter and the voltage on the Victron POS terminal was near zero and I knew it was safe to hook up the battery at that point. Why would it act like a short circuit until the solar panels are hooked up? I also got shocked while touching a live 120V PV positive Wire and wasn't expecting to get shocked that is why I disconnected the solar panels POS wire on the roof.
You misspoke about the amps. The controller will put out the rated amps at the battery voltage. Ie my 75/15 says 220w but when i get near full soc 16-16,8v i have seen 247-252 w
It matters on the output side. If you have a 24v battery bank you can connect twice the amount of panels since the controller can only output up to a certain number of amps.
Victron MPPT manual states "Mount vertically .... with the power terminals facing downwards". I'm curious if your installation orientation has been working OK.
@@strobi0001 that would be an isolated system.. I’d do a shared ground with the chassis of the vehicle. This will also let you use the chassis as a ground for new 12v circuits you add to the vehicle. Otherwise, the whole system will ground to the battery and end there.
@@BasicallyNomads that doesn’t give any safety to your system. Your ground is floating, unless you hammered an earthing rod into the ground, or connect to the grid including its earth.
Half the shit he said was wrong.. You can size the fuse to the size of the wire you use. Read the damn electrical code book...You just can never exceed the rated amperage output of the device or disconnect. 24 volts does not increase wattage. The Ocv of the charge controller determines that. So you can run Series panels. As long as you do not exceed the rated Ocv. So unless you're running all 120/208 appliances and arrays over 1k watts 24\48 volts is useless.
@@MasterChief4U when did I say you don’t size the fuse to the size of the wire? I said that’s exactly what you should do 😂 what are you on about keyboard warrior… Also didn’t say 24v increases wattage.. you’re 0/2. I said it increases the size of your solar input with the same solar charge controller. IE you can get more wattage in for less money.. this video is precisely for people running 120v and larger solar arrays. Get a clue dude 😂. 12V is only useful if you’re sub 1.5kw on your inverter or don’t have an inverter at all. Say more stupid stuff and I’ll just start deleting your nonsense comments
@@BasicallyNomads You said you had to run a 2/0 or what ever size the Batteries can output.. Wrong.. You could could stick a #10 ga wire on it. As long as the fuse is rated for the wire size it's legal under the NEC... Hell the Utilities companies make you run 4" Conduit for 3 #12 wires to a 200 amp meter base. As long as the breaker is 20amps they don't care. All they care about it can they come back later and run 4 500MC cables. Why you people that have zero experience in electrical engineering need to shut up. You think you're smarter then the people that actually design, build and install the stuff. And they have 30-40 years of experience and they still get killed. Where if someone listens to you and you're wrong. You don't pay the price the other people do. Graveyards are filled with them.. Now go take the State Electrical Test. They give them for a reason..
@@MasterChief4U Just stop. Everything you've said is taken out of context which makes me know you have no idea what you're talking about. I needed 2/0 wires because at 12v my inverter was capable of pulling 250 amps of current to for the inverters max continuous wattage of 3000. 12x150=3000. Go ahead and see how long your 4 gauge wire lasts under a 250 amp load @12v... I hope to God you're not an electrical engineer because if so you need to go back to school.... Love the extrapolation that since I called you an idiot that somehow means I think I'm "smarter then the people that actually design, build and install the stuff". Clearly you're a troll.. at least I hope you are. If this is genuinely how your brain works you've got bigger issues. I'll be deleting any other trash you reply with so I wouldn't bother. I know you won't be able to help yourself though. The idea of getting the attention is too much to ignore for you..
@@BasicallyNomads Again go get your Electrical Lic... As you have no clue about Electrical Theory. And why they teach it as "Theory" 450 years later.. You're just one more TH-cam copy\paste that watched a few videos and now you're an expert on the subject.. This is why the insurance and States are getting involved in this. They have to cover the claims..and all them Van Builders are on the States list first. The Insurance Companies will get the do it yourself home installer. As they already started dropping their policies nation wide.. Good Luck smart. ass.. As you video taped yourself doing it..
0.55 "into solar the 150 is the maximum amount of volts that can go through this charger 60 is the maximum number of amps that it can receive in and you can have 60 amps or a maximum of 150 watts not both that does not mean you can multiply..." What if you just focused on presenting clear facts, and had a solid script to follow, even if it wasn't as "cool" as you wanted it to be. Now you're confusing viewers who aren't Victron experts - or even connoisseurs of electrical basics with your uncontrollable enthusiasm. Reality: This "60 | 150" means that the purpose of the device is to lower the maximum voltage of 150 volts prevailing in the circuit on the panel side to be suitable for the rechargeable battery (about 30V in a 24V system) and the exceeding voltage is converted into current. Thus, the current coming from the panels can be, say, only 5 amperes, but of the maximum voltage of 150 volts, about 120 volts is converted into an outgoing current, the maximum of which can be 60 amperes. No voltage goes to the device, because the only thing that flows through the wires is CURRENT. The voltage is just ON - contrary to what you claimed. There are a lot of all kinds of pranksters on TH-cam, who enthusiastically do and say whatever they want... Even a NON-ELECTRICIAN tuber showed in his camper van video how he decided to "do something a little sturdy" and therefore installed a twice larger 400A fuse on the wire coming from the battery "just in case". If he gets a short... Whole camper van can be burnt, but luckily the 400A fuse will be saved! LOL Maybe you should use an electrician if you don't understand that the fuse should be the weakest link in the entire wire next to the battery terminal. It's amazing how stupid people are!
A slight correction about the "60" on the victron controller. The "60" refers to the maximum current (in amps) that the charge controller can deliver to the battery, not the amps from the solar panel.
THANK YOU... That is exactly why you multiply that number by your battery bank NOMINAL voltage to determine the maximum array wattage.
Yup, exactly right. And probably add up this is can be throttle, meaning actual harvesting can be battery voltage x more than current, but it can limit to maximum of 60 Amp for example
No to overvoltage from solar, but no more than rated current
@@meilyn22 thanks for that! Pinned for people that stumble on the video later.
Avoid that huge spark, which is harmful to the connections and batteries, by using a 10 ohm-5W resistor to jump accross the inverter first. Watch DIY Solar Power With Will Prowse do it... Great job helping out with your host's solar install!!!
Or just use a battery switch like Blue Sea offers
I used the lead of an old pencil sharpened at both ends. Pre charges the inverter with no sparks. Works in a pinch!
You cab use a 220V incandescent light bulb
Thank you for this video. I've been curious on how solar panels and everything works and getting the set up for what I think I'll be using. You answered several questions I've been contemplating for months on! Keep up the informative videos. I appreciate them dearly! And I hope you're having a great time in Cali!
Thanks so much for the love! Solar is something I’m definitely passionate about. It’s honestly fun for me haha. Anything else you’d like to see regarding solar??
I would love a break down of the energy that solar supplies. Trying to relate it to running the appliances and other features. I have a guide for solar panels but the terminology is really dry and I think having someone break it all down would be great! How do you manage your solar supply for the power needed for certain appliances? And selecting the best panels for the system you have as far as inverters and battery banks. I'm also interested in having a back up generator just incase of a rainy day(s). Thank you so much for all of your help!
Great vid. Forward and to the point. Easy to follow. ✌️
I went 48V, much cheaper and way less weight. Victron 48/8000 will make you smile every day.
How is 48/8000 less weight than 12/32000?
there is no 32000, you mean 3000? That’s like 10kg lighter but all other components are heavier in 12V, including batteries and fat cables. And well, the Quattro 8000 is like 3 times the power
This was helpful. we definitely need to go the 24v route and I’ll be keeping this info in mind. Thanks!
Definitely would recommend it for your beast! Offers still up to do a solar collab install haha
@@BasicallyNomads that might be a possibility!
I vent for 24V system in my Ford Transit box van camper, reason for that was it did cost half as much for the solar charger because they give double effect at 24v and also thinner cables (but I did dimension them for 12v anyway if I have to rig up for 12v in an emergency). The four 320w panels is mounted flat with 2 connected in series giving 80v into 2 separate identical solar chargers. I could have gone 48v but if I did that it would be hard to find inverters as 90% for sale is 12v and 10% 24v and 48v you have to order... Also at 48v the solar charger would be more expensive and so would the inverter.
You don't need a 48v controller, any of the Victron MPPTs will do 48v. Similarly, the multiplus 12v and 48v are nearly identical in price.
On a vehicle consider using the same battery voltage as the engine start battery, this way you can recharge the house battery while driving or start the engine from the house battery.
So take away from this one...size really does matter, in a big way!! Def important info to know. Other take away...this Devon dude is a good one helping set up the new system. It's like he's from the Midwest or something.
Looking forward to the Yosemite footage. It's been way too long since we've been out there. Speaking of footage...how's that x-ray tech doing with hers??
She just lost her toe nail finally haha.. took a while but it finally gave up the fight LOL. Thanks for watching as always!! I have to be honest, solar is one of my favorite things to cover. I could easily see myself just doing solarv videos haha. Really enjoyed making this one.
I just watched your tour on your bus from @A bus life story. Freaking awesome ❤️ I'm a subscriber now. Lol.
Oh that's awesome! We love Isaac! Thanks for coming over :)))
Great video thanks for the tips I'm hoping to start looking at my system and what I'll go with I have 24 volts and love Victron they rock safe travels.
Sounds like you're gonna have a pretty sweet system! Glad to help! Let me know if you have other solar questions. I'd love to cover some more solar stuff in the near future!
@@BasicallyNomads will do thanks buddy
Top notch video my friend. But next time...MORE SPARKS PLEASE!!!
Funny guy
The hydraulic cable crimper is causing wings on your lugs. See @00:21.This is because you're using metric crimper dies for AWG lugs. Also, the Victron MPPT controllers are notorious for creating RFI/EMI.
Should always use ferrules on the other open end of the cable.
Thanks for the videos. How do you prevent spark or arcing when connecting Victron mppt solar charger to battery ?? Thanks
I have problem in my Ford Transit box van that had 750kg to spare in the cargo. Now the van is already overweight and that is with only 6mm plywood walls and 2cm glass fiber insulation all over and one 120cm bed with garage under and a shower room next to the bed. No kitchen, no interior with storage, nothing, just empty space the rest and it is already over the weight limit of the car...
I see other just fill up their car with 3cm thick wood countertops and thick wooden cabinets, bathroom with tiles all kinds of crazy heavy stuff with no regard for weight... And here I have been considering every nut and bolt to save a much weight as possible and I ended up with overweight at only half finished... I can not understand anything else that others campervan projects must be weighing 4 to 5 tons with 1 to 2 tons overweight lol ;) (Limit is 3500kg total if it is class B).
Yes 12v is virtually useless. I had 12v system in my RV and ran around 2000 watts for a little while as a test basically and the battery wires began to melt and smoke! They should never sell a 3000 watt inverter for a 12V system.
I also tried re-configuring my solar setup today and a weird thing happened. When I wired my positive battery wire to the Victron terminal it acted like a short circuit and it was not just a little spark but it actually burned the metal out of the ring connector. I then tested with volt meter and it showed 26V on the Victron positive battery terminal while the other end was still connected to the positive wire of the battery. So it was acting like a short! I was very confused as to what to do. So I went back up on the roof and connected the solar panels positive wire back up and then tested it again with a meter and the voltage on the Victron POS terminal was near zero and I knew it was safe to hook up the battery at that point. Why would it act like a short circuit until the solar panels are hooked up?
I also got shocked while touching a live 120V PV positive Wire and wasn't expecting to get shocked that is why I disconnected the solar panels POS wire on the roof.
Good tips.
What size ground you gotta use for the wire?
Thanks for all the info!
You're welcome! Anything else solar wise you think I should cover?
I bought a 250/85 and it almost got me in debt lol😂
It's probably cheaper to buy 3 small ones than one big controller, and better.
You misspoke about the amps. The controller will put out the rated amps at the battery voltage.
Ie my 75/15 says 220w but when i get near full soc 16-16,8v i have seen 247-252 w
I could be incorrect, but I don't think it matter what volts the batteries are. What matters is the voltage of the solar panels ^^.
It matters on the output side. If you have a 24v battery bank you can connect twice the amount of panels since the controller can only output up to a certain number of amps.
That makes sense. Thanks!@@BasicallyNomads
Helpful
Victron MPPT manual states "Mount vertically .... with the power terminals facing downwards". I'm curious if your installation orientation has been working OK.
Definitely mount it vertically if your install allows. Yes, mine has been working flawlessly since my install years ago.
I think that is for passive heat rising
Where did you connect the ground in a floating system?
@@strobi0001 that would be an isolated system.. I’d do a shared ground with the chassis of the vehicle. This will also let you use the chassis as a ground for new 12v circuits you add to the vehicle. Otherwise, the whole system will ground to the battery and end there.
@@BasicallyNomads that doesn’t give any safety to your system. Your ground is floating, unless you hammered an earthing rod into the ground, or connect to the grid including its earth.
@strobi0001 people have been driving around in metal boxes for a long time. I think it works
you know why he got a spark -- because you are suppose to attach the battery cables first (to charger) then the solar panels ...
I always do. The switch for the panels wasn’t on yet. The spark is from capacitors taking quick draw of power to fill
@BasicallyNomads you should charge the capacitors with a resistor.
Why not go 48!
For real! We have 6 batteries so we couldn’t have done it, but I wouldn’t be against it!
I really hate when someone teaching others says the fuse is protecting the wire not the device. That screams not knowing what you are talking about.
Its a nut not a bolt.
You’re a nut 😁 haha just kidding
@@BasicallyNomadsgood stuff :)
i would not deal with anyone that wears a hat indoors, especially backwards, sooo dumb
Half the shit he said was wrong.. You can size the fuse to the size of the wire you use. Read the damn electrical code book...You just can never exceed the rated amperage output of the device or disconnect.
24 volts does not increase wattage. The Ocv of the charge controller determines that. So you can run Series panels. As long as you do not exceed the rated Ocv. So unless you're running all 120/208 appliances and arrays over 1k watts 24\48 volts is useless.
@@MasterChief4U when did I say you don’t size the fuse to the size of the wire? I said that’s exactly what you should do 😂 what are you on about keyboard warrior…
Also didn’t say 24v increases wattage.. you’re 0/2. I said it increases the size of your solar input with the same solar charge controller. IE you can get more wattage in for less money.. this video is precisely for people running 120v and larger solar arrays. Get a clue dude 😂. 12V is only useful if you’re sub 1.5kw on your inverter or don’t have an inverter at all. Say more stupid stuff and I’ll just start deleting your nonsense comments
@@BasicallyNomads You said you had to run a 2/0 or what ever size the Batteries can output.. Wrong.. You could could stick a #10 ga wire on it. As long as the fuse is rated for the wire size it's legal under the NEC...
Hell the Utilities companies make you run 4" Conduit for 3 #12 wires to a 200 amp meter base. As long as the breaker is 20amps they don't care. All they care about it can they come back later and run 4 500MC cables.
Why you people that have zero experience in electrical engineering need to shut up. You think you're smarter then the people that actually design, build and install the stuff. And they have 30-40 years of experience and they still get killed. Where if someone listens to you and you're wrong. You don't pay the price the other people do. Graveyards are filled with them..
Now go take the State Electrical Test. They give them for a reason..
@@MasterChief4U Just stop. Everything you've said is taken out of context which makes me know you have no idea what you're talking about. I needed 2/0 wires because at 12v my inverter was capable of pulling 250 amps of current to for the inverters max continuous wattage of 3000. 12x150=3000. Go ahead and see how long your 4 gauge wire lasts under a 250 amp load @12v... I hope to God you're not an electrical engineer because if so you need to go back to school....
Love the extrapolation that since I called you an idiot that somehow means I think I'm "smarter then the people that actually design, build and install the stuff". Clearly you're a troll.. at least I hope you are. If this is genuinely how your brain works you've got bigger issues. I'll be deleting any other trash you reply with so I wouldn't bother. I know you won't be able to help yourself though. The idea of getting the attention is too much to ignore for you..
@@BasicallyNomads Again go get your Electrical Lic... As you have no clue about Electrical Theory. And why they teach it as "Theory" 450 years later..
You're just one more TH-cam copy\paste that watched a few videos and now you're an expert on the subject..
This is why the insurance and States are getting involved in this. They have to cover the claims..and all them Van Builders are on the States list first. The Insurance Companies will get the do it yourself home installer. As they already started dropping their policies nation wide..
Good Luck smart. ass.. As you video taped yourself doing it..
0.55 "into solar the 150 is the maximum amount of volts that can go through this charger 60 is the maximum number of amps that it can receive in and you can have 60 amps or a maximum of 150 watts not both that does not mean you can multiply..."
What if you just focused on presenting clear facts, and had a solid script to follow, even if it wasn't as "cool" as you wanted it to be. Now you're confusing viewers who aren't Victron experts - or even connoisseurs of electrical basics with your uncontrollable enthusiasm. Reality: This "60 | 150" means that the purpose of the device is to lower the maximum voltage of 150 volts prevailing in the circuit on the panel side to be suitable for the rechargeable battery (about 30V in a 24V system) and the exceeding voltage is converted into current. Thus, the current coming from the panels can be, say, only 5 amperes, but of the maximum voltage of 150 volts, about 120 volts is converted into an outgoing current, the maximum of which can be 60 amperes. No voltage goes to the device, because the only thing that flows through the wires is CURRENT. The voltage is just ON - contrary to what you claimed. There are a lot of all kinds of pranksters on TH-cam, who enthusiastically do and say whatever they want...
Even a NON-ELECTRICIAN tuber showed in his camper van video how he decided to "do something a little sturdy" and therefore installed a twice larger 400A fuse on the wire coming from the battery "just in case". If he gets a short... Whole camper van can be burnt, but luckily the 400A fuse will be saved! LOL Maybe you should use an electrician if you don't understand that the fuse should be the weakest link in the entire wire next to the battery terminal. It's amazing how stupid people are!
Please wear rubber gloves next time😂
lol what? Why would I need rubber gloves? I've never seen an electrician with rubber gloves on in my life lol.
Click bait