Hello my name is Rover, and I'm an idiot

[Rover]

I have no problem mentioning my mistakes. Case in point is today.

I got all excited about putting up my new solar panels, and the new Morningstar ts 45 mppt.

Since hurricane Irene, I was bent on coming back better than before, used a lot of my old wiring etc. What I didn't take into consideration is that I had tripled my solar output.. still not much in comparison with others, but roughly 900 Watts. I had have never had much over 300W, and the wiring suited it OK.

Big difference when you are pushing 45 to 60 amps through wires @12V , when one is used to running sub 20 amps.

Giddy I was, till I felt some of my terminal connections and felt the heat.

Yeah that's the idiot part... Know your wiring... every part of it. I was lucky, I had heavier gauge wire and better terminals around. I swapped em out and all is OK. Now if If hadn't monitored it , touched it.. I would have just enjoyed the moment, potentially at the cost of melted insulation or worse.

It was all luck, luck that I decided to watch the amp rise, luck that I decided to touch the terminals. I was an idiot  for not seeing this before it happened and planning before hand.

Last.. take it all seriously

Rover

[tomw]

Rover;

I was fairly certain you were from the start! 

I would tell you so on IRC but whenever I join you mysteriously leave.

Yesterday I chased my tail trying to understand why my Relay Driver seemed to be triggering on wrong voltages. So I am one, too, as you likely are aware already!

Duh, you should check voltage in the same circuit your equipment is connected to for best calibration results.

Tom

[ksouers]

Rover,
There are only lessons.

There is only one mistake. And that is not learning from your lessons.

Glad everything turned out alright.


Kevin

[WooferHound]

Yeah ,  I was out in the shed touching my solar power system this afternoon when it was dumping at the maximum.
I think it liked it ,  till it burned me . . .

I was an idiot too ,  but I took the 12 step program

[rossw]

It's not even just about the size of the wires and connectors, Rover.

When I built my first turbine rectifier, and added in with it my (at the time, quite modest) 300 watts odd of PV I used a connector and cables which were more than enough. (Running at 48V, the currents were even less than yours).

Over a few years, I obviously never checked and re-tightened the screw connectors - and they do "settle" after first install.

Well, I don't know what made me look at it this day - but I thank my lucky stars I did!

No discolouration of the wires, but the connector itself has been QUITE warm.



It didn't look *TOO* bad here:


But when I cut the melted plastic away to find the ends of the brass connectors, I can see just how close disaster was!


They were not touching... but cripes, they were realllllly close!

[birdhouse]

rover-
 i can feel your pain!  i've got 390W @ 24V going into a rogue power mppt CC.  (there good stuff made here in oregon).  then i've got my ts-60 in diversion mode with dump for my wind turbine. 

then ive got 500W of solar sitting IN the shed...  once finally installed....   thinking i'm gonna go ts-45mppt for those.  then all a sudden i got three charge controllers.....

expansion can be tricky, especially with low amp controllers or mismatched panels!

welcome to my shoes!

adam

[luv2weld]

When I told my girlfriend I was going out to the solar panels and touch my stuff, she gave me a weird look and called me
a pervert!!!!

Ralph

[Rover]

LOL,

Guess she's never seen you tongue test a 9V battery...

All is well, I have a little heat from the wire going through my Hall sensor... not enough to worry about.

RossW, yep on the terminals... I was fine using run of the mill 12AWG crimp on terminals... not anymore (except for where I don't expect over 10A and the circuit is fused)

Rover

[Tritium]

LOL,

Guess she's never seen you tongue test a 9V battery...


Rover

NEVER!!!!!! Try the tongue test with a 110V 600 watt solar array! 

Thurmond

[ghurd]

Guess she's never seen you tongue test a 9V battery...

Many years ago, a tiny servo motor showed up on the front porch. Yay!
Grabbed a drill, meter, bridge assembly, etc.
Not enough gator clips, so called the kid (she is used to doing this) to hold this here & that there.
The exact moment I pulled the trigger on the drill, there was a high volume, high frequency screetching sound.

As it turns out the little thing could make like 200VAC OC.

It was the last time the kid ever held ANY wires.  Go figure.

It required me to build a 6 input, 3 bridge, pos&neg output assembly, with gator clips for everything.
Should have done it 20 years ago.
Much handier than a kid.
Highly recommended item everyone should make (meaning the assembly, not a kid).
G-

[rossw]

Highly recommended item everyone should make (meaning the assembly, not a kid).

Making the rectifier assembly much less fun than making the kid

[ghurd]

Highly recommended item everyone should make (meaning the assembly, not a kid).

Making the rectifier assembly much less fun than making the kid

And making the rectifier assembly is much less fun to watch than the kid jumping 8 meters up in the air.
I am laughing out loud just remembering it.
G-

[RichHagen]

Highly recommended item everyone should make (meaning the assembly, not a kid).

Making the rectifier assembly much less fun than making the kid

And making the rectifier assembly is much less fun to watch than the kid jumping 8 meters up in the air.
I am laughing out loud just remembering it.
G-

Trust me, the assembly costs less though. . . . . .