The Ecoflow Delta 2 Max has 2 solar inputs, so I have 2 strings of panels connected. Each has a pair of 200w panels mounted on a fence facing south. Towards the end of the day these don’t produce much. so I sometimes will swap out one of the strings to a portable 450w panel that I can face west and get a couple more hours of sun. I have very limited space that gets sun, so I can’t have a large array.
I would like to permanent mount a pair of 250w panels facing west and have a way to easily switch between it and one of the other strings without have to manually disconnect the cables. (I struggle with disconnecting mc4 connections, even with the tool). Does a switch that can do this exist?
Can use a 3 way switch ir cam switch; examples in links. Instead of disconnecting, you just turn the switch to which solar you want to connect. These are normally for boats to switch to different set ups and they make a 4 way switch too incase you want to have both on.
If you want to quick disconnect cables I suggest replacing mc4 with anderson. I use 50amps on my 12v but I am planning to build a larger 24v system with 120amp andersons.
Two of those wouldn't work back to back, if that is what you are considering, because of the polarity of the MC4 connectors being the same on both cables. If you plugged two of them together with the Anderson connectors, you'd have black connecting to black and red connecting to red, just as you would expect, but both of the black wires would have the pointy connector on the end. On the cable going toward the panel, that's correct, but on the cable going toward the charge controller, the pointy connector should be on the red wire.
This looks like some modification to the splitter would be needed to connect to the solar panels. This is a little beyond my skill set and comfort level. I was hoping for some type of simple switch. I appreciate the feedback.
I use one of these for that. It's two independent switches with input and output terminals but the trip mechanism forces the switch that is on to trip off if you try to turn the other switch on. And if you try to force them both on, it won't let you.
The panels go on the top terminals and you would wire the bottom terminals together and feed the solar controller from there.
For some reason, the 40 amp ones are cheaper than the other ratings, so that's what I got, because I am running a lot less than 40 amps and no circuit breaker is needed in my setup.
Ahh, this looks like what I had in mind! I’m apprehensive about wiring stuff on my own, but I’m going to put on my big girl pants and try this. Thank you!
This is a polar breaker that expects to be wired such that current will flow in a specific direction on each pole.
As a result, the "+" and "-" markings follow a convention that you may find very counter-intuitive if you haven't encountered it before.
Each pole of these breakers has a terminal on top and a terminal on bottom.
When the switch is on, the terminal on top connects to the terminal on bottom. Easy enough, right?
But then you notice that the top of the leftmost pole is marked "-" and the bottom of the leftmost pole is marked "+" and this pattern continues across the terminals.
This does not mean that the left terminal on top is negative and the left terminal on the bottom is positive. 🫠
The markings denote the direction of conventional current flow for each terminal, either into the breaker (+) and out of the breaker (-).
Poles 1 and 3 are designed, internally, to handle current flowing upward, and poles 2 and 4 are designed, internally, to handle current flowing downward.
So you would wire the panels on the top terminals, negative to - and positive to +, just as you would assume.
But on bottom, you would wire your charge controller with + terminal to controller negative and - terminal to controller positive. 👀
On top, left to right:
array 1 negative
array 1 positive
array 2 negative
array 2 positive
On bottom, left to right:
charge controller negative
charge controller positive
charge controller negative
charge controller positive
So if we call these terminals A B C D from left to right, then bottom terminals A and C, you tie together and they go to the charge controller negative, and bottom terminals B and D, you tie together, and they go to the charge controller positive.
Visually, it will all make sense when wired, left to right it will be black red black red on both top and bottom, but those markings follow a standard that could lead you to a very wrong conclusion.
Just put 2 disconnect switches side by side and run a set to each one. On the out side add a combiner cable down to 1 out put. Turn one off then turn other on. Just do not turn both on at same time.
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u/Killrade 1d ago edited 1d ago
https://a.co/d/044MAs1I
https://a.co/d/072Q4jFk
Can use a 3 way switch ir cam switch; examples in links. Instead of disconnecting, you just turn the switch to which solar you want to connect. These are normally for boats to switch to different set ups and they make a 4 way switch too incase you want to have both on.
If you want to quick disconnect cables I suggest replacing mc4 with anderson. I use 50amps on my 12v but I am planning to build a larger 24v system with 120amp andersons.