BLACK BOX ON SOLAR PANEL

Dougwe · Chief one feather

BLACK BOX ON SOLAR PANEL

Phillipn · Guru

Dougwe wrote:
How,
Silly question really but would someone please tell me IN SIMPLE TERMS for a simple person what this black box is actually called and does I spose it's not a silly question really cos if I knew I wouldn't be asking.
I call it a modulator but more than likely it's not. There are no lights or gauges etc. The orange cable is not a able but a stretchy. The red and black cables are 6B&S and wired directly onto the terminals inside the box. They then run to the Ctek DC Dc Smart charger about 300mm from the 100ah battery.
Can it go directly to a battery instead of a charger I am thinking, not as if I'm correct it is not a charger or regulator.

Edit....Ooops, sorry, at least you don't have to stand on ya head to read it

-- Edited by Dougwe on Friday 17th of October 2014 12:25:35 PM

How do you like your batteries cooked? "Well done".

-- Edited by Phillipn on Friday 17th of October 2014 01:03:54 PM

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Hi Doug

I'm no expert at all first of all

what is behind the cover of this is looking like this photo

CAM00061 (512 x 384).jpg

only you use 6 B&S wire

you can not connect that strait to the battery, it will give you far to many volts and that way you will indeed cook your battery, you need a regulator and from there to the battery

I hope that it make's a bit of sense to you

Cheers John

-- Edited by Cruising Cruze on Friday 17th of October 2014 01:42:47 PM

Muskat55 · Veteran Member

Looks like a diode that stops your batteries draining into the panel when there is no light?

oldtrack123 · Guru

hi Doug
in simple every day language it is referred to as a"Junction Box'
It's sole purpose is is a means of making waterproof connections of the cables
You will need to run pos & neg cables from that to "SOLAR regulator"
Then from that to the battery
The cylindrcal object is a diode,'" Bypass"'

PeterQ

-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Friday 17th of October 2014 03:19:47 PM

oldbobsbus · Guru

oldtrack123 wrote:

hi Doug
in simple every day language it is referred to as a"Junction Box'
It's sole purpose is is a means of making waterproof connections of the cables
You will need to run pos & neg cables from that to "SOLAR regulator"
Then from that to the battery
The cylindrical object is a diode,'" Bypass"'

PeterQ

Peter is generally on the money..

there will also be a couple of directional diodes in there to stop any reverse flow of power..

Also as others have said if ya dont want to cook ya batteries you need to put a controller/regulator inline..

Dougwe · Chief one feather

How,

Mmmmm, as thought. I don't like my steak "Well Done" so definately won't run the cables direct to that to cook it.

Thankyou all for your info, it's as I thought and now know it's just a junction box. I should have known that. It's Uncle Al's fault.

As I said it is wired into the Ctek Smartcharger so no "well done cooking" from me.

I mainly needed the info for when I get the new Den (Tippee). It will be all wired up etc with 300w of panel on the roof and I wanted to use my portable 120w as well so I could follow the sun all day while stationary. All under control now.

Thankyou again.

-- Edited by Dougwe on Friday 17th of October 2014 04:21:55 PM

oldtrack123 · Guru

HI
I can only see one diode.
Usualy the regulator acts as a blocking diode
The one in the pick is across pos & neg,that makes it a 'bypass diode'

PeterQ

oldbobsbus · Guru

oldtrack123 wrote:

HI
I can only see one diode.
Usualy the regulator acts as a blocking diode
The one in the pick is across pos & neg,that makes it a 'bypass diode'

PeterQ

Peter if you read the replies closely you will see that the pic of a junction box isn't Dougs junction box..

I am only assuming by the photo of Dougs box that it would have atleast 3 diodes.. smile

But I am happy to be wrong.. biggrin biggrin

Blue · Senior Member

why are you stuffing around in those BOXES doug>?

oldtrack123 · Guru

oldbobsbus wrote:

HI
I can only see one diode.
Usualy the regulator acts as a blocking diode
The one in the pick is across pos & neg,that makes it a 'bypass diode'

PeterQ
Peter if you read the replies closely you will see that the pic of a junction box isn't Dougs junction box..
I am only assuming by the photo of Dougs box that it would have atleast 3 diodes..
I am happy to be wrong..

Hi

Yes ,His may have more than one diode

I did slip up in thinking that was his Jbox disbelief

PeterQ

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I will take the back off the box later, take a pic and put it here, just out of curiosity.

SnowT · Guru

Nominal 1 diode per String of Solar Cell's...

sounds Like David has not gotten into your ears that much or am I missing something...
- 300w sounds like a Lite solar setup but then if you only have a small Load it should see you thru most thing's..

You going to Greens soon...???

Juergen

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Yep, real soon, sooner than soon.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

How,

As promised,

oldbobsbus · Guru

Yep only 1 diode.. smile smile smile

mind you there is provision for another 2 there in the box they just have assembled it without them..

valiant81 · Guru

Hi all;

The diode that is in the black box on the back of your solar panels is to protect the panel against revers polarity when hooking up your battery / controler to the solar pannel. It is a safety devise.

One other thing with the connections to the panel. I would be soldering the wire to the panel as the connection may fail as the screws the hold the connection together, may work loose and cause poor efficiency from the panel.

oldtrack123 · Guru

valiant81 wrote:
Hi all;
The diode that is in the black box on the back of your solar panels is to protect the panel against revers polarity when hooking up your battery / controler to the solar pannel. It is a safety devise.
One other thing with the connections to the panel. I would be soldering the wire to the panel as the connection may fail as the screws the hold the connection together, may work loose and cause poor efficiency from the panel.

Hi Sorry

But that is a" BYpass diode" for when the panels may be series conected

IT is connected ACROSS the panel output

Shading of one panel will not stop the current from the other panel

IF the battery is reverse connected & the regulator malfunctions THAT diode will blow very quickly as it would be a short circuit.

The battery would STILL be connected l

A reverse current "blocking" diode is not required with most of the solid state [electronic switching] solar regs.

It a part of their normal function

Each blocking diode also leads to a reduction in the voltage available[around 0.3<0.5V ]

Normally only one is required to prevent battery discharge over night, IF the regulastor does not automatically block

l

If the panel is reverse connected the diode will simply blow open circuit[ due to the diode being virtually a short circuit],very quickly, but the battery will still be connected.

PeterQ

-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Saturday 18th of October 2014 10:29:10 PM

valiant81 · Guru

Hi old tracker and one and all;

Well it just goes to show, you don't know every thing . My apology to one and all, about that pesky little diode, yes you are correct, and all I can say is sorry. I wrote that be four i had a google look, in to solar panels. Apology to all.

oldtrack123 · Guru

valiant81 wrote:
Hi old tracker and one and all;
Well it just goes to show, you don't know every thing . My apology to one and all, about that pesky little diode, yes you are correct, and all I can say is sorry. I wrote that be four i had a google look, in to solar panels. Apology to all.

Hi Valiant

It is not such a terrible thing to be wrong

We all have been at times disbelief

But it is good to see that YOU did further research, rather than just trying to shoot the messenger smile

No need to say you are sorry, IMHO.

PeterQ

Blue · Senior Member

A diode is a component that allows current to flow in one direction only...

im sure you've all heard about Solar panels being protected about draining the battery in reverse at night time?

no?

oldtrack123 · Guru

Blue wrote:
A diode is a component that allows current to flow in one direction only...

im sure you've all heard about Solar panels being protected about draining the battery in reverse at night time?

no?

HI BLUE

Hmmmm, A little knowledge???,there is an old saying

YES," WE"electrical people KNOW the many functions of varous types of diodes^ all know diodes are a one way current device,[ and used as rectifiers TOO]

.BUT they are not required with most/all Electronic SOLAR regulators, as they use Solid state switching WHICH isolates the panels when they are not outputing power

.Perhaps a bit of googling would help,I know you will find the RIGHT answer biggrin

All you have to do is type something like" Are blocking diodes required when using a solar regulator"

PeterQ

-

-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Sunday 19th of October 2014 09:25:02 PM

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Doug

Please make sure that your Ctek can handle the 300 and the 120 watt panels

Cheers John

Dougwe · Chief one feather

John, the Ctek is in the Avan, not the new Den. I think they are putting a Redark in the new Den. I have not got involved in that side of things. I just hope all is well. They know what I want.