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Topic: Wire Size Wire? 2nd Ground For Smart Solar Charge Controller (Read 913 times) previous topic - next topic

Wire Size Wire? 2nd Ground For Smart Solar Charge Controller

My new Victron Smart Solar MTTP charge controller arrived today and it has connections just like my Renogy MTTP charge controller that supposedly isn't suitable for lithium batteries BUT it requires an additional ground wire.
What size wire is suitable for a chassis ground?

Re: Wire Size Wire? 2nd Ground For Smart Solar Charge Controller

Reply #1 –
Probably 10 gauge but check with Victron to make sure

P

Re: Wire Size Wire? 2nd Ground For Smart Solar Charge Controller

Reply #2 –
Thanks Pierce. The manual doesn't say, and getting in touch with a live Victron person late this afternoon was impossible. 
I had to unload a closet, pull up the carpet and the closet floor in order to run a new wire.
I also see that the battery wire terminals on this Victron are smaller than those on my Renogy. At first glance it looks like I'll be trying to fit a baseball bat into a straw. , 

Re: Wire Size Wire? 2nd Ground For Smart Solar Charge Controller

Reply #3 –
From an electrical perspective, you can never go wrong erring on the side of a larger gauge ground wire.

Re: Wire Size Wire? 2nd Ground For Smart Solar Charge Controller

Reply #4 –
Will Prowse of YouTube fame recommend using a swedge on the connections. Victron has a recommendation on the wire "count" for the stranded wire. Better clamping on wires with finer strands rather than a few course strands. I learned about the swedges a bit late for my connections.

Re: Wire Size Wire? 2nd Ground For Smart Solar Charge Controller

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Dakota Slim –
Thanks Pierce. The manual doesn't say, and getting in touch with a live Victron person late this afternoon was impossible. 
I had to unload a closet, pull up the carpet and the closet floor in order to run a new wire.
I also see that the battery wire terminals on this Victron are smaller than those on my Renogy. At first glance it looks like I'll be trying to fit a baseball bat into a straw. ,
Yes, I never was able to figure out why Victron used such small terminals without the possibility of using larger. And they don't fit a fan either. But they seem to work well and they fit into small spaces. I've often though about using an adapter to reduce the size of a larger wire down so it would fit.

Pierce