What Size Solar MC4 Cable Should You Get? 12 vs 10 Gauge / AWG
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 січ 2023
- I have purchased 10 AWG / gauge cables by default but did I need to?? Lets compare a 12 AWG / gauge cable to a 10 AWG / gauge cable to each other. My cable length here is 50 foot. Admittedly I could have done a couple extra tests but I think the overall point was achieved in comparing the two MC4 extension cables.
Windy Nation 50ft 12 AWG MC4 Extension Cable
amzn.to/3VKF3ZE
Temank 50ft 10 AWG MC4 Extension Cable
amzn.to/3ZaiQai
Disclaimer:
As an Amazon Affiliate Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
Get EARLY access & Exclusive Videos Here
/ askivesolar
Say Thanks w/ Coins
CashApp - #AskIveSolar
cash.app/$AskIveSolar
Venmo - @AskiveSolar
venmo.com/askivesolar
Paypal
paypal.me/askivesolar
Zelle
askivesolar@gmail.com
Find Me On
FB / IG / Telegram
solarquestions@askive.com
#roadto10ksubs - Розваги
Like This Video!! It Will Help More People See It!! Thanks!
Admittedly I could have done a couple extra tests but I think the overall point was achieved in comparing the two MC4 extension cables.
Clean them and changei over power stations
When I was editing I was like dangit. Why didn't I think to swap the cables. Smh
@AskIve Solar you know that.
Thanks for posting! I'll go spam some likes in the comments to further show my appreciation and support your channel! 😎👍👍
@@AskIveSolarLOL! I think we've all been there before! 😁👍
From my experimenting you'll only see noticeable power loss over 12awg wire once you get above 10amps or higher. Since you were only seeing 3.5 amps total, you weren't seeing much at all. If you start pushing more than 10-15 amps through your wiring you'll definitely want 10awg wire over a long distance. Great topic for a video!
Yeah I doubt I or most mainstream power station owners would need to go that high. I mean I get it, west and south facing arrays of 200 watt panels or bigger in parallel sure.
I've also been told that once you hit that high in amps, you need fuses. Interesting stuff.
nice testing/troubleshooting...AND still keeping it simple. Good one @Ive. Very Informative and good learning at yr end no doubt...keep the vids flowing
I have like 7 videos I'm editing. Ha.
Good video. You definitely need large enough cables to safely handle the amount of current that will travel through them, but anything larger than that is probably just wasted money. If someone is building a really large system, they will most likely be able to get a lot more power from buying more and/or higher efficiency panels and converters/inverters with the money they saved by not using oversized cables.
Thanks Ive, your series setup with higher voltage helps reduce voltage drop issues. The general rule is, the higher your voltage the lower your wire gauge needs to be. Thanks for doing the experiment.
Great video! You present clearly... I always commend UA-cam creators, I had a channel some years ago, and I remember how much work it was to plan and edit videos... Just a small suggestion for future your future vids if you do more testing analysis...if possible, maybe consider using the exact same system, with only one manipulation, that way you can know the results are is only due to the specific one change you made.... in this experiment the change being the 10 awg or 12 awg. It's hard to know if the performance of the 10awg is because of the power station differences.
Good point about the variables. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks
Great video...In the future, to minimize as many variables as possible to make your results more meaningful, you really should use the same power station and panels for such comparisons...Liked that Klein meter...Just put one in my cart...
Yeah, what I should have done Scott was swap the cables and then maybe use the same one. With using the same one you run the small risk of the conditions changing ever so slightly. Good point tho.
VERY nice job!..... I'd like to see the same testing in the difference between 10AWG and 8 AWG cables.... Again, GREAT info!!!!
I dont know if Jasonoid did 8awg on this channel but he had a video about wire gauge as well.
It's been done by others on UA-cam 8,10,12 at 100' he showed what the cable manufacturer says it would be, and what it was actually measured,10 gauge wire was said to be 16% drop but was actually 6%. Now I would only bye 10 gauge myself, but my solar generators take in 150v 45 amp on the 2 mppt controllers, 2000w. Mppt controllers will pick what is best automatically, higher amps, or higher volts
Was about to buy a 10 gauge extension line. Found yer vid just in time. I'ma go check out yer other stuff.
Yeah 10 awg is a good option to future proof if you plan to parallel 10 amp panels. But most situations / distances don't need 10awg
@@AskIveSolar Good to know. I currently only have th 1st Bluetti purchased thru indiegogo before it was on th mkt bc I was gonna live th RV dream. And then covid... well, you know. So now I use it to pwr up th entrtnmnt ctr in th kitchen, daily. But th sun's gettin lower & I need a longer ext cord. I'll check yer other vids thru th wknd. Maybe ya have an answer to a questn I haven't thot of yet.
Awesome Video my friend
Thanks boss!
Bigger is never a mistake transmitting DC, I frequently have to go down to 8 or even 6 depending on the distance my panels are from my anker
I caught this one! 😁
Could you answer a question? I have a 30A solar charge controller, with 2 separate inputs, for 2 150w panels, what AWG cable would be needed for this. Thank you.
You can't go wrong with 10awg but your length will matter some. 12 will probably be fine as will unless you're doing more than like 60 feet of cable
Check out the renogy wire calculator to guide you. Search for it.
@@AskIveSolar I plan on having 3 meters in length. Thanks for replying.
I don't use 100w panels. I got my hands on a used 285w panel and I set it up in my back yard. It does 9.8 amps. I REALLY wanted to save money on cables and go with 12 gauge. I wanted to put a 2nd panel in series with it. That would put me barely below the 20 amp max. I won't take that chance. I will have to stick with 10 gauge.
Am I looking at this correctly or could I swap to 12?
A 12 awg cable can handle that one panel up to certain length. If you get a panel with similar voltage then you can (in theory) put them in series.
When you put something in series, the amps dont change, they meet at the lowest common denominator.
I would do a little more research on series and parallel to make sure you are clear on what your options are.
I have a couple videos on the subject but specific to my setups over the last year or two.
Use Victron charge controllers they’ll take your higher voltage from wiring in series and make higher amperage with it and just the right amount of volts to charge your batteries
I'm more of a power station guy than a battery guy. I would love an all in one as I find that a lot of mppts still have the same 150v input limit or they are more costly.
Interesting that you didn't see much difference. Only 2V won't mean too much. You're going to get as much or more variance just in the component tolerances between two presumably identical power stations.
Oh, and the multi-way cable I ordered arrived today; got to go down to the mailbox and get it.
And really, it could just be that that array or that device is just lower or the device reads higher watts. I should have swapped the cables as sleeper pointed out.
I thought about it after the fact but I went right into putting the panels in series for the ac200p.
Most important reason to opt for the 10awg IMO, is to weed out the cheaply made stuff that will cost you in the long run. I've had more than a dozen adapters, extensions, etc either melt or catch fire in recent years. Definitely don't buy any components from temu either! One extension I bought from them melted and then caught fire in my van while I was driving! Totally not worth the discount!
Now do a DIY cable next. I think PV wire is useless for power stations. For permanent installs I understand the need for it but not for non-permanent. My PV wires still fade after a few months outside so the UV protection seems false. Maybe after several years I might see a degradation in the insulation but there are many cheaper outdoor rates options out there.
I would have to find some cable I would "like" to deploy. What would be the deployment benefits of using different cable. Also I dont think the PV rating is about the color. ha
What non-PV wire would you recommend?
Is 12awg fine to use with my Victron 100/30 charge controller? The wires are only about 4 feet. It’s connected to a 100w solar panel.
What's going on! Ask yourself, how many amps will be moving through this cable. If you have one panel 100 watt panel, it's around 5 amps. 12awg can carry 5 amps all day long. :)
@@AskIveSolar Thank you for the reply!
Could you Please tell us if they are copper or aluminum wires ? TAKE CARE..
Great question, I don't know honestly. I just grab cables from Amazon.
It's distance that causes voltage drop..If you have a 50 foot or 100 foot run, to a ground mount, with a lot of panels, then you will see voltage drop..I use 8 gauge for my 5 thousand watt array which is 50 foot..But there is 450 volts travelling through them..
Well that's a snazzy youtube name! How many amps are coming through that line?
@@AskIveSolar Usually up to and around 11 Amps..Which is right around 5000 watts..In peak conditions..Low amps high voltage..It's more efficient..That's a 48 volt system..Ya, some say that handle fits me well, but, I've been scammed and have had my heart broken like any other dude..So, it's debatable..LOL..
I want to connect 2 100w panels in parallel into an ecoflow river 2 pro. The panels will be on top of my car and the generator will be in the trunk. Would a 20ft extension cord be enough and should I do 10 or 12awg? Also can you connect a 10awg cord into a 12awg XT60 wire that goes into the generator? Thanks!
What up boss, 12awg at 20ft is fine. And connecting any gauge came to the devices cable at 14 is fine too. Because that cable is short it can handle the gauge the device is rated for.
Renogy has a solar cable calculator that you check out of you want to learn a bit more cus tinkering with numbers re: volts and amps and length
Gotcha, I found a 20ft 10awg cable and a 10awg xt60. So those 2 would work fine together right? Also the 10awg xt60 would plug right into the river 2 pro wouldn’t it? Sorry for the dumb questions I’m very new to this. Thanks!
Just to drive the point home, a short 10awg is rated for like 20amps which is like 4 100 watt panels in parallel. Thats why those short cables dont have to be as thick. Wire gauge starts to matter when the cable starts to get longer with relation to the amps.
But it will still work, juts overkill. Yes, your mc4 to xt60 cable will go right into your River 2 pro.
SNAP, honestly, with the river 2 pro, you can use them in series and then you dont even need 10awg because in series, its 40v x 5amps and 12awg cable will be more than fine for 5 amps at 20 ft.
And you dont need a parallel cable.
Ok thank you!
How long is your longest cable. I want to get my panels out of a shady area but my cable isn't long enough. If I get the extension (it would make it 80 feet) would that negatively impact output?
It’s kinda funny because in my mind any solar is better than no solar. Ha.
But check out renogy cable length calculator.
For the plus or minus 5 section just play around with the numbers. It should help you understand.
But I’d think a 10 awg cable would be fine. What’s you array in volts and amps.
Bigger the wire size, less voltage drop. Especially on long runs of wire.
I get ir in theory but in reality, when does it matter yanno. A longer run for more sun hours for a slight drop in voltage is hardly the thing to bat an eye at, I believe. I'm more concerned about heat and cables melting which needs a lot of current, I'd presume.
Is it okay to run 2 180 watt panels in parallel through a 12 gauge cable. Or is that to many amps?
My first thought is no because you'd need fuses first and foremost and then that might be too much for 20 awg cable.
How long would the cable be?
@@AskIveSolar the cable is 30 feet. Plus a 5 ft xt60 cable
So per that graphic, 12 awg cable should use around 16 amps which is 80 percent of the rated capacity. 180 watt panels are typically rated at about 8 amps or more so you would be right at the limit.
And again, Ive been told that you should fuse above 15 amps. Thats the extent of my knowledge on the subject boss.
What device are you trying to connect it to that you would go parallel.
@@AskIveSolar I'm running eco-flow river 2 max. So should I just run in series or maybe just use one 180 panel?
I would say so....right? Seems like overkill though but I dont pretend to know your conditions. But I would go series or better yet, I would put one panel on another power station if you have one.
ah yes the difference between 10 and 12 awg at 3 amps is going to be very minimal, if you doubled that by putting the solar panels in parallel instead of series, you would probably see a small difference. that said having them in series is the most efficient.👍
Hmmm @ it being more efficient. That's interesting.
Good point about the lower amps not really taxing the cables per se.
I guess for me, I wouldn't want to deal with fusing so it's unlikely I would ever go past maybe 15 amps especially as a long distance.
From what I have read- don’t take this as gospel- but the 12 gauge carries up to 100A while the 10 carries up to 150A. Of course there is voltage loss over distance so I don’t know how that works out… but most of these cables are 10 feet or so, and at that distance there’s likely negligible loss.
I don’t think these panels are carrying enough power to matter unless you’re running like 10+ solar panels in series.
Me personally, I am only running 2 panels in series at a time so I’m below all specs anyway.
I'm pretty sure that these cables can't carry that much amperage. They are rated around 20amps and 30amps.
Check out this hqst listing for a 20 foot cable. Scroll down and it has a rating in amps.
www.amazon.com/HQST-Extension-Female-Connector-Adaptor/dp/B09MLHL7V6/
@@AskIveSolar Interesting. I also read somewhere the specs are 60amp and that’s what the XT60 means. XT90 is 90 amp so maybe I am wrong.
I expect the “spec” is of course the max and they will recommend less than that as nobody will recommend you run something at the max potential due to liability etc.
I’m so confused. Not good at this stuff. I have 2 200w foldable panels for my bluetti.
I plan on running in series. Max input to the bluetti is 10amps. Each panel is just under 10amps. I want to get about 10-20’ of extension cable. No idea what gauge to run….
What bluetti do you have?
If the device can accept that series voltage which combines the volts and not the amps then running 10 amps (realistically like 8) over 12awg is just fine.
But if you happened to do parallel, which will be about 20 amps (16 realistically) then you should do 10awg.
@@AskIveSolar bluetti ac180. Max Dc input is 500W, 10A. 12-60 VDC
I couldn’t run them in parallel because the amps would be just too high I think
@Treetopflyer777 You could technically run them in parallel but it would make any sense. Most devices amp limit so they have a hard cap.
But either way, my first answer still applies. If those 200 watt panels are 12v which they likely are then you're good to go with my previous answer.
@@AskIveSolar thank you!!!
10 all the way
True, Im glad I have 10 but love the ease and lightness of 12 in some situations.
You got the male/female mixed up. You should do the tests near the higher amps. That would be more useful info.
Where @ the mix up. And what do you mean by near the higher amps?
@@AskIveSolar What you call the male is actually the female MC4 connector, and vise versa. Closer to the rated currents to see losses at the upper limit of the rated currents. At the lower currents, the losses will be minimal. At higher currents even the materials eg copper vs brass makes a difference on the connectors. I'm looking at longer runs and higher voltage from the PV strings at slightly under 135Vdc,30A was trying to decide to go with 10AWG or the 12 depending on how much loss it was. I'm looking at 50-70ft runs. I see what the tables say, but all the tables are different so wanted some real world testing. So testing up around the 20A-35A ranges. I was leaning to go with 10AWG solid core XHHW, but now I can't even find them except in stranded.
You know what, I have heard that in trying to figure out how to replace them. But for the sake of being technical, the mc4 plastic is my all appearances opposite of what the pin inside is.
I'll have to swirl around the other stuff you shared.
the gauge of the wire should only matter if you are going long distances
What do you consider to be a long distance Rich?
@@AskIveSolar once you start getting over 300'
Point the panelsbin the same directions you goose
....
lol. well, we know which video is not done.
😅 There is an early cut on Patreon. ha
Why would I use a 12 why would he use a 10 why wouldn't that uses eight gauge or six gauge those are the sizes I'm going to go in for being from the panel to the house from that company back to the house I can't see you even talkin about a 12 gauge when all you doing is staying or 12 gauge or 12 gauge you going to make people use 12 gauge when they should be using 10 gauge or better.
This barely made sense to me. Im speaking about this with regard to power stations not solar systems. If you have a power station and its limted to 8 10 15 amps and you only have a few panels and only two in parallel, why would you need 10 or 8 gauge cable? Its overkill especially over shorter distances.
People have to watch the video and if they decide after watching my video that they can just apply this logic to anything....I dont know how to address that.
Did you finish the video or draw this conclusion from a sampling of the video.
yes see the usa and the UK as i island having the idea they are the only one
on this world what are you doing making your own standards awg or 60 hz or 120 volt
not talking about feet inc miles and more body parts and you like to copete with
the other 90% of the world a car from one of this countrys meaning you need a complte
set of new tools and bold & nuts were useless here, a child ca learn but stupidety can not.
☀️
Bro, your panels are Hella dirty
Doesbt matter to much on my arrays to keep it a buck