Copy and post the instructions Steve, one of us will figure it out, I'm sure!

Hi steve
starting from the left hand side the 2 connectors under the thing that looks kinda like a solar panel is where your solar panels connects to connect positive of the panel to the + and negative of the solar panel to -

the one that looks like the battery is where the battery connects positive to + negative to -

the last on the right that looks like a light bulb is the load connection. you don't need to use this connection.
what it does is it has a voltage cut out so when the battery drops to a set point say 12v it will disconnect the load that is wired to that point.
with out knowing your electrical system I would have one battery for house consumption and the other for engine starting
with the bigger panel with controller charging the house battery.
and a smaller panel with a controller to keep the start battery toped up

If you don't need a starting battery I would just have one battery bank using the 160ah on its own (or upgrading to new battery's) with both panels charging it ideally thought one solar controller , if not possible because of the panels you may be using, use 2 controllers exactly the same set to the same settings.

if you plan to parallel 2 batteries together to make one big bank giving more capacity in ah but the same voltage make Shure the battery's are identical makes and age.
don't connect the 135ah and 160ah together the better battery will equalize to the other one


one panel/controller charging one battery

or
2 panels same controller charging one battery


or
2 separate panels/controllers charging same battery

Thanks Kurt and Bansha.

So would i be getting 2 wires with mc4 connectors on one end only to connect to the panel? then the exposed wire end into the controller?
and the wires to battery? just the biggest wires i can get to fit in the controller connected directly to the battery terminals?
the 2 other connections on the right on the controller are for ac apparently according to the instructions.
Bit of a worry that these units could catch fire. kinda wanna avoid that!
THis is a 10amp one. max amps from panel are about 5amps.

Is it a bad idea to connect a DC port for my fridge directly to the battery bypassing switchboard?(using this controller) and if i did this would unplugging the fridge stop any draw from the battery in place of a switch?

i have just gotten 1 brand new not even connected 135ah battery. So if i get another - exactly the same, could i link these up?

i think i need to re read some old threads on here because ive been through some of this already and gotten some helpful answers.

UncleBob said..

Sectorsteve said..
Thanks Kurt and Bansha.

So would i be getting 2 wires with mc4 connectors on one end only to connect to the panel? then the exposed wire end into the controller?
and the wires to battery? just the biggest wires i can get to fit in the controller connected directly to the battery terminals?
the 2 other connections on the right on the controller are for ac apparently according to the instructions.
Bit of a worry that these units could catch fire. kinda wanna avoid that!
THis is a 10amp one. max amps from panel are about 5amps.

Is it a bad idea to connect a DC port for my fridge directly to the battery bypassing switchboard?(using this controller) and if i did this would unplugging the fridge stop any draw from the battery in place of a switch?

i have just gotten 1 brand new not even connected 135ah battery. So if i get another - exactly the same, could i link these up?

i think i need to re read some old threads on here because ive been through some of this already and gotten some helpful answers.

Steve, solar panel to the connection marked panel, battery to connection marked battery remembering to install a fuse within six inches of the battery, and all loads via the distribution panel on board. Nothing else to the controler.

THanks Uncle bob. What kind of fuse? one of those inline ones with a little red light on it?

I removed the mc4 plugs and cable from the connection box on the soar panel and soldered my own cable to it I then ran these cables directly to the solar controller with no mc4 conectors
I had 2 panels with there own wires connecting to the solar controller like the second picture/diagram on my last post or below

you can bypass your switch panel and connect the positive of the fridge to the battery master switch with its own fuse and the negative to the battery negative or a common earth like a bus bar if you have one. I personally wouldn't wire the fridge to the load connection on the controller you would be just adding more stress/heat to it

yes you can connect/parallel another 135ah of the same make to your other new 135ah battery no problem I had 3 105ah 12v batterys paralleled to give 12v 315ah

Kurt, like your wireing, that how basic set up should by wired.
Maybe someone would like the fridge separate from master switch
than you can run it independently.
Connecting one or more solar panels to one controller is perfectly OK , using 2 controller / cheap overcharging cut off switch / to split the current would be ok too , connect 2 smart controller parallel , I would not recommend.
Any Chinese product like controllers, investors & pow. supplies,
have heat dissipation problem, unless they have build in fan
or I implement fan forced cooling.
They use components with correct ratings /mostly / but overheating is killing them.

Steve I'm not Shure if you have a inboard diesel and need a battery for starting and one for house if so I would use a 4 position battery switch(off,1,2,1+2) to split the battery's

if you don't need a battery for starting , I would just parallel the 2 battery's of the same type and use a battery switch with just a on and off position

the only reason I would use a 4 position switch is to preserve one of the battery's for starting the engine



single battery bank parallel

parallel battery bank plus extra battery through 4 positon switch.
with this setup you would not want to leave the switch in the both position

sure you can connect them parallel , consider
1/ implement switch , can be disconnected or
2/ make it permanent than wire dimension to handle load

correct, all neg. together, A positive of some batteries will connect through switch to common plus bar.
it become one big battery, even they are different capacity , does not matter, they balance themselfs.
Always monitor voltage. Voltage measured under small load
is directly proportional of total capacity available .
dont sweat too much about capacity as long as voltage on all of them parallel is close to 12 volts, better above.
when drops under 11.0 stop discharge, give them decent charge