Heat Shrink Tubing Sizing - and other stuff

[Yoda]

Well I am still getting parts for what I can do after the DW said no to the MultiPlus. I plan on having the following wire sizes to deal with and based on OD I have selected the size heat shrink tubing (with adhesive) that I need. Please double check my selection I am basing this on 3:1 shrink ratio

10 AWG PV wire 5/16" OD - use 3/8" heat shrink tubing.
MC4 connector 3/4" across - use 1" heat shrink tubing
6 AWG welding wire .32" OD - use 1/2" heat shrink tubing
4 AWG welding cable .35" OD - use 1/2" heat shrink tubing
2/0 AWG welding cable .59" OD - use 3/4" heat shrink tubing
4/0 AWG welding cable .72" OD - use 1" heat shrink tubing

Can you please double check my sizing above. In guessing how much I am allowing 4" per connection. Is that about right? I'm still trying to figure out the lengths of 2/0 and 4/0 cables so today I started on a scale drawing of where all the parts fit. Instead of the Victron Multiplus now I am going with a Go Power 3000w pure sign wave inverter. Later on when I get the BB Battery's, Ill get a PD9180ALV or PD9160ALV charger/converter as recommended here and Battle Born.. That way it is spread out over time

Other stuff

Best price source for welding cable I have found https://temcoindustrial.com/shop/wir.../welding-cable
Best price source for the heat shrink tubing (adhesive glue lined) https://temcoindustrial.com/catalogs...+shrink+tubing
Battery lugs https://temcoindustrial.com/shop/acc...ring-terminals
PV wire https://temcoindustrial.com/temco-sw...wire-25ft.html
Lugg Crimper I have decided on - https://temcoindustrial.com/temco-hy...o-600-mcm.html
Lugg's https://temcoindustrial.com/shop/acc...ring-terminals

They seem to have everything I need in one spot. I have not found better sources and I know its good quality - well is it?
Thoughts - I really appreciate the help

Thanks
Keith

[howson]

I'm confused (and tired...so not a good combination) but why would you have 4/0 cable on your list if you're not getting an inverter? Can you post a diagram of the proposed system?

For the heat shrink, one way to do a sanity check is to look at the kits AMSolar puts together. All of the stuff in a kit is listed, so you can do a cross-check based on what they provide for a given kit.

[Yoda]

I'm confused (and tired...so not a good combination) but why would you have 4/0 cable on your list if you're not getting an inverter? Can you post a diagram of the proposed system?

For the heat shrink, one way to do a sanity check is to look at the kits AMSolar puts together. All of the stuff in a kit is listed, so you can do a cross-check based on what they provide for a given kit.

Sorry I have confused you my friend - I am confused too.. I still have not figured out how to draw yet, so I will try to enplane.

Solar
Existing 160W panel and GP-PWM-30 controller will remain as is. I will be rewiring the output directly to the battery's. Currently it ties into the back of the WFCO power panel
New 190W panels will be wired in series through a Victron 100/20 PWWM solar controller and they will also be wired direct to the battery's. The two connections will be in parallel. I am picking up some switches and resetable circuit breakers per another discussion here.

Battery's - for now I am staying with the two 12v Interstate deep cycle. If I need to replace I may go with 2-6V in series - unless BB has this new 270AH battery out then I may be able to convince DW to let me do more. Hoping for a big low priced sale. Lion batterys are my second choice. Now to tie the battery's together and simplify wiring I am going to use the Victron Lynx Power In. Yep it is a fancy buss bar, but it is compact and covered to save space. Lots of places to tie other cabling in such as the solar charge wires.

Battery charger If I go the BB route I will get the progressive dynamics PD9160ALV or the PD9180ALV. BB recommended them and I have seen recommendations here. Again a later purchase when needed. At that time I will just disable the WFCO one. The transfer switch is capable of turning this off if the inverter is on.

Battery monitoring - I am getting the Victron 712 unit. I convinced SWMBO that is is necessary for our long Alaska trip to know what its going on.
Now for this install I am getting a large covered buss bar to clean up all the ground wires. It also makes installing the shunt much easier and cleans up a mess of wiring that is in the way.

The inverter I am getting in a while (for Alaska trip) is the Go Power ISW 3000. It will be a separate purchase so it will fly under the budget radar. Instructions say to use the 4/0 cables from the battery's along with fuse and switch. I will buy the GP-TS-30 transfer switch separately before I install the inverter. Just before I get the inverter I will also get the disconnect switch and fuse.

So bottom line; I am making smaller purchases of the parts I need over time to put this together. First stage is the solar install. Wiring, controller, Lynx connect, and battery monitor. Then I will work on the inverter. Then battery's and so on

Hopefully this clears up the confusion.

Keith

[jwhigham]

Yoda I thought I had an answer for you regarding the heat shrink sizes, went searching quick to make sure I was giving good information and found a heatshrink calculator. https://www.hellermanntyton.com/calc...rinkcalculator. Only bit I will add is make sure that you are getting good shrink on the cable coming out of the MC4 connector.

I have used https://www.wirecare.com/category/heatshrink in the past with success (not for RV things but for my job).

[howson]

Yoda I thought I had an answer for you regarding the heat shrink sizes, went searching quick to make sure I was giving good information and found a heatshrink calculator. https://www.hellermanntyton.com/calc...rinkcalculator. Only bit I will add is make sure that you are getting good shrink on the cable coming out of the MC4 connector.

I have used https://www.wirecare.com/category/heatshrink in the past with success (not for RV things but for my job).

Awesome! Your post is getting copied and posted in the Reference Material--too good not to have a thread of its own. Thanks for posting.

[Yoda]

Just so folks know 1" = 25.4 MM Might be helpful as the calculator is in metric. Easy for our Canada friends