Just purchased as AC70, as I needed a battery that could be charged by my existing 300w solar panels. I now read that it has 10amp input. My panel has the following specs:
Maximum power 300w
Voltage 18.75v
Current 16A
Am I still ok to charge with these panels?
Hi @Buck ,
YES, but it will be poorly optimized since the MPPT controller will only accept 10 of those 16A. It’s regulated. So you’ll get 18.75X10 or 187.5 watts and that’s max.
Thanks, solar will be my last option to charge but just wanting to be safe.
Just a few more days and then I’ll be done building my “solarcart” as intended in my earlier post. What disappoints me a bit are these MC4 connectors to connect and disconnect the powerstation every time. Is there no simple user-friendly options possible here with other plugs and/or adapter boxes? The problem is I have to be able to regularly use different points of view for the PVs and extension cables with different lengths. Disconnecting is always so difficult! Ideally, I would like to mount a connection box on my cart from which I could plug in my power station with easier connections. I would greatly appreciate any advice.
Hello @Bluemoon ,
I would suggest using two of these. The Anderson plugs are polarized, so they can only connect in one way, like the MC4 connectors. And they will be much easier to connect and disconnect.
www.amazon.com/ELFCULB-Connector-Anderson-Generator-Inverter/dp/B0C9DFBPC9
@ hnymann
Thanks, but i have an AC180 without Anderson input connection, its DC 8mm?! 
I was assuming you had an extension cable with MC4 connectors on the end from your AC180, and were trying to plug that in to the MC4 connectors for the panels on your cart. If you get two of those adapter cables, then you would plug one onto the MC4 connectors on your cart, then the second to the MC4 connectors on your extension cable, then use the Anderson plugs to connect and disconnect the panels at your cart since the Anderson connectors are much easier to plug/unplug from each other.
@hnymann
Thanks for the link, but unfortunately I can’t order them there. Well this one:see link
Solar Connector Extension Cord 50A for Anderson to Solar Connector 30 cm 10AWG for Outdoor RV Battery Charging (1 TO 2) https://amzn.eu/d/bnOVubx
When you connect 2 of these same cables, what about male-female or + and – poles with these Anderson cables or does this not apply? Usually one end of cable is male and the other female!? Don’t understand that I can use 2 of the same cables?
I would like to use more than one but don’t know if it is possible or allowed?
1.From my AC180 ->to the extension cable
2. At both <-ends of the extension cable->
3.At the end of the cables of 2 solar panels that are connected in series, so 1 cable that remains →
Theoretically you can use as many of these adapters as you like, but generally speaking it is good to keep the number of connections to a minimum. If you regularly connect and disconnect to your solar cart, then keep the AC180 solar connector on the extension cable all the time and store it that way if you’re not using it. But that is a decision you can make as you like.
The Anderson connectors are all identical, so to plug them together you will have one that is “right side up” and the other will be “up side down”, and they will go together that way. You will also have noticed that for MC4 connectors you need to plug the male to the female, so the “+” connector plugs into the “-” connector. The Anderson connectors are the same, the positive marked socket on one will connect to the negative marked socket of the other. When you include the connected MC4 plugs they will connect, via the anderson plugs, to the same plug of the other cable as they would have without these adapters between – which is what you want. 
Did you folowed my link in the post. Are we talking about the same cable?!
Solar Connector Extension Cord 50A for Anderson to Solar Connector 30 cm 10AWG for Outdoor RV Battery Charging (1 TO 2) https://amzn.eu/d/bnOVubx
Yes, that’s pretty much identical to the one I linked to.
Hi all,
Yesterday morning, when unit was switched on (an AC180), it showed no input in though sunlight was present. Tried switching charging connector cable to an older less powerful solar panel I had previously and it charged fine. Decided to switch connector cable back to original solar panel and it showed input for about 10 seconds before stopping again, this time completely. Currently using connector cable with less powerful solar panel to charge a less powerful battery and it works fine, suggesting the cable is not the problem. When plugged in, solar panel icon pops up on the display and everything seems fine but still no input. When I hit PV input on the app, it shows the voltage as about 35V but power and current are 0. Have tried factory reset, updating firmware from app, switching off Eco and turning off sleep mode. Nothing helps. Battery also makes some weird clicking noises once in a while. Any help appreciated.
Hello @SMelts , is it possible that the panels you are trying to use are generating a voltage that is too high for the 60 volt maximum PV input?
The only other thing that comes to mind is that there could be a connection problem between the AC180 and the panels, such that when the AC180 tries to draw current from the panels the voltage drops too low. Perhaps an MC4 connector coming loose from the wire or from the next MC4 connector, or a damaged wire.
There is likely high internal resistance somewhere in the circuit. Voltage is not the only requirement for power. Current (or flow) is also required. If we visualize power as a garden hose, voltage is water flow, resistance is pinching of the hose, and the GPM (or L/min for metric) is the current. The voltage can be fine and the water can WANT to flow (i.e. voltage is good) but internal resistance is preventing current from flowing. Someone is pinching the wire.
A bad or damaged solar cell, bad connector or loose wire (MC4 connectors not secured for example), defective junction box causing resistance, etc. If you have one of those extremely cheap generic brand solar panels that have goop around the junction box, all those panels are absolute garbage and they are notorious for failing prematurely. Since you identified the cable was fine with another panel, likely the junction box is the problem (causing high internal resistance) or the solar cell is damaged beyond repair. I would lean toward the junction box. In this situation if you measure solar panel with a multimeter under no load the OCV (open circuit voltage) will show perfectly fine. Its only when you connect a load that it drops.
Ohm’s law states that resistance is simply voltage/current (R = V / I). You can measure the open circuit voltage (VOC) and the short-circuit current (ISC) with a multimeter, however without a “load” you can’t measure internal resistance. Under high resistance the voltage will drop substantially when even a little bit of current begins to flow. Say your 200W panel normally runs at 25V and 8A. In a high resistance scenario when it gets 1A of current it will drop to 12V! An Inline DC Power Analyzer can assist you with seeing this in real time. You can get them on Amazon for like $20 but you have to crimp the MC4 connectors yourself. The behavior will be linear across ANY power station if it is very high resistance. If you have a willing friend or co-camper with a similar powerstation that meets the VOC of the “suspect” panel, simply plug your panel into their power station and the exact same behavior will be observed.
Update: I plugged in the cable from my lower powered solar panel into the DC input for the AC180 and it started charging (was getting about 20W as the maximum input is only about 60W and it was a bit cloudy). Since this was working, I decided to unplug the cable and plug back the cable attached to my original solar panel and it then started charging and remained doing so for the rest of the day. It’s almost like it need a ‘jump-start’ to begin charging.
Also, I tried putting two of my mobile devices to charge whilst the battery was charging and it seemed to trip and immediately stopped charging. As soon as I removed the devices from charging, the battery started back charging.
Will wait to see if tomorrow morning when the sun comes out if it will begin charging on its own or if the same problem will persist and it will need another ‘jump start’ to begin charging or if it will even charge at all.
Thanks for the replies, will keep you all updated.
Hello I received 2 pieces of lAnderson connection cables. But I have the following problem:
When I connect both Anderson connection cables and then want to connect one of them to the MC4 connectors of the MC4-DC cable of AC180, this turns out to be impossible.
Could I cut off the MC-4 connectors and then place 2 new ones in the desired place male/female?, or am I overlooking something? Is that not possible or allowed?
Would like your advice
Thanks in advance
I didn’t realize that when I first found these adapters, but yes, the connectors need to be swapped. Just like with an AC extension cord, if the original end is female, then the end of the extension cord must also be female after being extended. Since we’re using the Anderson to MC4 cables as a disconnectable extension cord, the far end needs to reverse the connectors of the near end. You can either crimp new opposite polarity MC4 plugs on one of the adapters (better), or swap the connectors on one of the Anderson plugs.
