Hi all
I am trying to connect a battery to the solar panel, but since the solar panel is far from the battery I will have to get some extra wire. Which type of wire (e.g. size, brand..) should I get? I did not find any information on the website... I will use it outdoor and I was planning to bury it on the ground.
Also, from my understanding, I will connect the positive wire (solar panel) to positive (battery), negative to negative. However, I can not really picture how to do it, should I connect directly to the battery? Because looks like there are no much room in the battery that I have purchased.
I appreciate any help! Thank you
Bellow is the equipment that I have purchased from Cambell Scientific:
BP26 Battery Rechargeable Lead Acid 12 Volt 26 Ahr w/PS150 Connector, Fused 5A (3ft + 1ft Bare Wire Extension)
AM16/32B16 or 32 Channel Multiplexer w/o Enclosure (Operating Range -25 to +50 C)
If you have the PS150 then the solar panel and battery would connect to the PS150 in the Solar Terminals and Charge Terminals, respectively. The manual (https://s.campbellsci.com/documents/us/manuals/ps150.pdf) has lots of information, both text and pictures, that will likely help.
I've been using 12AWG wire for my solar panel extension cables, some rated for 600V and some rated for 2000V (I believe the voltage rating just relates to how thick the insulation around the conductor is) but I haven't taken the panels too far from the battery. I think I prefer the 2000V cable just since it feels a bit more protected when it's exposed to the elements. Before selecting the wire size you should take a look at a 12V wire size chart (there are lots of these online) and using the wire length along with the current you are designing for, you can select an appropriate wire gauge. If your distance or current is very high, and the appropriate wire gauge is too heavy, you could look into using a higher voltage for the run. When selecting wire sizes, I generally follow the phrase "when in doubt, make it stout".
Hope this helps, if you need additional assistance then make sure to include more details about your setup (i.e. the distance the cables will be running, the current, panel size, etc...)
Steve
Hi Steve, thank you so much for all the information. It helps a lot! I really appreciate it!