I've got 2 panels mounted, even made'm tiltable. And I got a 10ga twin lead down the fridge vent.Now I'm lookin at the M-4 plugs layin all over. What makes me want to chop'm off, and mount a couple watertite junction boxes ? Is that the way to go ?Do the boxes have screw terminals inside them, or solder everything ?2nd, I still have to make my tilt arms.....how long, or what degree for winter in Qzs AZ ?Thanks

Rich,I made my own combiner box using a plastic weatherproof box and two lug strips I salvaged out of a load center. I glued/screwed the lug strips into the plastic box and used a waterproof box entry fitting for the MC4 entry cables. I have the wires leaving the box towards the controller in plastic pipe so didn't need another box entry fitting.If you look at the prices for these off-the-shelf combiner boxes, you'll realize you're in the wrong business. All about tiltingFWIW, I found my optimum tilt angle for my location in the Winter and made the tilt struts to tilt at that angle. I leave the panel at that angle as it doesn't give up much harvest, seasonally, and will shed snow/rain/hail/dirt easily.

Made easy work of the wiring, chopped off the MC-4s, and soldered them all together. Then liquid taped the soldered connection. Another coat or 2 will have the connection completely waterproof. Then a blob of Dicor over the connection, anchoring it all to the roof. I see no need for boxes

RJsfishin wrote:Made easy work of the wiring, chopped off the MC-4s, and soldered them all together. Then liquid taped the soldered connection. Another coat or 2 will have the connection completely waterproof. Then a blob of Dicor over the connection, anchoring it all to the roof. I see no need for boxesCheater :BJust kidding, of course, do whatever works for 'ya.

West,Thanks for your ideas and comments,....gave it all some serious thought before "cheating":)Actually I connected only 1 panel to that 10ga twin lead.Today I'll run a 2nd twin lead for the 2nd panel, only for trouble shooting the panels separately down below.. A box above would have allowed separation above. But I have lots of 10ga twinlead, 100' roll.I'm cheating on the tilt rods too, making them longer than maybe necessary, w/ a couple xtra holes,...cut them off in AZ when I get the sun square w/ the panel ??? :)westend wrote:RJsfishin wrote:Made easy work of the wiring, chopped off the MC-4s, and soldered them all together. Then liquid taped the soldered connection. Another coat or 2 will have the connection completely waterproof. Then a blob of Dicor over the connection, anchoring it all to the roof. I see no need for boxesCheater :BJust kidding, of course, do whatever works for 'ya.

RJ, proper tilt changes by 8 degrees a month so you might want to have some holes for different tilts depending on how fussy you feel like being once you are set up there. I am supposing you will park so the tilted up panels face South.If you are staying for three months you could just pick the optimum angle for the middle month and not lose much. You pick your tilt angle for high noon at that latitude and then lower it by some so it gets more light in the shoulder hours. However when daylight time is short as in winter, there are no shoulder hours, so just leave it at noon angle based on your Lat and Dec. Macslab website has the optimum angles for that for various locationsThe angle changes by 8 degrees a month as the sun's Declination changes through + 23.5 to - 23.5 every six months. So Dec is zero twice at 21 Mar and 21 Sep when tilt = Lat. If you are parked from 21 Dec to 21 March you could pick your angle for 21 February when Declination is say - 13 degrees (WAG) and your Lat is 33N (or whatever it is at Q)So at high noon tilt would be 33 plus 13 = 46 and you might as well leave it there with hardly any shoulder hours that time of year.That is for the fixed tilt panels facing South. It is the opposite for your twirling panel's tilt, which you need to be at the proper noon angle but go higher earlier and later in the day when the sun is lower.

M-4 Plugs, or Chop'm Off | Good Sam Community

RJsfishin
Explorer
Jun 20, 2014
West,
Thanks for your ideas and comments,....gave it all some serious thought before "cheating":)
Actually I connected only 1 panel to that 10ga twin lead.
Today I'll run a 2nd twin lead for the 2nd panel, only for trouble shooting the panels separately down below.. A box above would have allowed separation above. But I have lots of 10ga twinlead, 100' roll.

I'm cheating on the tilt rods too, making them longer than maybe necessary, w/ a couple xtra holes,...cut them off in AZ when I get the sun square w/ the panel ??? :)

westend wrote:
RJsfishin wrote:
Made easy work of the wiring, chopped off the MC-4s, and soldered them all together. Then liquid taped the soldered connection. Another coat or 2 will have the connection completely waterproof. Then a blob of Dicor over the connection, anchoring it all to the roof. I see no need for boxes

Cheater :B

Just kidding, of course, do whatever works for 'ya.
westend
Explorer
Jun 20, 2014
RJsfishin wrote:
Made easy work of the wiring, chopped off the MC-4s, and soldered them all together. Then liquid taped the soldered connection. Another coat or 2 will have the connection completely waterproof. Then a blob of Dicor over the connection, anchoring it all to the roof. I see no need for boxes

Cheater :B

Just kidding, of course, do whatever works for 'ya.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jun 20, 2014
Made easy work of the wiring, chopped off the MC-4s, and soldered them all together. Then liquid taped the soldered connection. Another coat or 2 will have the connection completely waterproof. Then a blob of Dicor over the connection, anchoring it all to the roof. I see no need for boxes
westend
Explorer
Jun 19, 2014
Rich,
I made my own combiner box using a plastic weatherproof box and two lug strips I salvaged out of a load center. I glued/screwed the lug strips into the plastic box and used a waterproof box entry fitting for the MC4 entry cables. I have the wires leaving the box towards the controller in plastic pipe so didn't need another box entry fitting.

If you look at the prices for these off-the-shelf combiner boxes, you'll realize you're in the wrong business.

All about tilting

FWIW, I found my optimum tilt angle for my location in the Winter and made the tilt struts to tilt at that angle. I leave the panel at that angle as it doesn't give up much harvest, seasonally, and will shed snow/rain/hail/dirt easily.

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