Solar setup

[Harp]

OK from a previous post we have figured out I need at least a 60 watt panel. decided on a 100 watt setup and a nice controller. Now I need info on the rest. wiring from the battery to some sort of fuse box or in line fuses. Probably a box, easy to get at. Should I wire in series or parallel? The lights I removed had just a hot wire to the lights and then was grounded on the frame. A good schematic would be a great help. From a distance from the battery box the things I need to wire are 2 lights then a fan and then 3 more lights. All the lights are LEDs the fan is a regular vent fan.

Thanks

Marty

[dwh]

Best is generally to use a fuse block - Blue Sea is popular. 6 slots will probably be plenty:


http://www.google.com/search?client=...w=1333&bih=620


Run a good sized (at least #10) pair of wire from the battery to the fuse block (if the fuse block has a connection for negative. I think most of the Blue Sea fuse blocks do). Use a fuse to protect the wire that feeds from the battery to the fuse block.

From the fuse block, run wire to the loads. Parallel, not series. 2 wire cable is best. You can use 12-2 low voltage landscape wire, or even cut up a 12-2 extension cord. #12 is rated for 20 amps, so you can use 20a fuses in the fuse block to protect it. No fuses needed for the negatives, only the positives. You can go smaller as well, if the loads are small. Use 15a fuses for #14 wire, and 10a fuses for #16 wire (#16 "lamp cord" extension cords are cheap as dirt.)

It's best to run a pair all the way back to the fuse block, rather than just running one hot and then a short wire to ground. First of all, it's easy. Second, the greater the distance between the positive and negative wires - the greater the chance of inductance introducing radio noise.