Standard portable solar kit to Zamp Connection

[rthomaslyons]

I have a standard portable solar kit and want to connect it to the solar ready Zamp Connection. I have purchased the reverse polarity connector cable but not plugged in yet. Has anyone done this? Any issues?

[rthomaslyons]

Taking our 3010 DSF out for the first trip Thursday to Thief River Falls MN towing our Corolla iM, if everything goes well on that trip I may try hooking up the portable solar panel kit and investigate an onboard Air Lift compressor.

[brucemc]

On those two pin "Zamp" connectors, check your polarity even with a reverse polarity cable. Ensure the positive is connected to positive... if it's reversed, your batteries will do a number on your controller if it's not designed for reverse polarity protection.

If you have no controller, where your panel(s) are connected directly to the batteries... the panels should have blocking diodes, thus a reverse polarity connection wouldn't harm them, but the current won't move where you want it.

The "Zamp" connector is wired directly to the batteries. As such, I use my connector for other things than solar - such as the 12V compressor and an external water pump. The water pump is used to assist in evacuating the fresh water tank, and can be used in an emergency to fill the tank from a non-pressurized source.