Best way to Crimp PV MC4 Interconnection Cables

[@wildwestunlimited]

Ya man!..... Even 3 years on later on YT, THIS is the STILL the best video explaining how to terminate MC4 connectors!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!

[@mattr7229]

I am new to constructing solar systems for RV. This video has been tremendously helpful. I salute you Sir! One thing I can't stand are how-to videos that have too much editorializing. You get right to the point and illustrate the concepts clearly. Bookmarked!

[@davesparkz]

I just watched 3 different videos on how to do this and this was the best one by far. The zoom in shots and explanation how the pin sits in the crimper were excellent. Thanks for making this video.

[@maggiesmith2002]

This is an excellent video. I've been beating my head against the wall for a while trying to figure out how to wire up my panel and this totally explained it in ten minutes. Folks like you are the best of youtube, I swear!

[@bitlifter]

Great tip on proper crimping. Really glad I watched this before wiring up my RV panels.

[@halfpastnews4999]

The Ferrel will go int the crimp tool 65 different ways, I tried drinking strong alcohol but that did not help. After watching you video I am now an expert, Thank you. After I get out of Substance Abuse treatment class I will connect my panels. Thanks again.

[@EliseGeiman]

Thank you for this video. I like that you detailed everything. I had purchased this same kit, knowing that I will have to make extra lengths to move my panels around, etc. Yes. I had seen other videos where men were using other types of tools to crimp with and wondering how could that work? I wasn't about to do that. Once I saw this kit, I knew I had to have it, and now watching your video and using the snipping tool to take pictures so I can create what I need.

[@kenattagexp9871]

Thanks for the video. Yes, I crimped all mine 'the wrong way'; however, because I could see they were not solid I soldered them all. I know.... soldering is bad because an arc could melt the solder. My solder'ed connections are on the roof and working well - but I see now I should have just bought the correct tools :) I also agree that + to - is so confusing - I've had to redo many (15%) of my connectors because I keep messing it up - so leave an extra inch on your wires in case you have to redo them!.

[@mauroattilionosenzo]

thank you for this video..today I started the PV cabling and did some errors now I understand thank you very clear description

[@TheSnarkette]

Thanks for this! Very informative. I was trying to figure out how exactly to fit the housing into the crimper and every video I looked at was blurry, or the guy had his hand in front of it. I get all the other wiring bits, but the crimper had me slightly stumped. All is good now!

[@derf_the_mule1405]

Very good demonstration on why you use the correct tool for the job. Don't burn your house down. Use the correct tool. It cost much less than a new house.

[@Mike-01234]

Excellent video I bought the crimp tool and a bag of connectors came along with those tools had no clue how to crimp it.

[@jackjetpilot]

Outstanding. The best video I have seen on this subject!

[@iselili2]

What a great video!! Thank you for the simple and detailed explanation. Best Video of its kind I have watched so far.

[@JeffinTD]

Very nice. I make my own servo wires for RC. This looks quite similar, but bigger.

[@siruistore]

Well done. Really useful. I also happened to be learning how to assemble wires.

[@laylyly12]

Thank you, nice presentation, I like the presentation, it’s very clear.

[@tonynobo4524]

Thank you for this lecture it is most informative.

[@Scat.original]

Great video, Thank you for your time, it is must appreciated

[@ugurbagci777]

Emeğinize, bilginize, birikiminize ve yüreğinize sağlık...

[@agostinobuchini8325]

The best tutorial that I found

[@tourvanvan2145]

Except he says positive from panel has female connector and vice versa....completely WRONG!! 07:30

[@johnRedfern]

Very helpful thank you

[@pavelhorak6367]

Thanks a lot for video. Super helpfull.

[@RickMidds]

Thanks for the info. 😉👍

[@Jim-re3sr]

Great video

[@brikshoe6259]

Very well detailed, especially on the crimping. Using 10 AWG PV cable, I noticed that my wire does not fit tightly inside the ferrule (but does crimp tightly). That means the connection is actually being made at the crimp. Is that normal?

[@info3796]

Thank you very much, very good!

[@HighTechLab]

Glad it helped!

[@CatHound]

Very precise! Great job

[@akramchana5998]

Good info thanks Akram from Pakistan

[@es1951]

Very nice and clear, thanks a lot

[@farinho100]

Very good. Thanks.

[@irwinjimenez]

That standard crimper is actually the correct one because it has the craddle up againzt the joint and not the tooth.

[@pavel9652]

Would one of these "automatic wire strippers" (hand tool) be good? I don't think they have the correct shape of the crimper section. I wouldn't mind purchasing another tool, but my toolbox is full on tools I barely use and I have to make only 2 connectors, primarily because they won't fit trough the roof waterproof cable gland. I have to cut and fit MC4 to power bank. Perhaps I could try to disassemble the MC4 connectors instead.

[@michaelroberts2200]

What head are you displaying a small gland or large gland?

[@0random1]

thank you for this detailed tutorial 😊 may I confirm if the pv wires have polarity if they are not yet connected to either the solar panel or solar charge controller? I think I've installed the mc4 connectors the other way around 😅 (female connector to positive and male connector to negative)

[@RhulaniNkuna]

Great video. Very useful 👌

[@USAMOTORHOME]

Thanks for the tip 👍

[@atxcoldest17]

Thank you for the information and details, it really helped me out. One question though, the extension wires I bought each had one side already completed and I had to add the male and female ends to the bare ends. Should one end of the wire be male and the other female? That's what I did but wanted to verify.

[@DongTep]

This clip is great. Thanks bro.

[@lachlanbird9688]

Thank you for the video .

[@thatradioguy6839]

Nice guide👍 How are things going man, everything good? Best witshes from Romania

[@HighTechLab]

Just acquired a new shop where I would like to setup a new studio for making more videos. Plenty of great ideas and videos coming soon. Thanks for staying with the channel through the period of time that I didn't have many new videos!

[@garygillespie3629]

I see no link to the kit you mentioned would be in the comments??

[@BrockoM]

Great video! I am confused about the positive and negative ends that you talked about near the end of the video. I have a solar system with four strings of nine panels. One of the wires was crushed so I need to cut the crushed part and insert a connector. How will I know which end to put closest to the inverter and which and away? If I am just joining the two wires together does it really matter?

[@8894larry]

You seem very knowledgeable on these. Do you know what a what a pre-crimped cable is that vendors are selling. They do not show a mc3 connector on them.

[@wadethomason8820]

very good vid. thanks, mate.

[@TechieTard]

The other crimpers are for solid rounds, something like red copper connectors. So they WILL work for that gauge wire, just not for THOSE ear crimp contacts.

[@balrog006]

Which MC4 style connectors don’t use, so they’re kind of pointless to try with Solar/PV MC4 cables and connectors.

[@johnwehunt4305]

What do you think of soldiering the crimped end of the pins?

[@HighTechLab]

No solder. Makes them brittle and susceptible to work hardening

[@wildwoodovensbbqs]

Great Job!

[@offgridwanabe]

Cheers

[@joelhickok4368]

The Anderson Powerpole crimpers are very similar. Will they do an adequate job for these MC4 connectors?

[@michaelsrowland]

Which of the 3 slots on the crimping tool do you use and why?

[@michaelroberts2200]

As a certified person you want a 1/4 in stripped max the backing cap needs to be tightened to 3.75 nm and you have no way to measure the crimp height we had to use a micrometer to pass the clas

[@Believe30]

I need 8awg tool for mc4. Can you recommend one please?

[@balrog006]

As the OP of the video commented before, 10ga is code up to 30Amps, if you’re exceeding that the solution is not to up the wire size but to string the panels differently to get under 30Amps as the rest of the system will not likely take an input of in excess of 30Amps either.

[@John-gm8ty]

I get that you get a small kickback from amazon, but please add other sources if you can please.

[@jasonbrown467]

i bought the same kit, what the the different sizes for? looks like 2.5/4/6 marked on the jaws of the crimper?

[@jabbosax]

Did you find out what the 2.5/4/6 are used for ? I have the same crimper but which did you use?

[@jasonbrown467]

@@jabbosax i did, but i dont remember, seems like it was the bigger size. i think it should be on the spec sheet of your mc4 connectors maybe?

[@darkhero77]

the numbers are for what wire sizes you are using in metric system, 2.5mm² (13awg), 4mm² (11awg), 6mm² (10awg)

[@balrog006]

Correct, but also only kind of correct. You’re probably quoting hard conversions which mathematically are fine, but in the US there is no 13 or 11 gauge wire used for these applications . The soft/rule of thumb conversions are 14ga/12ga/10ga

[@panospapadimitriou3498]

when finished multimeter is must for correct polarity // 2 times found it wrong didnt burn anything thankfully

[@fltrfrsh7]

Nice

[@michaelo6003]

Which crimper slot do you use for AWG 10?

[@douglasheld]

3:38 His crimper is metric and shows the slots are for 2.5mm^2, 4mm^2 and 6mm^2. 10 AWG is 5.26mm^2 exactly, but cables I come across do not match their cross-sectional areas exactly. The correct answer here is, 1) buy a crimper with a 10AWG slot, 2) ask your cable / crimper / MC4 crimp manufacturer, and 3) try it and test with a luggage scale or similar, how much force pulls your crimp out.

[@kmschwem]

It doesn't seem like it would be waterproof though?

[@markgilder9990]

There is a rubber seal inside that forms around the cable. He failed to show that part.

[@Mywhtjp]

I got mine.

[@christinebaker3293]

That crimper is a nice paper weight - 170+ lbs won't open it. Looks just like the one in the video and I bought it on Amazon and I'm not the only one with that problem. I also just read about copper pins, I think coated in zinc, that are supposed to be better, but I have yet to find them for sale anywhere. Been doing solar for 25 years and am finally trying to use these stupid MC4 connectors because my new panels come with them and am regretting it. Why on earth would they put a RED ring on half the connectors as if it meant "positive"? Somebody was up all night ...

[@christinebaker3293]

@Wasn't Me New and better would mean that they'd use blue or yellow instead of red. And I have to say that the new tools and connectors work much better than what I got several years ago.

[@tshev]

I am unsure about these blue spinning tools because the strength of the hand should be enough. P. S.: no questions about the crimper.

[@dorplein62]

the tools make sure you dont overtighten the cable gland. overtightening could cause the ruber seal to deform and loose shape which could be not waterproof.

[@tshev]

​@@dorplein62 It's a legit comment, but it's hard to do that when you are bit cautious. I've noticed that I need those tools to tighten Staubli MC4. Staubli even insists that you need a torque wrench. (They have a nice tutorial, which gives you a peace in mind). I've commented as an amateur who knows what he is doing (I had to do that in order to make sure I have a backup in case russians destroy our grid system and there is a gasoline shortage at the same time, and the required knowledge of physics & electrical engineering seemed far lower than it was required to know to get a degree in CS & Control Theory).

[@dorplein62]

@@tshev got it, you surely sometimes just have to work with what's available. Good on you finding solutions in difficult times.. It's always a good idea to do something in the best possible way. For electrical connectors, that is most of the time how the manufacturer engineers the assembly process.

[@pavel9652]

They are designed to click over the ridges and ensure consistency. I would say they are useful when one is making a lot of connectors. They are cheap anyway. Most of the price of the kit is in the primary tool and the MC4 connectors.

[@swsuwave]

They should have made it impossible to put the wrong gender connector into each housing.

[@logangreen6977]

They did. I've got the same kit. You can look straight down the barrel of the connector and see which one goes.

[@t.e.n.archery2809]

Your setup is looking very nice your 10000 watt inverter.would just like to let you know that you can get straight from the manufacturer in china.they are called YIY you can find them on the net or through there website.i priced one last night for 900.00 and shipping by sea is 350.00.being that you are building something iron clad you might as well save a few bucks along the way.

[@michaelroberts2200]

Those plastic tightening tools don’t work they slip way to early

[@pg8605]

Lot of professionals here just use pliers instead of crimper. I know some big installations by them no issues yet

[@Swelgje81]

Both ways are wrong. The first one you strip to much wire the wire may never go in the connector

[@GerbenWijnja]

Why not? He didn't have to strip off that much, but it doesn't hurt if he does. All of it will be inside the connector anyway. The wires can't stick out or anything...

[@musicjewell9329]

To long and slow

[@britantyowicaksono8409]

that tools cost 50 bucks in my country

[@spockmcoyissmart961]

charge your neighbors 25 bucks to crimp their connectors. Tell them you are saving them 25 bucks.

[@britantyowicaksono8409]

@@spockmcoyissmart961 🤣🤣🤣

[@balrog006]

The right tool for the job is essential.

[@gg-gn3re]

10 at aliexpress, ships globally

[@wildstringdom]

Fifty bucks is nothing.... Especially if these cables are for your power to your existence when you live in an rv..... Don't drink coffee for a month

[@joeboxter3635]

I think positive is the male and negative is the female. That's why the male has a RED ring around it. That's to remind you that RED is positive.

[@HighTechLab]

The ring is a water seal. Positive and negative flip depending on if you are on the panel or the wire taking the power from the panel. For example an extension cable would be both male and female.

[@u8un7u]

ring is not an indicator of polarity. sometimes it is white.

[@tourvanvan2145]

07:30 is completely WRONG!

[@HighTechLab]

Is it? How?

[@greggles67]

Positive uses male connector, negative is female

[@tourvanvan2145]

@@greggles67 that is correct

[@Mywhtjp]

Maybe so.. but if what he did fits and works.. then it's good enough to get the job done. So I'd say he was CORRECT.. not right or wrong. :P

[@fredrichards9874]

Skipped most Boy he likes to talk..

[@michaelroberts2200]

You know enough to be dangerous

[@aletaha9244]

U r lier u didn't pull the female connector hardly

[@lag_profil]

Since he pulled both cables, both ends were under the same tension. That was a bad crimp and a hand tightened gland that broke. The correctly assembled end held up.

[@joeferreira657]

Excellent, good work,thank you. Great