connecting 12 volt dc output to solar charge controller?

electriclibrary

hi, I would like to connect one 12 volt flex 50 watt solar panel to a 20 amp charge controller and 8ah lifepo4 battery for security cameras and usb battery packs. (The charge controller is rated for my lifepo4 battery and has two 2.0 usb ports)  I want to add a 12 volt jack or panel jack to the load side of charge controller, so I can power small pumps for garden fountain and led strip lights; do I need to install a fuse in-between charge controller and 12 volt dc jack? I do not plan on adding any more solar panels. Or is my charge controller enough protection and no fuse needed?  If I need one, would a 12 volt dc panel jack with 3.0 quick charge usb and cigarette lighter plug most likely have one built in so that I can just connect the panel jack to charge controller and it would be easier for me?  This is for a backyard set-up (not vehicle) and plan to house battery & charge controller in quality watertight junction box.  I do not plan on adding an ac inverter, just want to run low power dc devices outside and keep it in backyard. Originally I just wanted to use a 12 volt battery pack with a pcm built in such as the ones manufactured by talent cell. But I thought it would be safer to use charge controller (trying to keep everything lightweight) I saw a charge controller with built in 12 volt output, but it was not rated for LIFEPO4, I wish I could have just used that one so that it would be so much simpler.

Also, is it okay to wire the 2.1 5.5 mm jack or panel jack to charge controller but not use the jack all the time, for example leave it unplugged. Would it be better to have a switch that controls this jack so I could shut it off when not in use?

Lastly, I may want to connect the 2.0 usb port on charge controller to a usb battery pack that has quick charge type c output, is it okay to store this usb battery pack plugged in & charging next to the solar charging lifepo4 battery long term?

Thank you for any help anyone could provide, I tried looking up this info myself on youtube, but haven't found the right answer yet.

Also, sorry just thought of a few more questions, is my current output from charge controller load 8 ah (same as battery?) and if so does different 12 volt devices that I may connect have tolerances to adapt to this different range of current or do I need a type of regulator as well?  I'm wondering if its safe to power a 3 watt pump with too much current? My thoughts are that it will be fine, but wanted to double check.

Also, when I went on amazon to look for 12 volt jacks, I saw mostly cigarette lighter and usb combo jacks. It would be more convenient for me to have a female 2.1 5.5mm so that I could run extensions direct, do they make these?

BB.

I am not sure--But it looks like 2.1/5.5 mm jacks are rated around 2-5 amps and 16 AWG wire max(?). This is too small of connector if you want 8 amps out of it.

In the HAM world--There are Anderson Power Pole Connectors. They start at 15 amps and up (even used to start tanks and aircraft with APUs).

https://www.andersonpower.com/us/en/resources/PowerPoleResourcesPage.html

The are stackable and color coded--So you can polarize your connections (+ to + , - to -).

And if you want to go down the optional configuration road--There are lots of companies that make setups for HAM (amature radio) folks (just a couple of examples):

https://powerwerx.com/dc-power-products
https://www.qsradio.com/shop-now.html?#!/Anderson-Powerpoles/c/8415135

Remember fuses/breakers are there to protect the wiring. If you have 14 AWG wiring, then typically you would want a 14 amps fuse/breaker as the + wire leaves the battery (batteries are typically the source of high current--And some Li Ion batteries can be damaged by short circuit current. Many folks use circuit breakers for both over current protection, and as handy on/off switch.

You don't have to switch outlets... But it can be nice to prevent damage to your connectors (arcing of connector blades). Also, if you add a USB power supply--You probably want to be able to turn that off when not in use--Many of these devices will draw a little bit of current from the battery bank even if there is no USB load--And can take the battery dead eventually (weeks/months--depending on draw and battery capacity).

You need to look at the Li Ion battery specifications. Both for charging and discharging... Most Li Ion batteries have a BMS (battery management system) to protect the battery (and cells) from over charging and over discharging. Also, some BMS will "balance" cells too.

-Bill