Plug in chargers vs solar panel polarity

stmar
stmar Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
As I stated in a previous post a while ago I ruined a lawn tractor battery by using a plug in charger pig tail with a solar charger. Can anyone explain why they have different polarities for plug in and solar pig tails? Pig tails are opposite polarity, you would think there would be a standard. My Battery Tender model identifies polarity so you can plug any configuration into it but the YUSA model is specific and my two solar chargers are specific but opposite from the YUSA.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,716 admin
    #2
    Do you have any pictures/links to the problem?

    In general, you connect + terminals all together (whether loads, chargers, solar panels, etc.)--Of course with proper fusing/breakers as required. And all - terminals are connected together.

    Solar panels are "giant diodes"--And when connecting them, you are really connecting the diodes in "reverse bias" mode. No (or very little current) will flow when connected to the battery. If you connect the solar panel backwards, then the diodes are "forward biased" and will conduct maximum amount of current (near short circuit current). And can/will ruin the panel (fuses/breakers or not).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • stmar
    stmar Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
    #3
    I was wrong about the YUSA model 12V900, it does have polarity protection and will charge no matter what the orientation.
    It is not really a problem as such, I am just trying to make heads or tails out of the different orientations from battery tender chargers to solar chargers, they are opposite and I was just wondering why.
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  • littleharbor2
    littleharbor2 Solar Expert Posts: 2,172 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Your first two posts, even though they contain some good information are looking more like advertisements to me

    2.1 Kw Suntech 175 mono, Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 ( 15 years old  but brand new out of sealed factory box Jan. 2015), Bogart Tri-metric,  460 Ah. 24 volt LiFePo4 battery bank. Plenty of Baja Sea of Cortez sunshine.

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  • Wheelman55
    Wheelman55 Registered Users Posts: 255 ✭✭✭
    #5
    From my memory bank, I seem to remember that ZAMP Solar chose to wire their units up in reverse. Some travel trailer brands use ZAMP as there standard for solar connections. 
    Off-Grid in Terlingua, TX
    5,000 watt array - 14 CS 370 watt modules. HZLA horizontal tracker. Schneider: XW6048NA+, Mini PDP, MPPT 80-600, SCP. 390ah LiFeP04 battery bank - 3 Discover AES 42-48-6650 48 volt 130ah LiFePO4 batteries
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