Yow! MC4 cables are expensive!

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  • lile001
    Solar Fanatic
    • Feb 2010
    • 105
    #1

    Yow! MC4 cables are expensive!

    $25 for a 6 foot MC4 cable !?!??

    I bought a set of loose MC 4 connectors on Ebay, and some cable (Yeah, its the right kind but I can't remember the type right now) and plan to crimp and solder the terminals. Have other folks built up MC4 cables from scratch? It is dramatically cheaper. Obviously if the crimp is bad, the connection can fail and even cause a fire - That's why I'll solder them too.

    Any successes?
    Lawrence Lile, PE
    Tags: connection, mc4
    • Mike90250
      Moderator
      • May 2009
      • 16020
      #2
      beware about soldering connections, (panels less so than batteries). Soldered joints have a rapid transition from rigid soldered to flexible, and the wires often crack and fray right there. If there is any flaw in the crimp, the higher resistance of the solder will rapidly heat (in s short condition) and can vaporize and spray molten solder thru the insulation material. There may be a UL issue with home done MC4 conenctors, as it's not factory controlled. (Yes, I agree, it's a racket.)
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