What's the difference between the various Goal Zero Solar Panel Combiners?
Goal Zero seems to make two different parallel combiners. One seems to be simple wires, and one appears to have circuitry. However, I can't find any documentation confirming this, or explaining what the circuitry does.
The "4 to 1 High Power Port (HPP) Combiner Cable" (SKU 98061) appears to be just 4 inputs wired in parallel to 1 output. Is this correct? Am I correct in that this should only be used to combine solar panels that have the same voltage (but possibly different wattages)?
The "3X HPP+ Solar Parallel Combiner" (SKU 70030) appears to be more of a mystery. It's much more expensive than the 4 to 1 cable, and it appears to have a box containing circuitry of some sort. The HPP connectors seem to have additional pins, which I guess are for communication. It comes with no manual, and the Goal Zero website only says "Combine solar panels together to charge your power station faster."
What does this more expensive cable do that the less expensive one doesn't? What would be a situation where you need the more expensive cable? Is it simply a matter that it has thicker wires? Does the 3X combiner allow one to use mismatched panels of different voltages?
My context is for use with a Yeti Pro 4000, and I have a variety of solar panels ranging from 100W to 400W from a couple of different manufacturers. I am interested in getting more panels, so I want to understand my options.
Answers
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Hello @Michael_Fryd ,
Simple answer is that 4x HPP to 1 HPP is our older parallel combiner and is compatible with both X units and the 4000 Pro. The 3x HPP+ to 1 HPP+ is for chaining up to 3 series sets of equal voltage with a difference of no more than 5V between the highest and lowest voltage in the sets. This one is only compatible with the 4000 Pro.
The best solution to wiring multiple panels is to use multiple of the same type. For in depth questions about this please call or email in to our customer support line.
phone: 888-794-6250
email: support@goalzero.com
Hours: Mon-Fri, 9AM - 5PM MST
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What does the 3X HPP+ do that the 4X HPP doesn't?
I'm looking to understand what it does so I can make an informed decision on when to use it.
Why would one need to use the 3X HPP+ instead of the 4X HPP? -
As mentioned above, the HPP+ combiner can handle panels in series connected to it which is part of one way to get the 3000W max solar input on the 4000. The old 4xHPP cannot handle that much power as it was originally designed for the max 600W input of the older units but is able to be used with the 4000 Pro. We would strongly recommend reaching out to our customer service directly for an in depth discussion about the particular specifications of the different wiring options you can look at, particularly since you have a variety of solar panel sizes you are trying to use.
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So is the HPP+ simply thicker wire to handle more current? Better insulation to handle more voltage? or both?
Is there circuitry in the box, and if so, what does it do?I understand that the HPP+ is recommended in certain situations. I am trying to understand why it is recommended. If I find myself in a situation where I need to cobble together some solar panels to my Yeti Pro, and I can't contact customer service as I am in a disaster zone and the phones don't work, I would like to know what the HPP+ is doing so I can recharge my Yeti.
All the documentation I have seen for the HPP+ cable merely says when to use it. I can't find any documentation on what it is actually doing. For $200 it must be doing something!
