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  • SAE Connectors VS MC Connectors

    Published: Thursday, September 12th 2024 12:03:40 PM - EDT

    Updated: Friday, December 13th 2024 06:47:15 PM - EST

    Written by: jbick


    Category: SOLAR


    Discussing the differences between SAE and MC connectors and my opinion having used both.

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    SAE Connectors VS MC Connectors by jbick

    As of this post I have experienced MC connectors and SAE connectors in terms of use with solar. The SAE connectors are used in other industries like radio equipment so I had already had experience with them before jumping into solar.

    SAE cables can plug right into each other however it will reverse the polarity. That's why we use a polarity switching device to connect to SAE cables together. SAE cables just have terminals and no threads. Additionally sae cables only come in one variation.

    MC connectors are better for water proofing and most solar panels come with MC connectors. It would appear the harbor freight solar panel is an anomaly however there are more SAE connectors coming onto the solar market. Unlike a SAE connector where the positive and negative terminals are permanently bound the MC +/- connectors are separated.

    As pictured, the MC connectors have a male and a female side. The male side contains an "O-ring" to keep things water tight. A SAE connector, despite its conveniences does not have this waterproofing ability. MC connectors have plastic tabs that lock into the female. To unlock is simple one must press down on both tabs the same time.

    Incorporating SAE Into ECO-WORTHY

    As noted in earlier articles, the ECO-WORTHY solar panel comes with MC connectors. Having been into amateur radio and having setup the harbor freight solar system, I have SAE cables on hand. That is why I chose to convert MC into SAE using an MC to SAE cable from eBay. The SAE cables that I have have an inline fuse AND no connectors on the end. Since they have no connectors on one end I am then able to strip them and solder them directly into the charge controller.

    SAE: Links

    Some solar panels use SAE connectors while others use MC connectors. Both connectors are fine. The following links will help you interface with your solar panel weather it's either one of these connectors. The following links consist of betterparts.biz and ebay.com.

    SAE to mc adapter cables
    SAE polarity reversal adapter
    SAE cable with inline fuse
    a note about sae cables and other industries




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