Combiner box

[alehowe]

I have a Midnite 150 Classic, and a Midnite combiner box. The combiner box came with a female negative lead, and a positive lead. I tried to hook up my 4 - 250 watt Renogy solar panels (1000 watts)  to the combiner box but, the solar panels also came with the same set up leads, male positive, and negative female leads. So I plugged them in the only way they would fit. I got only 500 watts out. so I reversed the leads positive to positive, and negative to negative, and now I only get .01 volts and no watts???. 

What do I do???, PLEASE HELP

Thank you

[zoneblue]

You have something like this?
http://www.midnitesolar.com/productPhoto.php?product_ID=391&productCatName=Combiners%20-%20Pre-Wired&productCat_ID=35&sortOrder=6&act=p

Curious, one would have thought there was a convention for mc4 polariy. Seems to be female (from plastic point of view) for negative, to receive the positve male. 

Perhaps one of those items has been miswired. Such a thing is not impossible. What you will need to do is get a mutlimeter and test each solar panel to make sure that each one has the expected Voc, and polarity. Then check that the combiner has the right gender mc4s. If the combiner does not match the panels, it ought to be easy enough to swap the combiner wires, negative for positive. 

See
http://www.solar-electric.com/how-to-use-mc4-connectors-cables.html/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MC4_connector

[CDN-VT]

As With ZB , do his checks , BUT 500W was in full sun & the panels were 90* to the full sun , no cloud ?
Cuz to see full 1000Watts from 4 250's is not on this planet . Space maybe , smog plus all remove watts.

Just my thoughts !! 

[Halfcrazy]

I have a Midnite 150 Classic, and a Midnite combiner box. The combiner box came with a female negative lead, and a positive lead. I tried to hook up my 4 - 250 watt Renogy solar panels (1000 watts)  to the combiner box but, the solar panels also came with the same set up leads, male positive, and negative female leads. So I plugged them in the only way they would fit. I got only 500 watts out. so I reversed the leads positive to positive, and negative to negative, and now I only get .01 volts and no watts???. 

What do I do???, PLEASE HELP

Thank you

Well you had the polarity right the first time.

When the classic said 500 watts what mode did it say in the bottom right corner?
What was the actual battery voltage at the time?
Was it close to noon and are the modules perfectly oriented to the sun?
Was there ANY shading, and I mean like a single leaf off a tree etc?

[zoneblue]

This is a good point, its summer here, and i forget sometimes that northerners are not exactly in peak solar season.

Theres a few NAWs questions along the same lines, eg see http://forum.solar-electric.com/discussion/350238/low-amps-produced-by-100-watt-panel-why