Common Positive Grounding?

[Deleted member 12539]

I now have the Tracer MPPT fitted and seems to be working alongside the remote controller MT50 that Exwinsurfer kindly sent me.
However, after having fitted it to my solar panel, I read the instructions (it is what we do best) and noticed a line near the back page stating that "Grounding" is "Common Positive" ?
What does this mean? I have no intention of grounding the positive, as I can imagine all sorts of fireworks happening.
Even on the instructions that came with my Tracer it shows a dotted line on the set up diagram from positive on the battery to ground. But on the instruction booklet in the link below I do not see this.
I used to work as a domestic electrician and play with auto electrics so I (thought) I know how electrics work. :anyone: TIA
http://www.photonicuniverse.com/upload/file/Manuals/PTRxx10A/PTR1210A/PTRTracerA__user_manual.pdf

 

[harrow]

I now have the Tracer MPPT fitted and seems to be working alongside the remote controller MT50 that Exwinsurfer kindly sent me.
However, after having fitted it to my solar panel, I read the instructions (it is what we do best) and noticed a line near the back page stating that "Grounding" is "Common Positive" ?
What does this mean? I have no intention of grounding the positive, as I can imagine all sorts of fireworks happening.
Even on the instructions that came with my Tracer it shows a dotted line on the set up diagram from positive on the battery to ground. But on the instruction booklet in the link below I do not see this.
I used to work as a domestic electrician and play with auto electrics so I (thought) I know how electrics work. :anyone: TIA
http://www.photonicuniverse.com/upload/file/Manuals/PTRxx10A/PTR1210A/PTRTracerA__user_manual.pdf

I think it refers to the positives being commoned together and the negative wire being switched on and off.

:wave:

 

[colinm]

4) This solar charge controller has a positive common ground design (which means that internally the positive terminals of the solar panel, battery and load are connected, and the regulation happens through the negative terminals). Therefore any positive terminal of the controller (solar, load or battery) can be earth connected if required.
NOTE: if your system is a negative common ground system (e.g. a vehicle or a boat), you can still use this solar charge controller in your system. However you must not use grounding of any of the positive terminals of the solar charge controller. You should not ground the negative terminals of the solar panel or the load either. The only terminal of the controller which can be connected to your negative common ground is the negative battery terminal.

You don't want to connecting the positive to the vehicle earth, ONLY connect the 'negative battery' terminal to earth.
p.s. for a while some vehicles had positive earth.

 

[st3v3]

Inside the unit all of the positives are connected together, and the unit will switch on and off the negative to the battery and load as required.

Don't connect either of the solar panel lines to the van body.

Connect the battery negative to the body.

Don't connect anything you wire to the load terminals to the van body. You're probably not using the load terminals anyway right?

 

[Deleted member 12539]

Inside the unit all of the positives are connected together, and the unit will switch on and off the negative to the battery and load as required.

Don't connect either of the solar panel lines to the van body.

Connect the battery negative to the body.

Don't connect anything you wire to the load terminals to the van body. You're probably not using the load terminals anyway right?

Thanks for all answers... as I said in my initial post, I have no intention of connecting positive to earth, however, I shall copy and paste the diagram provided with the controller which shows a positive ground (ie negative body), which could lead someone to ground the positive on the unit.
The explanation that all positives are connected inside the unit and switched via the negative clears up my queery. Thanks.

 

[wildebus]

I now have the Tracer MPPT fitted and seems to be working alongside the remote controller MT50 that Exwinsurfer kindly sent me.
However, after having fitted it to my solar panel, I read the instructions (it is what we do best) and noticed a line near the back page stating that "Grounding" is "Common Positive" ?
What does this mean? I have no intention of grounding the positive, as I can imagine all sorts of fireworks happening.
Even on the instructions that came with my Tracer it shows a dotted line on the set up diagram from positive on the battery to ground. But on the instruction booklet in the link below I do not see this.
I used to work as a domestic electrician and play with auto electrics so I (thought) I know how electrics work. :anyone: TIA
http://www.photonicuniverse.com/upload/file/Manuals/PTRxx10A/PTR1210A/PTRTracerA__user_manual.pdf

It does say after talking about postive grounds the following in emboldened text:

NOTE: if your system is a negative common ground system (e.g. a vehicle or a boat), you can still use this solar charge controller in your system. However you must not use grounding of any of the positive terminals of the solar charge controller. You should not ground the negative terminals of the solar panel or the load either. The only terminal of the controller which can be connected to your negative common ground is the negative battery terminal.

Which is what you would have already expected of course.