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rtmartinez avatar image
rtmartinez asked

Need a VE direct to RJ45 converter

Newmar installed RJ45 Ethernet cable as part of solar prep on Dutch Star motorhome. However, they swithced over to Victron Inverter (lower bay) and Victron Cerbo GX and monitor (overhead driver panel). I installed Victron MPPT 150/35 not knowing it would not have RJ45 connectors. The RJ45 cable can't be pulled through loom to bring 2 VE Direct cables. Guy who installed my solar panels thinks he can successfully sut/spllice/sodder to use the 8 wires in the ethernet cable for both 4 wire ve direct cables (MPPT and Shunt com) Newmar's solar contractors do not think this will work. Other opinions ?

VE.Direct
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Mike Dorsett avatar image
Mike Dorsett answered ·

Yes this will work. I had to extend a VE direct cable for a BMV monitor, I did this by using about 10m of cat5 ethernet cable, and cutting the VE direct cable in two, to get the tiny plugs that VE direct uses. Only 4 cores are needed for the VE direct. So it's up to you whether to splice directly to the cat5 ethernet cable, or to use RJ45 connectors.

One word of advice, don't use one twisted pair from the ethernet cable for both tx and rx data, keep these on separate pairs.

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Related Resources

VE.Direct protocol FAQ