Screened PV cable.

[LightGEN]

Has anyone come across screened PV cable?
As a personal interest I have an amateur radio licence. My own PV system (inverter) generates switching noise, which radiates from the DC loops on the roof, causing interference to HF radio reception. I've improved things substantially by installing a pair of HV DC L/C filters at the inverter end but screened DC cables would be interesting to explore.
I suspect that no one manufactures such a thing.

 

[James]

How about sy or cy cable?

 

[Wilko]

Hi LG and Welcome to the Forum.
If the cables are in good condition, what about a bit of galvanised conduit (solid or flex) connected back to your station earth bar ?

Flexicon Bare Steel Metallic Flexible Conduit 20mm x 10mts (LS20-10)

Flexicon Bare Steel Metallic Flexible Conduit 20mm x 10mts (LS20-10). Fast and Free Delivery Available. Trade Quality with Low Prices.

www.electrical2go.co.uk

 

[James]

Hi LG and Welcome to the Forum.
If the cables are in good condition, what about a bit of galvanised conduit (solid or flex) connected back to your station earth bar ?

Flexicon Bare Steel Metallic Flexible Conduit 20mm x 10mts (LS20-10)

Flexicon Bare Steel Metallic Flexible Conduit 20mm x 10mts (LS20-10). Fast and Free Delivery Available. Trade Quality with Low Prices.

www.electrical2go.co.uk

Not suitable for outdoor use but flexicon do make conduit suitable for outdoor use.

 

[LeeH]

How about sy or cy cable?

My underpants are more emi resistant than most of the cy/sy kicking around the wholesalers.

 

[James]

My underpants are more emi resistant than most of the cy/sy kicking around the wholesalers.

I recommend byson cables.
They are in exhall, Coventry and online.
No good for underpants but will be able to supply the right cable for you

 

[LightGEN]

Hi LG and Welcome to the Forum.
If the cables are in good condition, what about a bit of galvanised conduit (solid or flex) connected back to your station earth bar ?

Flexicon Bare Steel Metallic Flexible Conduit 20mm x 10mts (LS20-10)

Flexicon Bare Steel Metallic Flexible Conduit 20mm x 10mts (LS20-10). Fast and Free Delivery Available. Trade Quality with Low Prices.

www.electrical2go.co.uk

Morning ....actualy a long time member of the forum from back in the PV 'hayday' but I've been out of this game since 2011.
I have considered stainless flexi-conduit but it might mean cutting off all the MC4s at the panels and re-terminating once the conduit is installed. I'm not averse to that but it's a route I'll only take if I have to.

 

[LightGEN]

How about sy or cy cable?

SY/CY are also things I've considered but, as someone else commented, the screening may be inadequate. If I could find a foil screened equivelent that might work. I haven't checked the datasheet but I suspect that 4mmsq SY/CY isn't going to fit into an MC4.

 

[LightGEN]

I recommend byson cables.
They are in exhall, Coventry and online.
No good for underpants but will be able to supply the right cable for you

Thanks ....I took a look a 'Byson' ....they don't list an 'EMC solar cable' but it's something I can follow up on.

 

[LightGEN]

Among the things I have looked at is EMC heatsrink, which contains an EMC 'mesh' and drain wire ....That would work but it's eyewateringly expensive ....so it's impractical. Thanks for the suggestions; at least it seems like I'm not missing anything blindingly obvious ....I'll keep looking.

 

[Wilko]

Hi - I could be talking out of my internet hat, but even a loose cable fed though an earthed containment may have a significant “anti-aerial” effect. I’m thinking of the likely effect of burying 99% of a longwire, for example.

 

[LightGEN]

Hi - I could be talking out of my internet hat, but even a loose cable fed though an earthed containment may have a significant “anti-aerial” effect. I’m thinking of the likely effect of burying 99% of a longwire, for example.

Yes, 'containment' is effective. In fact just twisting the cables together into a 'twisted pair' has beneficial effect, because of a cancelling effect that comes into play by doing so - widely used in data cables ...but there are practical challenges in achieving that under a solar array ...it needs quite a bit of thought prior to panel installation. It's easy to twist the cables attached to the panels together but extensions are required for each panel, so the cables reach - this is an approach I might also try.
EMC heatshrink would be ideal, if it weren't ruinously expensive!