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eml100 asked

Incorrect GST-18 connectors supplied with MultiPlus inverters?

I'm just wiring up a MultiPlus 12/500/20 on my van. The connectors supplied for the A/C in and A/C out are these GST-18 connectors:


gst-18.jpg


These won't take cables with the correct current rating, and so are pretty useless. The strain relief will only just take a cable with a 7mm diameter, so (in the UK, at least) you're limited to cables which have 1.0mm2 conductors. However, the MultiPlus manual says that the AC cable should have "a cross-section of at least 1.5mm2". This makes sense, but it's likely that most people will actually be using 2.5mm2 cable in their AC installations.

Mains cable sizes in the UK are:

  • flexible, cable diameter about 7mm, for 1.0mm2 conductors
  • flexible, cable diameter about 8mm, for 1.5mm2 conductors
  • flexible, cable diameter about 10mm, for 2.5mm2 conductors
  • Standard T&E cable, max dimension 10mm,2.5mm2 conductors

The GST-18 connectors that Victron should be supplying are the Wieland 92.931.3053.1 (female) and 92.932.3053.1 (male). These have a round strain relief and can take cables of 6.5-10.5 diameter.

These are very expensive in low volume (https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/lighting-connectors/7684466/, £34.85, MOQ 5 pieces).

Dear Victron: can you send me one of each of the correct connector, please? :)

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter Chargerconnection issue
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1 Answer
andywb avatar image
andywb answered ·

A year later and, of course, Victron are shipping the Multiplus with the same GST-18 connectors and have no intention of doing anything about this problem.

To clarify the above: the connectors are not £35 each - they are about £5 or £6 each, but it's impossible to order fewer than 5 from any major suppliers (that I could find, at least).

However there is a bloke in Italy who sells them individually, his eBay username being kolpito. Present item numbers are 283892105342 and 274714887435 - no doubt these will have changed by the time you discover this thread, but you should be able to find them by searching for "wieland gst18i3" and then sorting cheapest first.

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