Sheesh Don, you sure do go on.

FYI, My charge controller instruction manual says this about connection order:
Connect the charge controller to the battery BEFORE connecting the solar panels to the charge controller. Insert the battery wiring to the BATTERY terminals on the front of the charge controller and tighten the terminals from the top of the controller using a screwdriver to ensure a good connection is made. Be sure to note the polarity of each terminal; the charge controller self-protection feature will prevent damage from reverse polarity connections, but the charge controller will not function until the battery is connected properly.

A 40 amp fuse needs to be placed in the positive wire connecting the charge controller to the battery 

Alistair

> On May 7, 2015, at 6:31 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
>  A charging system that needs electricity from the battery before it will
> work properly is not "smart" in my world, where I often need to charge a
> battery that is dead.
> It seems pretty  dumb to hook a so called "smart-charger" onto the battery
> only to find it will not work, with a dead battery.   To me a charger that
> actually can charge a dead battery is desirable...I think they've made
> those..
> 
>   Solar controllers that can destroy themselves if you don't follow a
>>