Battery Cable Question
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,492
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From: SE Iowa
Battery Cable Question
Does the cable for battery cables have to be fine strands of copper? The reason I ask is the cables on just about everything I own need replaced, and I have TONS of left over cable from wiring both the house and garage. The #4 that I have has about 12-15 large strands. Normal auto batt cables have about 100 tiny strands. Is there really a difference?
Thanks
Stryder
Thanks
Stryder
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,971
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From: Virginia
Technically you could use it. But it will have breakage problems when you go from the body to the engine, since the engine moves around on the rubber mounts.
Your biggest problem will be the connections and corrosion. Those replacement battery cable ends for the battery are notorious for corroding and creating high resistance. And you will also need the proper ends, and crimping tool for the large ring connectors for the other ends. Or I suppose you could use a torch and solder the ends on.
If it's pretty cold where you live right now, set a piece of that house wire outside overnight, and then try to bend it. That insulation they use gets pretty stiff whe it gets cold out.
Your biggest problem will be the connections and corrosion. Those replacement battery cable ends for the battery are notorious for corroding and creating high resistance. And you will also need the proper ends, and crimping tool for the large ring connectors for the other ends. Or I suppose you could use a torch and solder the ends on.
If it's pretty cold where you live right now, set a piece of that house wire outside overnight, and then try to bend it. That insulation they use gets pretty stiff whe it gets cold out.
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,196
Likes: 10
From: Arizona
stryder,
As Franklin2 said premature breaking due to vibration will happen with the cable you have.
I make all my own battery cables from 1/0 welding cable. You can purchase the cable and ring eyes at any welding supply. I use the solder on ring eyes but you can also get the crimp on. I use both shrink tubing and liquid electrical tape at the ring eye connectors to seal the cable covering. The welding cable is very flexible and by using 1/0 there is very low resistance in the wire so you get minimal voltage drop.
Just my $.02
As Franklin2 said premature breaking due to vibration will happen with the cable you have.
I make all my own battery cables from 1/0 welding cable. You can purchase the cable and ring eyes at any welding supply. I use the solder on ring eyes but you can also get the crimp on. I use both shrink tubing and liquid electrical tape at the ring eye connectors to seal the cable covering. The welding cable is very flexible and by using 1/0 there is very low resistance in the wire so you get minimal voltage drop.
Just my $.02
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 377
Likes: 0
1/0 wire is extreme over kill. 1-4 gauge is PLENTY of wire. Most people don't realize this , but electricity travel on the circumference of the wire- not though the center. More strands means more outer surface area which means it can handle more current, not the mention the ability to be more flexible.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 2,007
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From: Oregon
Don't think of the skin effect as the current just flowing on the outside. What happens is the current becomes more dense at the outside of the conductor as the freq. increases.
Mike, I forgot the freq. range that happens at, too..
I know RF at anything above 1 Ghz gets pretty whispy and coax isn't very effective and it's better to go to waveguide. I think around 600 -800 meg is the point where the concentation on the outside is the highest.
Mike, I forgot the freq. range that happens at, too..
I know RF at anything above 1 Ghz gets pretty whispy and coax isn't very effective and it's better to go to waveguide. I think around 600 -800 meg is the point where the concentation on the outside is the highest.
