Booster Cable

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97TJ
97TJ Solar Expert Posts: 68 ✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Any reason not to use car booster cable for battery connections?
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Booster Cable

    Aside from the terms "car booster cable" and "battery connections" being very generalized and capable of describing a range of wire sizes and lengths? Leaving out the "alligator" clamps would be necessary.

    But if you mean sourcing 4 AWG wire from a set of 4 AWG jumper cables, wire is wire.
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  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Booster Cable

    In general, Booster/Jumper cables are, at best, SAE Guage wire ... if you are lucky. You would need to find SAE lugs/terminals for crimps if the ones you use are indeed SAE. Those would probably avail at auto supply stores. I have not seen it, but have heard/read that in some cases, the supplier is optimistic about the true SAE gauge of the wire (cutting corners?). Believe that SAE Ga is a bit less cross-sectional area compared to AWG.

    Think that you might not save a lot of $$ compared to other cable, but it has an advantage of being locally available. A home brewed 60 A batt charger, here, does use jumper cables, and works just fine. The large alligator clamps are an advantage for this use. Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
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  • 97TJ
    97TJ Solar Expert Posts: 68 ✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Booster Cable

    I will be running fairly short runs. One of approximately 10' of 6 awg and 3' of 2 awg. Booster cable is described as "awg" but in any case it's about 1/2 the price and available locally.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,448 admin
    #5
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    Re: Booster Cable

    A big issue will be insulation quality, I would not trust it to last in a permanent installation.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: Booster Cable
    BB. wrote: »
    A big issue will be insulation quality, I would not trust it to last in a permanent installation.

    -Bill

    That would depend on the particular cables used. Some of them are cheap, others have highly flexible insulation that is UV and chemical resistant and will last for years. Those cost more, of course, and probably would not be an inexpensive wire source.
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