Question on battery cables

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
How flexible are #2/0 cables? Can you bend them to a 4" radius?
Has anyone connected battery posts that are 4" apart using #2/0 cables?
Regards and thanks.
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  • Frxddy
    Frxddy Solar Expert Posts: 113 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Question on battery cables

    Gosh, me thinks it depends on what type of cable it is. I have some 2-0 ( maybe larger?, the copper is almost 1/2") and it is very flexible. It's made for welding cable and I'll bet it has 100 strands of copper. I just tried and can easily bend it into a 2" circle. But, if your cable has less strands it will not bend as easily. The only way to know for sure is buy one foot of your proposed cable & try it.
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  • 2manytoyz
    2manytoyz Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Question on battery cables

    No problem with welding cable. Finer strands, bends nicely. You can buy less expensive wire, with less strands, that hardly bends at all.

    The largest welding cable I'm presently using is 4/0. Here's where I bought it:

    http://wesbellwireandcable.com/Welding.html

    Making up short cables is easy with a Lenco Anvil type crimper. Bought mine on Ebay years ago ($14)

    crimper.jpg

    lug2373.jpg
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #4
    Re: Question on battery cables

    Thanks for the reply and the link. I needed to know if I should get a bigger battery cabinet. Your answer tells me that I do not.
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  • solorone
    solorone Solar Expert Posts: 257 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Question on battery cables
    Raydiak wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply and the link. I needed to know if I should get a bigger battery cabinet. Your answer tells me that I do not.

    If your just upgrading in an existing cabinet, cool, but if this is a new cabinet, or first cabinet, it does not hurt to allow for expansion if space and money permit.
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  • keyturbocars
    keyturbocars Solar Expert Posts: 375 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: Question on battery cables

    I agree that a good quality welding cable is very capable of tight bends like you mentioned. I use 4/0 welding cable on all my battery connections and the flexibility is great.

    I use the same crimping anvil as 2manytoyz and it works great. I just use it in a big vise, because it is easier to control the crimp that way.

    Edward
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #7
    Re: Question on battery cables

    I'll be housing 8 Trojan 8D-AGM's in an old 19" Computer Rack.
    Using welding cables will allow me to install the Inverter and related components in the same cabinet. This is my first ever Battery Backup system. It's main purpose will be to run my 230VAC well pump and the furnace at night. Eventually I plan to add solar panels.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #8
    Re: Question on battery cables

    Be really careful with the wiring--Metal frames, sharp edges, etc. could really ruin your day if it cuts a battery cable (use proper clamping/insulation to protect the cabling).

    Also, lead acid batteries, especially flooded cell lead acid batteries, will give up an acid mist while charging (as well as hydrogen gas). Make sure the box is properly vented and acid mist does not get into your electronics.

    Sealed batteries (like AGM) do not out-gas/mist--except when they get old and fail (or are over charged/over heated and vent). So you still need to treat sealed batteries with respect too.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Crotalus
    Crotalus Solar Expert Posts: 26 ✭
    #9
    Re: Question on battery cables

    This stuff is great to work with. I don't see why it would not work. I don't know what the difference between marine/boat wire and welding wire is.

    http://shop.genuinedealz.com/Marine%20Grade%20Wire/Marine%20Battery%20Cable/
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Question on battery cables

    I buy from Genuinedealz all the time, never a issue and FREE shipping. Boat Wire is tinned inside the insulation and has fine strands and very flexible, most is jacketed and has 2-3 conductors. The Battery cable that is shown in your link has less strands than regular boat wire and is not as flexible as welding cable because the jacket is PVC. 4/0 is pretty big, I'd use the welding cable. The " ABYC " code requires battery cables to be color coded and I'v never seen red welding cable.

    Interconnecting batteries is always a trick to getting the wires positioned around so you can get the caps off easily to water them and keeping them clean, welding cable allows you to do that.
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  • 2manytoyz
    2manytoyz Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: Question on battery cables
    Blackcherry04 wrote: »
    The " ABYC " code requires battery cables to be color coded and I'v never seen red welding cable.

    I recently bought 6ga, and 4/0 RED welding cable from here: http://wesbellwireandcable.com/Welding/Welding4_0.html

    They carry red & black welding cable in 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0.

    I have no affiliation with anyone. Just pleased with their product.
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: Question on battery cables
    2manytoyz wrote: »
    I recently bought 6ga, and 4/0 RED welding cable from here: http://wesbellwireandcable.com/Welding/Welding4_0.html

    They carry red & black welding cable in 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0.

    I have no affiliation with anyone. Just pleased with their product.
    Thanks for the link. I guess I should have qualified it by saying , my local welding shop doesn't have red. I am sure if there was a market for it, they'd make in Pink.
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  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    #13
    Re: Question on battery cables
    Blackcherry04 wrote: »
    Thanks for the link. I guess I should have qualified it by saying , my local welding shop doesn't have red. I am sure if there was a market for it, they'd make in Pink.
    Actually, Our forum host has the red and black welding cable at a lower price then the posted link. :Dsolarvic:D
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  • santaigo
    santaigo Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭✭
    #14
    Re: Question on battery cables

    I have just done my first system with 2/0 cables that I got at our local swap meet. My red cable is very flexible with many strands while the black cable has only a dozen strands or so and is very stiff. However, I can bend the stiff cable to a shape and it will hold it.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #15
    Re: Question on battery cables

    Just be sure the crimp terminals you use, will "stay" crimped with the fine strand cables, needs a lot tighter crimp to hold well, and keep the resistance down.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #16
    Re: Question on battery cables

    I took a $10.00 pair of Chinese bolt cutters and heated the blade cutting edges and drilled out a crimping die in a couple different sizes. They work like a $250 set. If interested you can go to the Greenlee site and find the size to drill them.
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #17
    Re: Question on battery cables

    BC04, have you got a short description of how you did the transformation, a pic too?
    thanks
    Eric
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #18
    Re: Question on battery cables

    Buy set of these.

    http://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-bolt-cutters-41149.html

    Heat up the cutting edges of the cutting blades ( to remove temper ) cherry red on just the edges.

    Drill in the center with blades closed, you then create a die with half the hole on each blade. Size the hole to what size wire your crimping.

    I don't have mine at home, they are at the lake so I can't post a picture today.

    They'll look like this, except the won't cost $300.

    http://www.reliable-equip.com/pg45re.html
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #19
    Re: Question on battery cables

    thanks, I thought that was how it had to be done.
    I have an old pair of cutters I can use that look just like the HF ones...

    Did you drill as close to the fulcrum point as possible to max out the leverage?

    Eric
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #20
    Re: Question on battery cables

    I'm just curious how this works, I use a quality set of bolt cutters and they only ope 3/8" max, I have some 000 lugs they must be 3/4" around, even with a hole drilled, I can't see how you can wedge one in. I can see maybe cutting a 'V' groove one one side and a open tooth like thing, so you could press a crimp like a hammer crimper.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    #21
    Re: Question on battery cables

    Speaking of Harbor Freight,

    Some here have recommended in the past using the HF Hydraulic Lug Crimper. I've not, but am considering buying this one just to try:

    http://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-wire-crimping-tool-66150.html

    Crimpers of all types are often very sensitive to the exact lug design that one is crimping.

    Any crimp CAN work, but as a matter of safety it is important that crimps are reliable over time ... and so on. 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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