Re: battery cables and connectors

[Lee Hart <leeahart@earthlink.net>]

Nick Aronoff wrote:
> Several of the battery cables on my truck are getting pretty hot...
> The old cables are 2/0 welding cable with automotive clamps. A local
> battery supplier has 2/0 H/D cable (not as flexible, he says) that he
> says he can make for me, but I am wondering if that kind of cable is
> suitable.

It's the clamps, not the cable that are bad. Most automotive type
terminals are junk; they are only designed to carry the 100's of amps it
takes to start an ICE for a matter of seconds.

The best terminals are either cast right onto the wire, or tin plated
copper terminals crimped on with a high quality crimping tool.

Regarding the wire; electrons are blind. They don't care if you use 2/0
welding cable (hundreds of fine strands), 2/0 electrical cable (a couple
dozen heavy strands), or even solid copper buss bars of the same cross
section. The difference is just mechanical; how flexible it is. When you
are connecting batteries, you just need enough flexibility to allow for
small movement between batteries due to temperature, vibration, etc.
-- 
Lee A. Hart                Ring the bells that still can ring
814 8th Ave. N.            Forget your perfect offering
Sartell, MN 56377 USA      There is a crack in everything
leeahart_at_earthlink.net  That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen