Installing cable for CT battery charging

goodday norm

just my opnion i ran both all the way from a fusible link / circuit breaker at battery to the anderson plug

steve

Norm, for long term reliability it's best to run both neg and pos cables but if you can maintain a low resistance neg path via the chassis/body then that method is ok as well.

Just spoke to Bias boating. I can get 2 B&S for under $7.00 per metre. Even if I run 2 cables all the way, it will be under $100. Would be even better as it is about 32 sq mm conductor, but how thick is this stuff (about 12mm diameter??? does this sound right??) and how difficult to work with? Would I be able to get it into an Anderson plug. Is it difficult to bend around corners?
I'm going to try to get it inside the chassis rail and run it through there so it is out of the way. Just worried that it will be so heavy, I won't be able to get it through existing holes in the side of the chassis, bend it and pull it through.

I'll need to get an auto elec to crimp any connectors as I don't have the tools for this size cable.

Hello Norm,
Only thing to think of running cable through chassis rails and over metal is whether the cable is single or double insulated.
If single insulated, you may need to run it through some form of flexible sheathing to prevent chafing and shorts.

Geoff.

Hi Norm C, if you want to do a professional type fit that will give you the results you want always run both a pos and a neg cable, then for second battery installs in the vehicle, use nothing smaller than 8 B&S ( 8mm2 ).

To charge a battery in a trailer or caravan you should use nothing smaller that 10mm2 or 6 B&S ( 13.5mm2 ).

There is no reason why you can’t use smaller cable in either situation but you then have to allow a much longer charging time.

On the other hand, you can go to larger cable but there will not be that much of an advantage in either current requirements being met or quicker charge time. There will be improvements in both if you use larger cable but it will be very minimal and usually not worth the cost or inconvenience of having to fit the thicker cable.

To fit the cable, try to run the new cable next to the existing vehicle wires, this usually makes for a bigger installation job but the vehicles wires are usually located in safer places in the vehicle.

If you use the above size cable, you can then use SB50 Anderson plugs which, as the part number implies, are rated at 50 amps which is usually heaps big enough for most recreational applications.

For safety, you should fit a circuit breaker on either end of the pos cable as close as possible to the positive terminals on each battery.

A little trick I always tell people doing their own installations, is if you don’t already have a permanently powered cigarette light power socket in the rear of your vehicle then if you use the above cable, you can use the Anderson plug, that you are going to fit to the rear of the vehicle, as a junction and run twin 5mm Automotive cable to a new power socket in the rear, but don’t forget to fit an inline fuse near the socket.

Cheers.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I found an electrical wholesaler nearby. I got double insulated 'welding cable'. It is 25mm squared of conductor with what looks like hundreds of thin copper strands. It is very flexible given it's thickness and the double insulation.

I've fed it throught the chassis rail and will put the black split flexible conduit over it where it enters the chassis and where ever it is not inside the chassis.

Only cost $3.80 per metre, so I think I've done pretty well.

Haven't got the Anderson plug yet. May have to go bigger than 50 Amp due to the size of cable, but that's easy to work out.

Thanks again to all who responded. A great help.