cable/wire size please

[Krusty]

Hello everyone.

 

I'm a newbie so please be gentle with me.

 

Can someone advise me to what size cable/wire I need please?

 

I want it to run from a 90 amp alternator to a battery bank about 4-4.5 feet away.

 

Many thanks.

[Chris Pink]

25mm² would be my ideal although you could get away with 16mm² or even 10mm².

 

There's a forum member who has bought a crimping set offering to make cables (can't remember where i saw this - try a search for crimp).

 

if it's your only alternator you could also run the cable to the starter motor positive (upstream of the solenoid which may be on the starter body)

 

 

..

Edited December 3, 2012 by Chris Pink

[Timleech]

25mm² would be my ideal although you could get away with 16mm² or even 10mm².

 

There's a forum member who has bought a crimping set offering to make cables (can't remember where i saw this - try a search for crimp).

 

if it's your only alternator you could also run the cable to the starter motor positive (upstream of the solenoid which may be on the starter body)

 

 

..

 

Yes, my vote would be for 25sqmm.

 

Tim

[Grace and Favour]

Hello everyone.

 

I'm a newbie so please be gentle with me.

 

Can someone advise me to what size cable/wire I need please?

 

I want it to run from a 90 amp alternator to a battery bank about 4-4.5 feet away.

 

Many thanks.

 

Aye - I'd use 25m² cable - - if you're not too worried about pennies (!) I'd even go up a size.

 

Where are you based - - - (I think it's member Colin Smith (he's in the North West?) with the cable crimpers)

 

I've also got some crimpers and could do the crimping (using your cable & lugs) for you - - - I'm in Newark

[Krusty]

Hello everyone.

 

I'm a newbie so please be gentle with me.

 

Can someone advise me to what size cable/wire I need please?

 

I want it to run from a 90 amp alternator to a battery bank about 4-4.5 feet away.

 

Many thanks.

Sorry, I did say I am a newbie. Just found out it's a 110 amp alternator. Sorry.

[Timleech]

Sorry, I did say I am a newbie. Just found out it's a 110 amp alternator. Sorry.

 

25 sqmm will still be OK.

 

Tim

[Krusty]

Thanks all.

 

25mm² it is then.

[Richard10002]

Thanks all.

 

25mm² it is then.

 

25mm2 will be OK but, if it was me, I'd probably go for the lower voltage drop of 35mm2.

[Paul C]

Aye - I'd use 25m² cable - - if you're not too worried about pennies (!) I'd even go up a size.

 

Where are you based - - - (I think it's member Colin Smith (he's in the North West?) with the cable crimpers)

 

I've also got some crimpers and could do the crimping (using your cable & lugs) for you - - - I'm in Newark

 

 

Plenty of others, not just Colin Smith, have suitable tools to crimp and make up thick cables. Let us know where you are and I may be able to help.

[coventrylad]

but ! I managed to acuire some 95mm2 cable and have used that from the batts to the inverter, and also from my batts to 180 amp 24 volt alternater, and again some one has thrown a spanner in the works and said its too big, also cos i had it I have used 4mm2 multi strand for my leds,(24 VOLT ) only about 12 foot from the batts and they also say that is way to big,(which I also managed to accuire approx 800 metres in total), have I gone over board and is it going to cause a problem do you think.

[Paul C]

but ! I managed to acuire some 95mm2 cable and have used that from the batts to the inverter, and also from my batts to 180 amp 24 volt alternater, and again some one has thrown a spanner in the works and said its too big, also cos i had it I have used 4mm2 multi strand for my leds,(24 VOLT ) only about 12 foot from the batts and they also say that is way to big,(which I also managed to accuire approx 800 metres in total), have I gone over board and is it going to cause a problem do you think.

 

Can't see how it could be technically too big on a narrowboat, from an electrical point of view. Obviously, once you get into large cable sizes:

 

- costs are high - how much was your 95mm2 cable? I'd doubt if the average person could buy it for less than £10/metre

 

- routing such large cables needs large radiuses (radii?) and large holes in any bulkheads it needs to pass through.

 

- the cable gets very heavy, though this is a non-issue on a narrowboat.

 

 

How did you legitamately acquire 800m of cable?

[coventrylad]

Well I bid on 300 metres some 2.5mm2 won it, went to collect it, the chap asked if I needed any more ? told him what I wanted and , well the rest is history. now the funny thing is when I turned up to collect the second lot of cable, I knocked on his door, his wife answerd the door and said he was in hospital as he had broken his arm playing rugby, well i had trvelled almost 60 miles to collect it, she said she did not know were it all was, not happy, then she said let me look in his snap bag ! and there it was !!

Edited December 4, 2012 by coventrylad

[Timleech]

Can't see how it could be technically too big on a narrowboat, from an electrical point of view. Obviously, once you get into large cable sizes:

 

- costs are high - how much was your 95mm2 cable? I'd doubt if the average person could buy it for less than £10/metre

 

- routing such large cables needs large radiuses (radii?) and large holes in any bulkheads it needs to pass through.

 

- the cable gets very heavy, though this is a non-issue on a narrowboat.

 

 

 

One real issue with oversize cable can be the mechanical stress it puts onto terminal studs etc.

 

Tim

[Chris Pink]

The wire size, over a certain size becomes irrelevant. What is far more important in any low voltage high current system is the security and resistance of the connections. It will be far more difficult to make a low resistance connection with oversize cable (always assuming you can get 6mm crimps for them). I don't think the fashion for oversize cable is a good thing. The right size cable for the job is the proper solution.

[Gibbo]

The wire size, over a certain size becomes irrelevant. What is far more important in any low voltage high current system is the security and resistance of the connections. It will be far more difficult to make a low resistance connection with oversize cable (always assuming you can get 6mm crimps for them). I don't think the fashion for oversize cable is a good thing. The right size cable for the job is the proper solution.

 

Three times I've agreed with Mr Pink so far this year.

 

Must be a new record.

 

PS. I'm In Middlewich. Bring me the cable and connectors and I'll crimp them up for free too.

[Krusty]

Three times I've agreed with Mr Pink so far this year.

 

Must be a new record.

 

PS. I'm In Middlewich. Bring me the cable and connectors and I'll crimp them up for free too.

I agree with Mr pink so I'll stick to the 25mm².

 

Thanks for the offer Gibbo but I have someone who will do the crimping.