Battery Cables

[Roger]

After installing a new electrical system- I am now faced with purchasing a total of 26 feet of 3/0 battery cable....very pricey at almost $10 per foot.The Ancor 3/0 cable runs about 4 times more than standard, automotive 3/0 cable. I assume that the primary difference is the tinning of the Ancor, but, for the price difference I am considering the other. Does anyone have any idea how much shorter the life expectancy of the automotive brand might be in a salt-water environment?

 

[Steve Dion]

Roger check out the Ancor site.

Roger:Here is a link for the Ancor site. They have a definitive answer for your question. http://www.ancorproducts.com/technical.htmlGood Luck

 

[Steve Dion]

Also check out the Shipstore.com

http://mirror.shipstore.com/search.lasso?-database=items.fp3&-layout=LassoLive&-response=%2fsearch.lasso&-op=bw&SScategory=electrical&-skipRecords=100&-maxRecords=100&-search

 

[Bob Fuller]

Alternative supply

Try Cobra Wire and Cable, Inc. Hatboro,PA. 215-674-8773. 70' of 2/0 AWG tinned for ~$155. You do the math!

 

[Rich Stidger]

I use Jamestown Distributors

They offer 3/0 tinned copper cable in cut lengths at $4.92/ft and 25' spools of red or black at $110.61.Do you really need 3/0? I use 2/0 for my windlass with a 45' run and that draws 150A+. Jamestown has 2/0 cut for $4.02/ft and 25' for $90.44. I would double check the math for the voltage drop. I size everything for a 3% drop max.Jamestown, RI - excellent people to deal with. 800-423-0030, also online, see the referenced link.Cobra sounds like a good price, but is it tinned? Without tinning, the salt enviroment will quickly corrode connections and degrade the wiring. I would not recommend using non-tinned wire for any marine application.

 

[Roger]

Thanks

Thanks to all who offered advice. I will check out the suggested sources for the tinned cabling. And yes, unfortunately the figures do seem to indicate a 3/0 necessity (300 amps max running through a circuit approximately 20 in total). This is handling the load between my battery bank and a 2000 watt Heart inverter. By the way, most available charts seem to stop at 100 amp loads, but there is a wire sizing chart at www.bluesea.com/circuit.htm that allows for almost unlimited variables