guage For battery cable

DrewE wrote:

In theory, the cables between the two batteries only carry half the current that the cables to the inverter would carry (assuming two batteries in parallel) and are short enough that added voltage drop is fairly insignificant.

Well, yes, that's true IF you hook your + and - wires from the inverter up to the SAME battery. Personally, I would hook the + wire to one battery and the - wire to the OTHER battery to keep the load on the two batteries balanced. For that, you want the battery to battery cables to be the same size as the inverter wires.

But as a practical matter, either way would work.

DrewE wrote:

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:

thehippie wrote:
What’s a good gauge for battery cable to bridge/parallel 2 coach batteries?

It sort of depends on the loads you're going to put on the battery bank. If you're going to hook a largish inverter up to your battery bank, and use 2/0 gauge cable on it, then the cables between the batteries ALSO need to be 2/0 gauge.

In theory, the cables between the two batteries only carry half the current that the cables to the inverter would carry (assuming two batteries in parallel) and are short enough that added voltage drop is fairly insignificant. I would still size them to be able to safely carry the worst-case current, but not figure any voltage drop considerations for that current. (Under a fault condition, such as an open in one battery, they could carry the full current.) Using the same size wire is perfectly reasonable, though, and any savings from using smaller cables are likely to be insignificant since they are short.

putting a heavier guage is ok?

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:

thehippie wrote:
What’s a good gauge for battery cable to bridge/parallel 2 coach batteries?

It sort of depends on the loads you're going to put on the battery bank. If you're going to hook a largish inverter up to your battery bank, and use 2/0 gauge cable on it, then the cables between the batteries ALSO need to be 2/0 gauge.

In theory, the cables between the two batteries only carry half the current that the cables to the inverter would carry (assuming two batteries in parallel) and are short enough that added voltage drop is fairly insignificant. I would still size them to be able to safely carry the worst-case current, but not figure any voltage drop considerations for that current. (Under a fault condition, such as an open in one battery, they could carry the full current.) Using the same size wire is perfectly reasonable, though, and any savings from using smaller cables are likely to be insignificant since they are short.

thehippie wrote:
What’s a good gauge for battery cable to bridge/parallel 2 coach batteries?

It sort of depends on the loads you're going to put on the battery bank. If you're going to hook a largish inverter up to your battery bank, and use 2/0 gauge cable on it, then the cables between the batteries ALSO need to be 2/0 gauge.

I used the 2 Guage with the 3/8 stud ends.

Home Skillet wrote:
Bigger is always better.
The terminal ends will determine what size cable you can get.

what size or gauge did you use on yours?

#2

Auto parts store battery cables are good...get 2s.

Bigger is always better.
The terminal ends will determine what size cable you can get.