Electrical cables made to order?

Any welding supply can make cables, add lugs to your own cables, or do almost anything you need in the way of heavy cables. The best part is welding cable is usually cheaper and VERY flexible.

I had a local battery shop make up my inverter cables with crimped lugs. They are about 8 ft long 4 gauge.

Might be worth asking at your local autoparts store- I had some odd-length battery cables made by the guys at the local Napa a few years ago.

Note:
Look for a store where the guys have permanently dirty fingernails...best way to judge if they know anything at all about vehicles!

RoyB wrote:
WESTEND - Thanks - That is who I was thinking of. I too do my own cables... This way I always get what I want... My hand crimper only cost around $60 so that is not too big a deal.

I watch the ebay stores on-line to find good deals on the ENCOR PRODUCT cables and ring terminals.

I'm also into the Ham Radio side of things which requires the same techniques so all makes sense to do my own cables.

I just wish I could do something about the RFI generator signals from installed INVERTERS. Only way i have found to clean them up is put everything in a metal box and use TRANSFORMERS for output power.. the 12VDC input cables always becomes an antenna radiating the RFI no matter what you do to them.

Roy Ken

Roy,
Have you tried twisting a ground lead along with the battery cable, something to break the inductive field?
I mess around with audio stuff, building amps, preamps, etc. for the more audiophile type of guy. I've done some crazy stuff to keep signal clean.

Yeah, an isolation transformer is going to be the best for keeping your AC clean. Sometimes, curing an RFI or EMI issue can be a bear with DC. Will a ferrite be effective at the frequencies involved?
I wonder if doing some surgery on the inverter like decoupling the DC input may bring good results.

FWIW, I'm using a Xantrex Prowatt inverter and I haven't noticed a bit of interference. Also, the Xantrex is quiet as a mouse, even pushing loads up to it's limit.

http://gregsmarinewiresupply.com/

mlts22 wrote:
6VDC AGMs, then the next project is going to be a solar trailer with about 1000 amp-hours of battery.

Nice. AGMs are the cat's meow.. I love 'em.

WESTEND - Thanks - That is who I was thinking of. I too do my own cables... This way I always get what I want... My hand crimper only cost around $60 so that is not too big a deal.

I watch the ebay stores on-line to find good deals on the ENCOR PRODUCT cables and ring terminals.

I'm also into the Ham Radio side of things which requires the same techniques so all makes sense to do my own cables.

I just wish I could do something about the RFI generator signals from installed INVERTERS. Only way i have found to clean them up is put everything in a metal box and use TRANSFORMERS for output power.. the 12VDC input cables always becomes an antenna radiating the RFI no matter what you do to them.

Roy Ken

MITS22 - you are the guy that follows the commerical market for swap meets or Renaissance Fair or something like that. Use to ask all kinds of RV Trailer setup questions as I recall.

The large SOLAR TRAILER project along this line sounds interesting...

I use my OFF-ROAD POPUP TRAILER for Emergency Communications alot setup on a near-by high spot around the VA/WVA wooded mountain state line behind Harrisonbburg VA.

Alternate power source is always needed...

Roy Ken

I know a few guys on the Forum are happy with Genuine Dealz. Can't absolutely give a thumbs up because I twist my own.

Did a search on GOOGLE and several companies show up...

There was one in particular that alot of RV guys used but I don't remember who it was and none on the GOOGLE list remided me of the place....

We use to go to a local home Air Conditioner/Heater shope here and they would make up any cable you wanted. I took my good ENCOR cable and ring terminals and they provided the expertise... usually free if they wasn't busy...

Roy Ken

Yep, they quoted a link in the Battery Cable Crimper thread going on now.

My problem is the main cables that are 12 ft long, and kinda hard to drag down the the cable MFG place to have new lugs installed.