Wire gauge recommendation
To get the most efficent charging to my batteries, with cost kept in mind, what wire gauge should I use between the batteries and charger? I have a pair of 6v gc batteries. They're about 12-15 fee...
Forum Discussion
I'll merely chip-in with this tidbit...
When I extended the 6 AWG wiring of the 55-ampere WFCO by FOUR FEET EACH LEG UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES would the converter go into 14.62volts boost mode. 12.0 volts start up no boost.
Then I chopped off but 6" wire on both legs and grafted 7' of No 4 AWG wire onto both legs. The WFCO now easily drops into boost mode, when voltage is 12.3 at startup.
Working with 30 FEET of wire and there's a debate about using too large of wire? You gotta be ------ me. Consulting books and charts for voltage drop only works if it agrees with reality. The converter is not a static component of the equation. It is reactive. To treat it otherwise is "uneducated guesswork".
No 2 AWG insures a minimal voltage drop ESPECIALLY when crimped terminals are used instead of soldered terminals. Voltage drop is CUMULATIVE and guess what (?), the converter sensing circuit does care. It cares enough to malfunction if it sees enough assumptive error in accumulated voltage drop.
This isn't jacks, or slideout load calculation, it is the reality of working with a yes/no sensitive reactive circuit.
And for criminy's sake, INCLUDE terminations voltage drop in your bookworm calculations of circular mils times distance. Terminations AT THE BATTERIES also enters the picture. Corrosion and oxidation that does not perceptibly degrade motor performance will destroy your sanity when reactive voltage sensing enters the picture. A large converter raises it's leg and ----- on the relative load of jacks or sildeout motors.
I did not recommend 2AWG for fun. The entire package including ampacity of terminations is there for a reason.
Reality is a rude taskmaster. It ridicules theoretical assumptions.
When I extended the 6 AWG wiring of the 55-ampere WFCO by FOUR FEET EACH LEG UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES would the converter go into 14.62volts boost mode. 12.0 volts start up no boost.
Then I chopped off but 6" wire on both legs and grafted 7' of No 4 AWG wire onto both legs. The WFCO now easily drops into boost mode, when voltage is 12.3 at startup.
Working with 30 FEET of wire and there's a debate about using too large of wire? You gotta be ------ me. Consulting books and charts for voltage drop only works if it agrees with reality. The converter is not a static component of the equation. It is reactive. To treat it otherwise is "uneducated guesswork".
No 2 AWG insures a minimal voltage drop ESPECIALLY when crimped terminals are used instead of soldered terminals. Voltage drop is CUMULATIVE and guess what (?), the converter sensing circuit does care. It cares enough to malfunction if it sees enough assumptive error in accumulated voltage drop.
This isn't jacks, or slideout load calculation, it is the reality of working with a yes/no sensitive reactive circuit.
And for criminy's sake, INCLUDE terminations voltage drop in your bookworm calculations of circular mils times distance. Terminations AT THE BATTERIES also enters the picture. Corrosion and oxidation that does not perceptibly degrade motor performance will destroy your sanity when reactive voltage sensing enters the picture. A large converter raises it's leg and ----- on the relative load of jacks or sildeout motors.
I did not recommend 2AWG for fun. The entire package including ampacity of terminations is there for a reason.
Reality is a rude taskmaster. It ridicules theoretical assumptions.
