Wiring four 6V Batteries--is this the best method?

[California_Boon]

Increasing the battery bank from a pair of 6v T-105's to four. Below is one possible way (maybe the only way?) to accomplish it:



Is this the only (and best) way to connect them?

[NinerBikes]

SCVJeff wrote:

jrnymn7 wrote:
I think maybe we have a different understanding regarding the meaning of the word redundant.

Redundant= one in the same
Professional quality usually has a perfectionist doing it

Professional quality means that someone that installed it does it as their profession, ie for a living. I've seen some people paid way to much for shoddy level workmanship.

Perfectionist usually means that someone highly skilled, knowledgeable in all the minute aspects of the install, with an exceedingly high level of precision does the install. Most won't pay for "perfectionist" work, to the 99.9% efficient level, or quality of work on the install.

Perfectionist, unless you are in that tax bracket that can afford it, is usually done by "do it yourself" type folks, where the fruits of labor are NOT taxed by overburdensome overhead rates of a shop or store front. It is almost always done by people that take pride in the quality of their work, or with exceptionally high standards.

In the real world, perfection does not exist, but one can get pretty close. Time to do it right, and money, are usually no object, the end result and function are more important to the purist.

[jrnymn7]

Jeff,

To my understanding, 'one in the same', not quite. more of the same, perhaps, or more than really required.

Correct, Wolfe, but it's base meaning is 'not required/critical for normal operation', so in engineering, it's there only as a back up.

So, if using heavy (4-2ga) cable, and quality connections, is 'more than required/critical for normal operation' then so is balanced wiring. That was my point. But if one wants to do things above and beyond the bare minimum, then all three are required.

I have noticed suggesting quality workmanship/parts and/or alternative methods/equipment can come with a price on this forum.

[wolfe10]

Redundancy (engineering) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redundancy_(engineering)
Wikipedia


In engineering, redundancy is the duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system

[SCVJeff]

jrnymn7 wrote:
I think maybe we have a different understanding regarding the meaning of the word redundant.

Redundant= one in the same
Professional quality usually has a perfectionist doing it

[jrnymn7]

I think maybe we have a different understanding regarding the meaning of the word redundant.

[SCVJeff]

jrnymn7 wrote:

SCVJeff wrote:

jrnymn7 wrote:
Under-wiring and cheapo terminals cause increased (unnecessary) voltage drop, decreased efficiency and excessive heat. Nothing to do with perfectionism... it has everything to do with professionalism.

Seems to me that's redundant

In that case, so is balanced wiring.

Especially balanced wiring. As Menna says, it costs nothing.

[mena661]

MEX says that balanced wiring doesn't make much difference unless you have monster inverter loads. But since it doesn't cost a dime extra, why not do it anyways?

[jrnymn7]

SCVJeff wrote:

jrnymn7 wrote:
Under-wiring and cheapo terminals cause increased (unnecessary) voltage drop, decreased efficiency and excessive heat. Nothing to do with perfectionism... it has everything to do with professionalism.

Seems to me that's redundant

In that case, so is balanced wiring.

[SCVJeff]

That's true. But without muddying the water with technical explanations, if he simply flips that one cable, problem solved.

[SCVJeff]

jrnymn7 wrote:
Under-wiring and cheapo terminals cause increased (unnecessary) voltage drop, decreased efficiency and excessive heat. Nothing to do with perfectionism... it has everything to do with professionalism.

Seems to me that's redundant

[BFL13]

The "load" wires do not have to be the same length or the same R. It is the links between batteries that need to be even for R so the batteries share equally. The load wires do have to be "across" the whole bank for balance. No "downstream" batteries.

The load/charging wires are in a circuit so it is the total R of the Pos and Neg paths that counts. Pos and neg paths can be different such as when the Neg uses the Rv's frame and the Pos uses wires.

You can have a situation where the same wires do both jobs, so they should be even. An inverter with two pos and two neg wires on batts in parallel such as a pair of 12s, can have one of each wire to each side of the pair. That way you don't need any actual parallel links as well as the inverter's wires. Idea being each battery does half the work. In real life you can be close enough and swap batteries around every so often to even their lifespans.

Where you can't get proper balance you can do the same thing. Rotate the batteries in the bank over time to get even wear.

[jrnymn7]

Under-wiring and cheapo terminals cause increased (unnecessary) voltage drop, decreased efficiency and excessive heat. Nothing to do with perfectionism... it has everything to do with professionalism.

[jrnymn7]

SCVJeff,

Good catch, I missed that. Yes, the pos and neg leads should be to/from two opposite strings.

[SCVJeff]

OP- Yes, your drawing is correct as far as not blowing things up. What everyone is trying to say with all the pictures is that they want you to wire as you have done, BUT move the main positive OR minus cable (not both) to the other battery. The point being is to have exactly the same length of cable to each battery.

Strange as it seems, even with giant wire, there are losses. AND all the perfectionist power geeks HATE that because it's such an easy fix. It actually can affect the life of the batteries both daily and full life. SO, take that positive lead on the drawing and move it to the lower battery. BAM !