Battery cable - one size ???
- Thread starter sarabande
- Start date
RichardS
N/A
Well, if we're having a pic waving contest, here's one with proper coloured cables
One of those +ve connections looks very much to me like a black cable with red heat shrink.
Richard
superheat6k
Well-Known Member
Tim
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PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
One of those +ve connections looks very much to me like a black cable with red heat shrink.
Richard
You think it should be red cable with black heat shrink on one end Richard
RichardS
N/A
One of those +ve connections looks very much to me like a black cable with red heat shrink.
Richard
You think it should be red cable with black heat shrink on one end Richard
Errrrrr ... how about red cable with red heat shrink for the +ve cable ..... just like the other +ve cable?
Richard
Poignard
Well-Known Member
May I ask why?
Hoolie
Well-Known Member
In line with prv's point in post#6 I re-wired our slightly larger boat with 50mm tinned between batteries, battery banks and starter, with 25mm to the domestic panel. We don't have electric ovens, arc lamps or anything much except the windlass that has it's own 50mm connected battery.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Errrrrr ... how about red cable with red heat shrink for the +ve cable ..... just like the other +ve cable?
Richard
That wouldn't work at all Richard. Those two batteries are wired in series, for 24v, so that cable is connected to a +ve at one end and a -ve at the other
sarabande
Well-Known Member
Interesting point.
In a series installation what's the best way of identifying/differentiating a neg cable from a pos ? Or are the final connections to/from the bus bars (etc) the only ones which need colour coding ? Should the + to - connections between series batteries be given a different colour with lecky tape ?
It looks as if I will be going for black cable only, with red heatshrink on the + terminals, and red tape at intervals on the + cable on long runs. One cable colour only in the electrics box sounds a logical logistics solution ?.
In a series installation what's the best way of identifying/differentiating a neg cable from a pos ? Or are the final connections to/from the bus bars (etc) the only ones which need colour coding ? Should the + to - connections between series batteries be given a different colour with lecky tape ?
It looks as if I will be going for black cable only, with red heatshrink on the + terminals, and red tape at intervals on the + cable on long runs. One cable colour only in the electrics box sounds a logical logistics solution ?.
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PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Positive cables should be easily identified by their colour, as should negatives. Once you get a short distance from the batteries you have no idea which is which. So it's best practice not to use black for positive cables. Just last week i had to do some repairs on a charging system that a "professional" installer had wired using all black cable, it made the job much harder to fault find, where you could normally see which wire was which (to a degree) it was completely impossible with this setup, every wire had to be identified by testing it.
Anyone working in the industry, in an area that is regulated and required to follow the ISO, would be required not to use black for positive conductors.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
My solution is to use black cable, with red heat shrink at the positive terminal. You could also use a different colour cable, but i don't see the need.
What logistics problem is being solved by using black cable only ?
You have no cable, so what's the difference between buying some red and some black ?
RichardS
N/A
That wouldn't work at all Richard. Those two batteries are wired in series, for 24v, so that cable is connected to a +ve at one end and a -ve at the other
Errrrrr ..... it's bloomin' obvious that the batteries are connected in series.
Which surely means that the +ve cables are the cables (two in this case) attached to the +ve positive output from the bank?
Unless I'm misunderstanding the photo, I'm not sure why this is becoming such a struggle.
Richard
Poignard
Well-Known Member
I am not working in the industry. I am working my own small yacht.
All my positive battery cables are easily identified by the red sleeving at each end.
Once installed, the only part of the cables I need concern myself with are the terminals at each end, which are occasionally disturbed for cleaning.
You say "Once you get a short distance from the batteries you have no idea which is which. ". I can never get more than a short distance from the batteries for the simple reason that the distances involved are short. So short, in fact, that I can see both ends at the same time!
Regarding "best practice". One of the best practices I know of in engineering is the application of common sense.
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PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Indeed, that's why we use red for positive and black for negative :encouragement:
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Errrrrr ..... it's bloomin' obvious that the batteries are connected in series.
Well spotted :encouragement:
You're getting good at this electrical stuff Richard
Unless I'm misunderstanding the photo, I'm not sure why this is becoming such a struggle.
Is it because you are mistaking the rather old windlass cable, which has gone a luverly shade of very dark red, almost brown, for a black cable
Apologies for not spotting what you were talking about sooner. :redface-new:
Poignard
Well-Known Member
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Where necessary, ie at the cable terminations.
Only if you're inventing a new way of doing it
It's your boat and you could wire it up with yellow and pink wires or any other colours that you like the look of. But, there is an accepted standard that is known and understood by just about everyone, so i like to stick to that.
Although i'm doing it professionally i'm not required to follow the ISO, but it does all make sense. The next person working on a conventional installation will understand how it's wired. It may not apply to your own installation, but cables invariably pass through bulkheads or are contained within trunking, you can't see both ends and it makes extra work identifying which is which, whereas proper colours are easy to spot.
You're obviously happy with it and it certainly won't impair it's function, but i still hate seeing it
Another pet hate is when people add wires to a harness and cable clip along the harness without removing the existing cable ties Grrrr
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Only if you're inventing a new way of doing it
It's your boat and you could wire it up with yellow and pink wires or any other colours that you like the look of. But, there is an accepted standard that is known and understood by just about everyone, so i like to stick to that.
Although i'm doing it professionally i'm not required to follow the ISO, but it does all make sense. The next person working on a conventional installation will understand how it's wired. It may not apply to your own installation, but cables invariably pass through bulkheads or are contained within trunking, you can't see both ends and it makes extra work identifying which is which, whereas proper colours are easy to spot.
You're obviously happy with it and it certainly won't impair it's function, but i still hate seeing it
Another pet hate is when people add wires to a harness and cable clip along the harness without removing the existing cable ties Grrrr
I had wondered who might buy these:
Now I know.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
I've no idea what you're suggesting
RichardS
N/A
Is it because you are mistaking the rather old windlass cable, which has gone a luverly shade of very dark red, almost brown, for a black cable
Apologies for not spotting what you were talking about sooner. :redface-new:
No problem .... it all makes perfect sense now.
Richard
