To cut large cables you can, wrap insulating tape either side of the intended cut position, leaving a small gap between, then slide two short lengths of suitable sized plastic pipe over either side (adjust the amount of tape applied to make a snug fit) and again leaving a small gap. Then gently but securely clamp the assembly in a vice or similar and use a nice new clean hacksaw to cut the cable using the plastic tubes as a guide to keep the cut straight. Remove the pipe and tape etc. That's how we used to cut the heavy cables on the very high power industrial amplifiers I used to work on. Great if you don't have the perfect (and expensive) tool to hand. NB if using cable with a very high number strands, you might need to use a slightly blunt (but still clean) blade.
When connecting batteries in parallel, always take the negative from one battery to the busbar and the positive from the other battery to the busbar Make sure that the cables are the same length
I used 120mm cable on part of my build, pretty sure I used the same or similar cutters, but it was very difficult to cut. As others have said use a 1mm disc on an angle grinder, it will cut clean enough. When you put your second battery on, you need to remove one of the two main cables from the bottom battery and fit it to the top battery, this maintains the same cable length to each battery. I also had to buy another crimper to do the 120mm lugs - I bought a second hand Cembre HT131-C hydraulic crimper, now that is one beast of a crimper, very large and very heavy, but it does a very nice crimp. Edit. Looking at the offcut of 120mm cable, it looks like I cut it with the angle grinder, so probably the 70mm cables I struggled to cut.
I use the Channellock 911 Cable Cutter and they can cut through 1/0 cable like butter. The trick is then getting the casing off after. I use a knife but am not happy with it. I am not sure what the material against the wall with a circular hole that the cable is passing through below the lynx but if it is metal you should be able to find a grommet to protect the wire.
You might want to consider using a common busbar to connect your battery bank to, and then from the bus bar, connect to your inverter with a larger gauge of copper cabling. This will help future proof your configuration.
Usually cable that flexible has too many strands. If the strands are tin-plated, the cross-sectional area winds up being mostly tin instead of copper. If that is the case, you can't go by the ampacity chart for "pure copper". You would need to derate the amps you push through those sorts of cables by a lot, sometimes as much as 50%. The silicon itself is usually rated to 200-250C but you don't want main battery cables pushing so much current that they get that hot because even though the cable can take it, the wire losses are still going to be massive. Silicon sheathed cabling is typically used only for very short cables where losses aren't that big a deal. Main battery cables are usually long, you don't want them to get hot, and losses are a big deal. So for that particular cable (50mm^2 = roughly 1 AWG), at those lengths, you are looking at not pushing more than maybe 130A through it if it is pure copper, or 80A if it is tin-plated many-stranded copper, to avoid excessive voltage drop on the cable. I didn't catch the brand of cable other than "German". What brand is it exactly? You don't have to keep the cables the same length as long as you take the main positive from one side of the battery bank and the main negative from the other side of the battery bank. However, you do have to keep in mind losses due to undersized cables. In anycase, it depends entirely on how many amps you intend to put on the cable. -Matt
Why aren’t you connecting batteries to the lynx power in to the right of the shunt? Edit: did you just add something to the lynx power in on the left to accept fuses?
I use PVC tubing cutters that ratchet work great for cutting soft stranded large battery wire. Cost me about $10 at the local hardware store.
To cut large cables you can, wrap insulating tape either side of the intended cut position, leaving a small gap between, then slide two short lengths of suitable sized plastic pipe over either side (adjust the amount of tape applied to make a snug fit) and again leaving a small gap. Then gently but securely clamp the assembly in a vice or similar and use a nice new clean hacksaw to cut the cable using the plastic tubes as a guide to keep the cut straight. Remove the pipe and tape etc. That's how we used to cut the heavy cables on the very high power industrial amplifiers I used to work on. Great if you don't have the perfect (and expensive) tool to hand. NB if using cable with a very high number strands, you might need to use a slightly blunt (but still clean) blade.
If you connecting two batteries in parallel, connect negative to one and the positive to the other, evens out the draw from both batteries.
but make the cables equal length to the inverters
When connecting batteries in parallel, always take the negative from one battery to the busbar and the positive from the other battery to the busbar
Make sure that the cables are the same length
I used 120mm cable on part of my build, pretty sure I used the same or similar cutters, but it was very difficult to cut. As others have said use a 1mm disc on an angle grinder, it will cut clean enough. When you put your second battery on, you need to remove one of the two main cables from the bottom battery and fit it to the top battery, this maintains the same cable length to each battery. I also had to buy another crimper to do the 120mm lugs - I bought a second hand Cembre HT131-C hydraulic crimper, now that is one beast of a crimper, very large and very heavy, but it does a very nice crimp. Edit. Looking at the offcut of 120mm cable, it looks like I cut it with the angle grinder, so probably the 70mm cables I struggled to cut.
I use a hack saw with a mitre box for 120mm cable and it works fine. It just gets very tiring.
Love the pink „ladies“ heat gun 😂
Hi there. To get a clean cut with my thick cables I used my table saw and a fine blade. Works great.
Same, works great!
I use the Channellock 911 Cable Cutter and they can cut through 1/0 cable like butter. The trick is then getting the casing off after. I use a knife but am not happy with it. I am not sure what the material against the wall with a circular hole that the cable is passing through below the lynx but if it is metal you should be able to find a grommet to protect the wire.
For my 4/0 cable all I used was a ratcheting pex pipe cutter.
Great work, thank you for sharing your work, can you post a link where you bought the cables please
You might want to consider using a common busbar to connect your battery bank to, and then from the bus bar, connect to your inverter with a larger gauge of copper cabling. This will help future proof your configuration.
I use to cut thick cables with angle grinder using a 1mm cutting disc
Hello, I really enjoyed watching your videos, thank you for sharing your work, can you put a link to where you buy the cables please
www.amazon.fr/EBROM-C%C3%A2ble-batterie-flexible-Hi-Flex/dp/B08YPDB4LL/ref=sr_1_1?th=1
Usually cable that flexible has too many strands. If the strands are tin-plated, the cross-sectional area winds up being mostly tin instead of copper. If that is the case, you can't go by the ampacity chart for "pure copper". You would need to derate the amps you push through those sorts of cables by a lot, sometimes as much as 50%.
The silicon itself is usually rated to 200-250C but you don't want main battery cables pushing so much current that they get that hot because even though the cable can take it, the wire losses are still going to be massive. Silicon sheathed cabling is typically used only for very short cables where losses aren't that big a deal. Main battery cables are usually long, you don't want them to get hot, and losses are a big deal.
So for that particular cable (50mm^2 = roughly 1 AWG), at those lengths, you are looking at not pushing more than maybe 130A through it if it is pure copper, or 80A if it is tin-plated many-stranded copper, to avoid excessive voltage drop on the cable.
I didn't catch the brand of cable other than "German". What brand is it exactly?
You don't have to keep the cables the same length as long as you take the main positive from one side of the battery bank and the main negative from the other side of the battery bank. However, you do have to keep in mind losses due to undersized cables.
In anycase, it depends entirely on how many amps you intend to put on the cable.
-Matt
Amazing work 👍
Extend the cutter handles with some pipes, will give you the leverage you need.
I used or anglegrinder or handsaw for metal work perfect.
You should not parallel your batteries to each other but connect each battery to the busbar.
Cable cutter (kabel sax) over 150 mm diameter, no violence with extension tubes on handles,just locking sistem on handles
Victron has a great PDF called wiring unlimited.
Ask the local electrician if he can lend you a pair of cable cutters. You won't need these often.
There are ratchet cutters for thick cables.
rough cut with grinder+1mm disk, trim flat with side cutters
Would use KNIPEX CABLE CUTTER 250MM they are a ratchet system for easy cutting.
👍
This is what you are looking for: BETOOLL Heavy Duty Aluminum Copper Ratchet Cable Cutters up to 300mm² Wire Cutters 600mcm
No battery isolator?
I think her battery boxes have the isolators built in to them, along with BMS.
Hi! Could you please link to the cables and ring terminals.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122666453146?var=423074486645
Why aren’t you connecting batteries to the lynx power in to the right of the shunt? Edit: did you just add something to the lynx power in on the left to accept fuses?
Yes there is separate video of that on a channel. I just watched that few minutes ago...
I use a pipe cutter.
Ratcheting cable cutters will go through that with no problem and aren't really much bigger than the cutters you already have.
angle grinder will to the work , dont need to buy new cutters.
Also think You should connect each battery to the busbar , not to each other
Metal saw
borrow a pair of cutters from your local sparky or electrical wholesaler
👀👀👀
Angle grinder
no need to purchase for a one time job... don't you have tool shops/rental places around? even Home Depot rents big cable cutters.
Play the next video your CI managed to purchase an amazing cutter for around 80 euros
Please don’t use bolt cutters to cut large diameter, copper cable. You will be very disappointed.
Great work, thank you for sharing your work, can you post a link where you bought the cables please
Great work, thank you for sharing your work, can you post a link where you bought the cables please
Great work, thank you for sharing your work, can you post a link where you bought the cables please