house battery not charging

I think maybe I had some grease in my terminal end when I made the cable? I used good 6AWG marine grade cable, tinned and crimped (with a bench vise) It just came out. I know exactly when I did it. I had my cables loose in the gunnels after some tidying work, and went to rebundle. I found a pair of cables in the run that were attached to nothing on both ends, so I removed them. I encountered a little resistance when pulling them through and gave it a tug when I probably shouldn't have. I ended up yarding on one of my big red battery cables. I thought it was a different one and checked to make sure it was ok, but I think I missed it. I just pulled the cable right out of the terminal.

It's all clean, looks fine in terms of oxidation, but there is some crud impregnated in the solder. As I said, probably grease.

I did check all of my other terminals and they all remain good, solid, low resistance connections.

I think I'll swap out the fuses on the ACR to circuit breakers. I didn't blow a fuse, but I like a switch much better. You can run out of fuses. Plus, I've had mine get moisture in them, just from humidity. I think I'll use a Blue Seas breaker!!
 
I used good 6AWG marine grade cable, tinned and crimped (with a bench vise) It just came out
Click to expand...

The crimper noted above will not work with any cable smaller than #10. I use one of the hammer crimpers for that size. These can be used in a vise, and that is what I assumed that Kushtaka did to get the correct type of compression. Just squeezing in a vise will not work.
214080.jpg


There are hydraulic crimpers, and variable size hammer crimpers which will work also.
Z-132_fo5oy.jpg

Harbor Freight has a hydraulic, but the dies are not precise for AWG cable. Some have modified them with a Demel tool. image_11366.png
image_11428.png

Also compound lever tools:

bfad56a6-95ea-4b58-a309-9996a1333cfe_1000.jpg

In some sizes a Nicopress tool will work.

In a few cases I have soldered as well as pressed (first), but there are those who are against soldering--unless you can support the cable near the solder joint (which I do) Also good heavy shrink tubing will help to support a joint.
 
No question that the rotary dies which Brent mentions are superior. A professional electrician should have them. I probably should have bought a set 40 years ago--and they would have paid for themselves...and been cheaper then...But I have gotten along without failure, using the other techniques, with some soldered as well as the crimp on over several hundred thousand sea miles...You do want to do a pull test to see if they will fail before clamping down.

Avoid the wing nuts which often come with the batteries. You cannot get them tight enough by hand!
 
Not even close.

I make low tech connections with either a vise grip or a bench vise using tinned cable. Yes, I know. I measure the resistance across these cables and they work fine. This was the first one I've had come apart. It's probably time to get a crimp tool.

Any suggestions on a good crimper that I can also use to make heavy duty halibut tackle?
 
It's funny, I have a set of wing nuts on my start battery that I've been meaning to switch out, and I keep an adjustable wrench right behind my helm chair (and not in the tool box) just for tightening them. If I finger tighten they always come loose.
 
I use nylock nuts and washers on one battery the other a washer, lock washer and hex nut to see if one is better than the other.

I have an Ancor crimper mentioned earlier and plan to order a FTZ crimper soon. New and used ones show up on ebay often and other places but don't need one at moment and I expect local places will add lugs either from them or ones I supply but haven't checked.

No help on making halibut rigs but always wanted a bench crimper
 
I use nylock nuts and washers on one battery the other a washer, lock washer and hex nut to see if one is better than the other.
Click to expand...

There are those who suggest that Nylock nuts should not be used on battery terminals. The reason is the nylon insert may melt (550 F). Also less thread area than on a conventional nut. Also there are stories of the nylon having been heated, and when removal attempted the threaded rod in the battery breaking loose from the lead...This is far more likely to happen in high load diesel engines starting batteries than in a C Dory.

I don't use nylon inserted nuts, also because with time, the nylon is slightly less effective in preventing loosening...

I doubt if you will see any difference in the C Dory usefulness.
 
Back
Top