More Wiring Help

benhardj · #1 08-16-2005, 10:32 PM

I've got my switch panel, battery isolator, battery switch, fuses and I'm ready to start running wire. What sizes and types of wire will I be needing from my battery switch back to my batteries and forward to power my electronics and lights.
I should let someone who knows what they are doing do this, but there's no money left!!
Thanks for all of the help on my last post.

Capt Chuck · #2 08-16-2005, 10:42 PM

Buy this Book. The best $16 you'll spend

Click Here ------->Powerboaters Guide to Electrical Syatems

benhardj · #3 08-16-2005, 11:04 PM

I've been using another book " the 12 volt bible for boats", but I really don't care for it that much, maybe I'll get this one. Thanks for the suggestion.

Miles Offshore · #4 08-17-2005, 12:17 AM

you can find the right size and colors for the wire you will need for each componant in the book (BW and west also have in their catalogs) . My best tip would be that you draw it all out and make yourself a diaghram of what you want to do prior to starting the actual job. That way you will know where you might need and extra ground terminal or power terminal strips. (this will save you time, buku money on wire you dont need and help you with a routing plan so all of your runs will be "neat". good luck- not as hard as it looks- craig

warthog5 · #5 08-17-2005, 01:52 AM

There is a free shareware program called WireSizer 2.0 and it is excelent.

To deturmine your batt cable size you will need a amprobe.
Clamp it around your battery cable and spin your motor before you tear it apart to find out how many amp's the starter draw's.
Starter draw imfo is not easy to find in any manual's.
Then when you move your batteries you have that imfo to inject into the fourmla.