moving batteries under console

[GodsReel]

anybody know what gauge wire i should use for a 15-16' run of cable for a 225 fs yami?

[NoBones]

The bigger the better!!!
I have two under the console with 1/0 tin coated copper.

See ya, Ken

[GodsReel]

ken do you have that twin optima battery holder?

[BigLew]

Get yourself a West Marine catalog and there is usually a chart that will give you the proper gage wire needed based on the amperage being run and the length over which it is being run. Keep in mind the length is the total round trip of both the hot and return line. Usully two charts; one for 3% or less line drop and the other for 10% line drop. Intended purpose of the circuit determines which chart to use.

Example: 35' circuit at 250-300 amps or 50% of CCA's requires OO or O AWG wire. Big, stiff and heavy; also very expensive!

[Old'sCool]

Blue Seas has one

http://bluesea.com/resources/7

[Fr. Frank]

anybody know what gauge wire i should use for a 15-16' run of cable for a 225 fs yami?

Ken is right, the bigger the better. If the chart calls for 2/0 use 1/0, if it calls for 1/0 use O ga.
Also make sure you use tinned aluminim marine grade wire or cable, NOT copper. Copper builds verdigris (copper oxide) quickly in a salt environment, and connectors end up fairly corroded, with significant degradation and impedance, after only a couple of years.

Buying in bulk can save you LOTS of money. I priced 0 ga. tinned aluminum for my boat, and two 12' runs (48' LOA) from West Marine would have cost me over $200. I contacted an electrical supply house in Connecticut, and got the remains of a spool of three-conductor tinned aluminum electrical cable in 0 awg for $105 including truck freight. Originally a 250' spool, there was over 120' left on it. I made the runs for the batteries to under the helm seat, and used the remainder for a cable to hook my 15kW generator to the house, replacing the original 2/0 25' cable, and moving the noisy generator around the corner of the garage. Sweet!

[KenB]

There is an internet marine wiring place I have used that is pretty good.

There used to be 2 websites, but one stopped doing business.

[Cheg]

I just returned Nigel Calder's book on boat wiring to the library so I can't confirm the percentage, but copper conducts significantly more current than aluminum per. mm.(30% sticks in my mind ?) He recomends copper with adhesive lined heat shrink at the connectors. If its 15 feet to the motor use 30' (to and from) in the charts. After reading the chapters on batteries and wiring I've decided to place my main cranking battery much closer to the motor with another battery in the console and tieing them together, with a selector switch, with something around 2awg. If someone knows a reason why I shouldn't do it this way I would appreciate some feed back.

[dbiscayne]

small wire size to bigger #3, 2, 1, 0, 1/0, 2/0, ...

[uncleboo]

http://genuinedealz.com/voltage-drop.html
Maybe this will help.