Bought Cable for Power Lines , etc.

[TomW]

I went to my favorite surplus store today intending to buy a winch for my ATV to help with moving heavy stuff like logs, hoisting towers, etc.

I came away with 250 feet of #00 overhead feeder cable in Aluminum. 2 coated conductors and one bare hanger cable. $135 for the cable.  I did not come home with the winch. Such is the nature of surplus and salvage stores, I guess.

This roll will reach from my turbines all the way to the batteries with plenty for neat install.

I took some photos. They are high resolution so I just put a link to them.

http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery/album50/100_1225

http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery/album50/100_1226

http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery/album50/100_1227

I hope 00 is big enough to carry the power from 2 10 footers and a 6.5 footer because thats what I have going in up there.

I picked up some connection grease for the Al cable and a couple terminal blocks for the transition to my copper cable on either end. I also grabbed 5 GE Tranquell brand 650 volt, 3 pole  Secondary arrestors. Link to pictures:

http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery/album50/100_1229

Seemed like cheap lightning protection at $6 a pop.

Just had to share the good score.

TomW

[electronbaby]

very nice  :-) I like those terminal blocks in the pic with the arrestors. Great score :-)

I think you'll be allright on that distance run.

 Your gonna keep the rectifiers at the tower base i guess...or maybe on the turbine.

[TomW]

Roy;

I had a pile of copper #6 - 4 cable in 50 or so foot lengths all picked out probably 200# and happened to ask if they had anything heavier and longer. He said no but was assuming copper. The other fellow mentioned he had some "#2" rolls in the warehouse. He went and got it and I left the copper there. My measurements say its #00. Half the price per # than copper cable.

Those terminal blocks are steady supply there. I can grab some for you if you might need some. in general they price stuff at 1/3rd of retail new. Its a mix of used and new old stock but always clean. $6 each for those arrestors [new] and $8 per terminal block.

Lots of fun watching things finally pulling together.

Thanks for your comments.

Tom

[Jerry]

Hey Tom.

Looks like I better get some gennys back up in the air. None at the store and only 4 at home right now.

Your catching up with me real fast.

                          JK TAS Jerry

[DamonHD]

Well I just bought the heaviest wire ever for me (4x 4mmsq cores) to route solar PV and wind round the outside of the house.  Overall diameter 15mm (ie >0.5"), so edging into the same manliness category as yours if it stands on tiptoe and speaks deep.  £170 for 50m.  Eeek.

Rgds

Damon

[ZooT]

Heck.......and I was looking at a 30 foot 10 guage extension cord......now I've suffering from cable envy 8^P

[snowcrow]

  Nice score Tom :>  Thats the kind of cable I need for my 10'er!!

Blessings, Snow Crow

[tecker]

That's house drop cable for around 100 amp service about 3 volt drop 250 'at 24 volts .   It's easy enough to get 120 ' in 2" pipe you might want a pull box and lube for 175 ' a pull box for sure with 200 ' .

[TomW]

tecker;

Thanks for the info. This is pretty stiff with 3 together. I do have conduit to the towers [2"] intended for data cable for monitoring, as well as a buried #6 -3 with ground armored cable I use now with doubled conductors. Losing a fair bit in that I am sure.

I will probably go low tech old school on this cable run. It runs near a dilapidated fence line that I need to upgrade anyway. I will probably set railroad switch ties [14 to 16 ft long] as corner posts and run the cable suspended along the fence. It makes a couple jogs in the route but I have enough cable for it now. It will also be out of reach at 8 feet or so and not in any areas equipment goes under it.

All advice appreciated, way over my head now!

Thanks for the response.

TomW

[tecker]

 

Spring must be showing it's face out your way good luck on the upgrades.