How to make (or where to buy) battery interconnects

[cottonpickers]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make up battery interconnects in the UK? or know where I can buy some at reasonable cost?

I have 4 yuasa NPL24-12IFRs with M5 terminals and I'd like to (ideally) make or buy some nice interconnects.

I'm interested in purchasing some lugs and crimping if others think that would give a good quality result, but I'm not sure whether I need a proper crimper etc. and where to buy the parts or whether there is a somewhere that I can just pick them up with likely better results.  I don't have any welding experience or a welder, but do have some Battery jumper cable that I'd probably look to use.

Any thoughts? any UK supplier names/part numbers to help me?

Thanks for any help.

[Jon Miller]

Hi there,

cpc

Farnell

rs

they all do battery interconnectors.

[cottonpickers]

Thanks Jon.  

Hadn't thought to try those :-) I found lots of 'lugs' and connectors but not cabled up.  Did you mean that they sell made up interconnects? or the parts to make your own only?  Do most people on here make up their own cables? If so, can I use a small crimper or will that lead to weak connections? Sorry to sound a bit hopeless, but I thought I'd try to 'do a good job' on connections this time.

Cheers!

[bob golding]

you can make them up youself,but if you do i would get a decent crimper. you want the ratchet type not those horrible thin ones that come with  cheap crimping sets. any good tool merchant should have one. they are around 12/15 quid. if you cant find one make up your leads and find an auto electrician and buy him a pint. dont buy one from rs!! unless you are feeling very rich.

cheers

bob golding

[jacobs]

I purchase the necessary battery terminals and use welding cable for wire. I think soldering everything together is much better than crimping. Battery acid can't get in and corrode the connection.

[ghurd]

"I think soldering everything together is much better than crimping. Battery acid can't get in and corrode the connection."

Me too.

G-

[TomW]

DITTO.

[rossw]

Not sure the size of your batteries... but I made my interconnects from 1/4" thick, inch or inch-and-a-half wide solid copper busbar I bought from a switchboard manufacturer as scrap.

Here is where the run turns around and heads back - the end one is a little wider and thicker, just to be sure!

As for crimped cables, I did mine with 35 sq mm welding "superflex"

Stripped end

Lug on

Crimped properly

Heatshrink and gland on

Finshed set

I always thought soldering was a better system too, but evidence is that a PROPER crimp acts more like a spot-weld, has a lower connection resistance and is actually superior to soldered connections.

The other problem with soldering multistranded cable is that where the solder ends tends to become a fracture/failure point and cables tinned and soldered thus, often fail prematurely (especially if there is vibration or movement over time).

Good crimps, especially if you seal them when completed, seem to last better and outperform soldered connections.

[bob golding]

yes i have heard that as well, which i why i suggested crimping them. only works if you use a proper crimping tool though. i use crimps on commercial equipment used in the entertainment industry, which is quite hard on leads and stuff. all that vibration and changes in temperature. what does woof think?

cheers

bob golding

[wooferhound]

I have also worked in making power distribution systems for the entertainment business, which also use high currant connectors. The connectors that I use handle 400 amps. In the beginning we crimped all the connections and vulcanized (melted rubber seal) the connector. In the end it was found that connections with Screw Terminals lasted longer and carry more currant without the need to be vulcanized. The wire size is 4/0 and would be quite difficult to solder.

In my RE systems I like to use soldered connections. But my max wire sizes now are 12 to 8 gauge and is fairly easy to solder with a blowtorch. My suggestion would be to solder the connections and use heatshrink tubing to insulate as much of the bare connection as possible. If soldering isn't an option then use connections with screw terminals, and if they aren't available then Crimp the connections. Use Screw Terminal strips for all other connections that are not soldered.