Tips, Tricks And Dimensions For DIY Lifepo4 Battery Cables And Wiring Harnesses

This video is about the things I've learned in making these wiring harnesses. I'll give you lengths and orientation for the cables you will need for building these batteries and even if you are building a different design you may benefit from some of what is shown here.

[@tobyz.3452]

Hey Ray, welcome back! Thank you for the video, it was another great one. Hope all is going well with your recovery...... Thanks Again (GRIN)

[@john_in_phoenix]

The orientation of the lugs and Anderson pins is quite helpful to prevent learning the hard way. When you combine multiple wires into a single lug, you will find that different brand wire and different brand lugs can make a difference. I have also learned that RTV or hot melt glue can seal those really well if you perhaps have high humidity.

[@bwilson948]

You have given some of best info and safest on the youtube world what have you learned to date?

[@LancashireProClean]

Thank you for all the sizes in metric it instantly helps us understand your cable sizing and makes for a more interesting video

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

My pleasure!

[@ComplexSystemsModelingGroup]

I have an adjustable wire stripper made by ancor amd it has an end with notches in it on the other side pre cut for 20 to 10 gauge cable...love the videos Ray..please keep building cool stuff.

[@ComplexSystemsModelingGroup]

I also have another adjustable one by "Stedi" MSP-30. I think the model number.i gt both of them from Amazon for less than 30$, and they work well..and I know your pain my friend a couple of years ago I had a seizure and fell down fracturing my ankle in three places. Ended up with 7 screws 2 tension buttons and 2 plates. Then Teo months after the surgery I tripped over my little chihuahua and fell again and ripped out the bottom two so they had to go in with bigger beefer screws. That hurt worse than the first surgery let me tell you so take the recovery nice and slow don't rush things and always stay safe buddy.

[@ComplexSystemsModelingGroup]

The stedi msp-30 is more robust and sturdy and more expensive too. But it works very well. It's my go-to for large gauge cables bc you can adjust the neck for the thickness of the cable size and the blade height so as not to damage the conductors inside. It's durable, tough, and functional.

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, good connections are inportant

[@JamesAmbrose48]

Great sound and lighting. You really put a lot of effort into your videos.

[@Woodyjims-shack]

Hi Ray, great to see you doing batteries again. I welded metal tubing to stack my batteries then enclosed it in plywood. Your videos have been very useful, thanks. I too have Seplos BMS and hope you make a video on how you set up that BMS software if time allows.

[@marc4322]

Hi Ray, one day you need to make a video about the setup of your manifold and cylinders that we see in the back!

[@jeremyallard5652]

Hi Ray it is good to see you looking so well after your Surgery. I like the way you take the time to explain the cable manufacturing processes, it is after all one of the most important parts of the build when taking the Resistivity factors in. Get well soon and God Bless from Brasil.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Great to see you too Jeremy

[@StimulatedCynic]

I’d like all those videos especially the welding b/c that’s something I need to & wanna learn

[@StansE250]

Knipex are Top Tier handtools 🥂 Speedy Recovery, Ray ! 😇

[@mobilixone1575]

Thank you for all the millimeters! It so much helps to quickly put the things in an order - for me (and all the other european watchers). Especially this AWG system so hard to get into my brain!

[@jws3925]

Ha! Funny, I said the complete opposite. Oh well, to each his own. I have to convert from the metric system to AWG all the time because I have no visual appreciation for a size of wire from Andy (off grid garage) when he mentions a wire size. I have to pause the video and get a conversion table. Sometimes there is no direct comparison on the charts and I have to use the AWG closest to the metric wire.

[@ivanbuckingham2302]

Make all the videos. Then put them into playlists so those that don't want to watch all different things could just go to the playlist that interests them

[@wrstew1272]

Get your own channel and do what you want.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

I have assembled playlists for each of the topics I discuss on the channel. Check it out.

[@MichealG]

Wish you a speedy recovery 🌹

[@energydreamer5347]

Some good stuff young man - many thanks!

[@LivingFree4All]

A new video! I'm at work and can't watch it now but can wait to see it lol ya unless comment none the less😂

[@LivingFree4All]

Can't wait to see it, in too big a rush this morning lol

[@ananddas9389]

thank u for making this video, it helped me understand allot

[@mysticwolf2842]

This is all very good info, some I learned many years ago and a lot that I have to relearn, so these videoscare most excellent not, only on the educational side but very much on the practical side. As a ham radio operator, I need to make connections that are as tight as possible. Radios are expensive, so great connections are a must. These videos can be used across not only solar batteries but this info can also be used in radio as well.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Great to hear!

[@COALCREEK780]

Thank you Ray👍

[@highfidelityinc]

Hi Ray. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. In terms of stripping back large gauge wire, I find using a copper pipe cutter works best. It very slowly cuts though the insulation equally and when you get down to the copper, you can easily feel that you are bumping into copper as you rotate the pipe cutter.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Now there's an idea.

[@john_in_phoenix]

Certainly worth a try, and I already have a pipe cutter!

[@chuxxsss]

Morning Ray, good to see you well, again. Battery manufacturing we learn a lot. Ray, we use red as positive here, and black in negative side.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Yes so do we. I did have some on an earlier set that had black with red heat shrink on the ends to denote positive due to supply issues. Good to see you. Thanks for watching.

[@chuxxsss]

@@RayBuildsCoolStuff Any time Ray, you just get well. Must be killing you not moving about with that leg.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

@@chuxxsss I just feel like bending down and taking off the cast. At least I lined up a bit of work for the down time.

[@davidsoulsby1102]

When using a knife to strip, flexible (small strands), plastic type cables, use a sharp knife and just score into the sheath. then pull and wiggle the insulation as Ray did but a bit harder and add a twisting motion. in no time you will the feeling for it. The problem with those strippers is they dig into the soft flexible insulation and "push" at the cutting edge, this bunches up the insulation a bit like pushing at a floor rug, it needs a sold surface to push against. the knife has that by pushing against the copper. the stripper works great with PVC or XLPE which is much stiffer. Incidentally all these types actually are harder to strip the warmer they get above room temperature, the stretchy effect gets worse. hope this helps....👍

[@houseofancients]

hope your knee heals fast ray.... meanwhile have fun fiddling with the indoors stuff !

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

That's the plan!

[@marcvandaele1878]

I use also Jokari and that works great ,I can do wire from 8-28mm or 5/16”-1 1/8 diameter maybe there are other sizes too, no idea about it Put it over wire, do a few turns and bring it back to the end and done

[@amundsen575]

Simple cheap stripper: iCrimp ICP-240 goes to 4/0 AWG I just ordered one, cost about $10.00

[@gerardhealy764]

Hi Ray, Enjoying and learning from your videos. Do you know of a anti oxidising product that you can put on the exposed copper before placing in the lug.......for awkward fieldwork where you cannot make sure the crimp is gas tight. They use it on 25mmsq earth tape at the right angle joints.... but i cannot find the name.

[@JonOffgrid]

👍👍

[@MyGoogleYoutube]

Three conductors into a single one - why didn't i think of yhat! It would have helped clean up my last install. While I'm sure it's insignificant there is no true way for the adhesive lined heat shrink to seal against three conductors. In a non marine environment it shouldn't matter? Getting ready to do a residential grid tie with batteries. I wish I could go diy but the batteries need to be CE and UL :/

[@thomyk2]

You should start crimping from the other side. First closer to the eyelet and then towards the cable, unless there are markers on the sleeve with numbers.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

When I have done it that way it tends to make the cable creep out of the lug as I tighten the crimp.

[@peterking1134]

Personally , I love a variety of videos… get better !

[@CET675]

Ray, thank you for sharing your knowledge. Could please please tell me where you buy your tools. The wire? Etc.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

The wire, Amazon, shop carefully. The tools, Amazon as well.

[@CET675]

@@RayBuildsCoolStuff, thank you, Ray, for your response. Because of your detailed presentations, It has raised my confidence to create my own off-grid. I live in San Antonio and would love to meet you if you"re ever in my neck of the woods. Cheers

[@CET675]

SeemsYou are very particular about your tools. If it's good enough for Ray, it's good enough for me ( law breaker) lol

[@9111logic]

Hi Ray, nice to have you back, I'm using the "Jokari original" for stripping but I can also do it with a sharp blade, like you do, by just pressing it around the cable rather than slicing and I always get perfect jobs. BTW I am excited as I'm waiting for my first 16 304A to arrive from Jenni who has been extremely efficient as always. - Here's the link for the stripper ___________ kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZOTgHysZ9ejnKM

[@jws3925]

I bought a Jokari and, I don't know, either I am just dumb or it is not all it is cracked up to be because I cannot get this thing to work like you and Will Prowse seem to do. It looks so simple when you all strip a wire. I have practiced and practiced. Sometimes it actually works like it should but mostly it doesn't. I have adjusted and adjusted the blade depth. Doesn't seem to make a difference. One of the main issues is the tool "walks" on the wire. I'd love for this to work like advertised but I'll be honest, I have given up and kind of use the same method as Ray. The Jokari was just frustration.

[@kevinmatthews2620]

@@jws3925 if your like me and a left handed person rotate the auto cable stripper 180 deg in your hand and then it strips ok, just my 2 pence worth from expeerience :)

[@9111logic]

@@jws3925 It can be tricky also because not all cable manufacturers make the cables with the same insulation thickness. I have learned to stay a little shallow, rotate twice but slowly allowing the blade to dig into the rubber and finally pull away again very slowly. This way it seems to work for the most part. When I deal with thicker insulation I just finish the job by pressing (not slashing) a blade into the cut of the Jokary then use my thumb to rip it off.

[@user-jh2ki4tz5s]

What do you do to keep your battery boxes warm, when the temps get below 32

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

I have videos showing my climate controlled solar shed. I hope you will subscribe.

[@gjsxnobody7534]

Any new recommendations for a good cell supplier?

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Best right now seems to be 304AH cells from Jenny Wu [e-mail] they tested great!

[@9111logic]

I had to come back to this video after your suggestion and noticed that the larger gauge used inside the battery is the 50mm - 1AWG which seems to be recommended only up to 150A in fact that is what I have used for my 100A battery. I was going to go for 2/0 gauge for the 200 battery, are you confident enough with the 50mm because is such a short run? If I remember well you have very long runs in the solar shed in order to keep equal lengths, do you use a 2/0 or even 3/0 from the battery to the breakers perhaps?

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

The gauge is only one factor. The rating of the wire is also dependent on the temperature rating of the wire and it’s insulation. The welding wire I use is rated to 105C. Check your rating chart again taking that into account.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

The impassively rating of the wire is 286. The lugs are youse are rated for 90 C and that gives them an ampacity of 260 A. I protect them with a class T fuse and a 175A breaker. I used 2/0AWG wire for the inverter connection and protect it with a 250A breaker though the 1/0 would have worked. Thanks for your questions.

[@9111logic]

​@@RayBuildsCoolStuff Thank you for taking the time to answer. Initially, I had installed 1AWG 2.5m each for both my batteries but, referring to the table at the end of the attached clip, I thought I'd introduce a third isolator and use 2/0 for my 200A instead, my cables are rated 75ºc. After what you said I am debating whether I should live everything as it is 🤔 _______ kzbin.info/www/bejne/rafHn4yprNqDpbc

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

@@9111logic greater understanding is the key to proper design.

[@9111logic]

@@RayBuildsCoolStuff Absolutely, thanks for your wisdom 😉

[@gerardhealy764]

One more 😂 ..... your choice of bms. For the person buying their first bms. Was there a particular reason u went with Seplos over jk or daly. (Maybe u bought it, it worked and u kept going) i would like to be able to connect it to a raspberry pi/ similar without a big learning curve. Thanks again.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

I used the Seplos because it is supposed to work with my Deye hybrid inverters and solar assistant.

[@gerardhealy764]

@@RayBuildsCoolStuff thanks

[@ThinKkBIGG]

If you install a ''heat shrink'' in a lug with 3 cables, it will never be hermetic since it does not surround the cable completely on the sheath. So the center is exposed to air, moisture and other contaminants. Even with glue it does not surround each of the 3 cables individually. Maybe by adding a grease you could have better protection for the copper....

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

I recognize that but here is the strategy I rely on. When I heat the glue lined heat shrink, I get it nice and hot and then massage the glue into the center as much as possible to minimize the unprotected surface area. Here is my comfort for the remaining exposure. The deposition of water molecules will be mostly by vapor diffusion and that is a very slow process that is area dependent. If it were liquid we would flood from the tiniest of openings but water vapor can only deposit on the small area of access. If you seal 95% of the area, you stop 95% of the moisture. The boxes limit air infiltration a bit and the batteries will on average be warmer than the air outside the boxes so the relative humidity inside the boxes will be lower than outside the boxes. Under load these joints will be a bit warmer also which will expel the bit of moisture might be there. It's not perfect but trying to seal in between the wires seems clunky and messy. It has to be a vast improvement over not using heat shrink and we aren't talking about even the same world as the battery cables under the hood of your car that survive at least a few years in their crazy environment. We definitely are concerned about the same thing but those are my thoughts on it.

[@ThinKkBIGG]

@@RayBuildsCoolStuff I simply answered based on your assertion that the heat shrink would seal the 3 copper wires. I don't sincerely believe that you mass it as much as you want, that the glue will be able to go around each wire and fill the center. Especially since the glue, to be even slightly liquid, must be extremely hot and you would surely have severe burns when the glue could move. Honestly, I think it would be better to have tinned copper wires and add dielectric grease as a minimum. Perhaps, also, to try to seal with a ''liquid electrical tape'' before putting on your ''heat shrink''. The ''heat shrink'' will help especially for structural stability and abrasion, but of course also to limit an external point of entry. Steam infiltrates much more easily than liquid water and with a very tight surface will infiltrate by capillarity... Heat will also accelerate the corrosion process...

[@marcvandaele1878]

3 wires seal for 100% is almost no possible, does no matter how and what you use, but I think that your idea Ray, is the way to do it and maybe others do it slightly different but with the same result Make sometimes the copper hot so that moisture get lost 🙈 This is for me one of the best videos!!! Very helpful 👍👍👍

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

@@marcvandaele1878 I really appreciate your comment

[@ComplexSystemsModelingGroup]

Ray knows what he's doing.

[@natesoffroad]

Where do you get your lugs..

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Mostly from amazon

[@stephan.scharf]

Pronouncing KNIPEX is 95% ok, haha!

[@leeeagle5994]

300.50 mm. ?? Or , might you have meant , three hundred fifty ?

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

350 yes

[@jimhupp7685]

Could i work with you and make drawings available to your viewers with a bill of materials.

[@gilbertviloria2366]

I been watching all your videos but I haven’t see any of your battery or your system in service

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Keep watching!

[@jws3925]

Just stick with the American measurements. It gets a bit confusing with you trying to convert on the fly. I enjoy your videos. Have been watching and liking for well over a year now. Isn't building batteries fun........and addicting!

[@MrLandphill]

Kuh - nip - x

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Thanks!

[@patrickmckowen2999]

👍👍