Does anyone know what 6 mm automotive wire is rated at in amps?
Allan
exa41 said
01:31 PM Sep 16, 2015
40 amps should be safe ,
Phil C said
03:18 PM Sep 16, 2015
Found this table, 6mm square is around 2 or 3 AWG
Guys the table I inserted was copyright in the USA, so it is removed. I found it on google so one assumes its public domain, obviously not so. For this information go to google, its full of useful information on this subject.
Cindy, if I have breached forum rules I apologise.
Cheers
-- Edited by Phil C on Thursday 17th of September 2015 11:55:59 AM
migra said
03:20 PM Sep 16, 2015
6mm is about 15 amps however you need to know the length of the wire to be accurate.
e.g. 3M length of 6mm is about about 25A
03_Troopy said
06:21 PM Sep 16, 2015
6mm auto wire is about 4.2mm˛ which has a continuous rating of approx 35A. However, voltage drop would dictate it unwise to use it at full capacity.
-- Edited by 03_Troopy on Wednesday 16th of September 2015 06:26:26 PM
So what size wire do i need for an Anderson plug on the back of the car to charge the van battery?
Allan
03_Troopy said
08:06 PM Sep 16, 2015
You would be best of going with 6 B&S twin sheathed, which is 13.5mm˛ into a 50A Anderson PLug. The reason for doing this is to try and keep voltage drop down to a minimum. Run both POS and NEG all the way back to the battery and enclose it in some convoluted conduit where it runs under the car if you need to do that.
If you have a variable voltage alternator, you will need to fit a DC to DC charger close to the batteries you want to charge. You could use a "voltage booster diode" fitted to your alternator sense wire instead, but I believe the DC-DC charger is a better option.
PeterD said
10:05 AM Sep 17, 2015
Allany wrote:
Does anyone know what 6 mm automotive wire is rated at in amps?
Alan, by now you will have gathered there is no easy answer to your question. When you see a rating for maximum current, that rating is the maximum current that can pass through it without overheating it. The heat is produced as a result of the voltage drop along the wire. If your wire is being used at its maximum rating and it is aver a couple of metres long you will probably have too much voltage loss for the appliance being supplied to work at its optimum capacity. Another way of expressing this is - if you design your caravan wiring circuits using the current ratings of your cable then you are guaranteed to be using wire that is too small.
The info given in some of the replies reflects what I am saying. If you don't have one of these many tables at hand you can work out the size cable then you can use the following formula.
Voltage drop = Length of conductor in metres x Current in amps x 0.017 divided by conductor cross section is sq. mm
This comes from this article. There is an explanation of how to use the formula in that article more discussion on the subject. There are more articles on van and trailer wiring on this page.
in transit said
04:48 PM Sep 18, 2015
I have noticed that some Jaycar staff have an app on their phone. I think this is it.
Just input source Voltage, Power/Current, and Distance and Wire Gauge Calculator will calculate the needed wire size in AWG and Circular Mils. Results given for both Copper and Aluminum Wire.
Might be worthwhile if you have enough use for it
Allany said
04:58 PM Sep 18, 2015
The wire that the dealer wired the anderson plug with is rated at 48 amps
I checked the manufacturer web site
I am going to upgrade to 6 b&s
Allan
03_Troopy said
02:47 PM Sep 19, 2015
in transit wrote:
I have noticed that some Jaycar staff have an app on their phone. I think this is it.
Just input source Voltage, Power/Current, and Distance and Wire Gauge Calculator will calculate the needed wire size in AWG and Circular Mils. Results given for both Copper and Aluminum Wire.
Might be worthwhile if you have enough use for it
Another good app is Electrodroid. It gives you a lot of useful calculators and converters for electronics enthusiasts.
Does anyone know what 6 mm automotive wire is rated at in amps?
Allan
Found this table, 6mm square is around 2 or 3 AWG
Guys the table I inserted was copyright in the USA, so it is removed. I found it on google so one assumes its public domain, obviously not so. For this information go to google, its full of useful information on this subject.
Cindy, if I have breached forum rules I apologise.
Cheers
-- Edited by Phil C on Thursday 17th of September 2015 11:55:59 AM
6mm is about 15 amps however you need to know the length of the wire to be accurate.
e.g. 3M length of 6mm is about about 25A
6mm auto wire is about 4.2mm˛ which has a continuous rating of approx 35A. However, voltage drop would dictate it unwise to use it at full capacity.
-- Edited by 03_Troopy on Wednesday 16th of September 2015 06:26:26 PM
Allan
If you have a variable voltage alternator, you will need to fit a DC to DC charger close to the batteries you want to charge. You could use a "voltage booster diode" fitted to your alternator sense wire instead, but I believe the DC-DC charger is a better option.
Alan, by now you will have gathered there is no easy answer to your question. When you see a rating for maximum current, that rating is the maximum current that can pass through it without overheating it. The heat is produced as a result of the voltage drop along the wire. If your wire is being used at its maximum rating and it is aver a couple of metres long you will probably have too much voltage loss for the appliance being supplied to work at its optimum capacity. Another way of expressing this is - if you design your caravan wiring circuits using the current ratings of your cable then you are guaranteed to be using wire that is too small.
The info given in some of the replies reflects what I am saying. If you don't have one of these many tables at hand you can work out the size cable then you can use the following formula.
This comes from this article. There is an explanation of how to use the formula in that article more discussion on the subject. There are more articles on van and trailer wiring on this page.
play.google.com/store/apps/details
Just input source Voltage, Power/Current, and Distance and Wire Gauge Calculator will calculate the needed wire size in AWG and Circular Mils. Results given for both Copper and Aluminum Wire.
Might be worthwhile if you have enough use for it
I checked the manufacturer web site
I am going to upgrade to 6 b&s
Allan
Another good app is Electrodroid. It gives you a lot of useful calculators and converters for electronics enthusiasts.
Electrodroid App.