Battery Cable types

[tranmkp]

I just have a question - lets use 1 Gauge cable - I can get it with heavy strand (maybe even solid) or many many multi strand fine copper that makes it very supple.

What I want to know is which one has less resistance??

 

[Jethro_Bob]

Solid core wires should never be used in vehicles, or any application where they are subject to movement. Where they flex, they will work harden and break.

 

[Trav]

Solid I would guess have less resistance all things being equal but other factors may come into it like surface area, the solid cable is not for battery cables, it will break. I use 1/0 from this place, good seller all USA made pure copper cable (not that copper coated aluminum crap) with an EPDM cover.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-Ca...057024&hash=item46639b6bee:g:xSkAAOSwq1JZGwdQ

 

[George Bynum]

I just have a question - lets use 1 Gauge cable - I can get it with heavy strand (maybe even solid) or many many multi strand fine copper that makes it very supple.

What I want to know is which one has less resistance??

If the same gauge, AND THE SAME MATERIAL, copper, not copper covered aluminum, the resistance will be the same.

As the two previous posters said, don't use solid. Finer stranding is a LITTLE more expensive, and proper terminations (crimp) are harder to find for the extra fine (often referred to as welding cable or DLO, diesel locomotive cable)

 

[WyrTwister]

In theory , depending on several things , yes there is a difference . For 12 VDC , I can not see it making any difference .

And , yes , you do not want solid wire . In insulated building wire , we do not use solid wire larger than # 10 . Sometimes wire for grounding electrodes may be solid , larger than that .

 

[Donald]

Is this for battery to engine or jumper cables? For jumper cables some people make them with welding cable.

 

[SpitFire6]

Class 5 cable of suitable CSA.
High DC current the Class 5 will drop less volts.

 

[JHZR2]

The stranded cables flex more and are the correct selection for automotive applications. Insulation materials matter too.

Im not sure why OEMs dont use a higher strand count wire, but Id guess it has everything to do with cost, and what they use being "good enough".

I recently had a battery ground cable manufactured by an ebay seller, using 1/0 high strand US made flexible conductor. Im happy with it.

For AC "skin effect" can be a real thing, in terms of use of the full cross-sectional area of a conductor. For DC, this is not a concern. However, flexibility is needed for serviceability, and ability to manage vibration and movement. This all assumes that the actual cross-sectional area is indeed the same (cross section of all the little strands equals what would be the cross section of a larger solid conductor, which I doubt is a viable thing as we progress towards 0 AWG and ultimately the higher MCM-sized cables).