Ever have copper clad aluminum jumper cables fail?

[Johnny2Bad]

Copper Clad Aluminum, regardless of the application, is Junk. Avoid. That's for starters.

Your pricing model is incorrect as aluminum wire does not have the same current carrying capacity as copper, so you need to use a gauge larger aluminum wire in comparison.

Aluminum wire is considerably more brittle than copper and will break strands far easier and more often, making any cable made from it less able to carry current as time goes on.

Be sure you are comparing the correct actual size of wire. If the aluminum is Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Gauge, that is smaller (less current capacity) than American Wire Gauge (AWG). In other words SAE 4 GA is not equal to AWG 4 GA. Welding Cable is always AWG. SAE is special light weight cable for automotive use, to ... well ... save weight.

Buy your Welding Cable instead. No comparison.

If you really need to save money with booster cables, remember that all you need to do is make a chassis ground connection. So your negative cable can be made shorter than your positive cable; it does not need to connect to the battery as your positive cable does. You can simply connect the negative cable to the chassis of each vehicle if necessary. I normally make mine 24' Positive and 10' Negative with 10 metres of 4GA Welding Cable.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Originally Posted By: MarcS
It will conduct electricity for the 4 minutes you use it each decade.

I knew an israeli guy who, lacking jumper cables, would just remove the other battery, invert it and touch posts. Anything you do is better than that.
We used to do something similar in the old days of metal car bumpers-put the front bumpers together, use a piece of 18 gauge speaker wire to join the positive terminals together, wait a few minutes, then start 'er up. Amazingly never melted the wire!


I have started a vehicle by touching bumpers and using the jack handle of one car, held against both positive battery terminals. Wear gloves.

 

[RF Overlord]

If one of those cars is for the wife unit, consider giving her a jump box...battery booster...booster pack...like this. That way if she's stranded she's not waiting for a potentially long time for someone else to stop for her, she can just jump the car herself and go. I have an older version of the one in the link and I love it.

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
If one of those cars is for the wife unit, consider giving her a jump box...battery booster...booster pack...like this. That way if she's stranded she's not waiting for a potentially long time for someone else to stop for her, she can just jump the car herself and go. I have an older version of the one in the link and I love it.


Quality jump boxes are a good idea but that one looks very weak.

 

[CrAlt]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
If one of those cars is for the wife unit, consider giving her a jump box...battery booster...booster pack...like this. That way if she's stranded she's not waiting for a potentially long time for someone else to stop for her, she can just jump the car herself and go. I have an older version of the one in the link and I love it.


Quality jump boxes are a good idea but that one looks very weak.


Ya if you take apart most of those cheap booster packs most of them have a little 8-12ah UPS battery in them.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
If one of those cars is for the wife unit, consider giving her a jump box...battery booster...booster pack...like this. That way if she's stranded she's not waiting for a potentially long time for someone else to stop for her, she can just jump the car herself and go. I have an older version of the one in the link and I love it.


Sounds like a good idea, but in reality it may not help. The jump box needs to be room temperature if it's going to put out decent voltage/current.

So if it's 0 F degrees outside, and the car will not start, if the jump box is in the trunk and is also 0 F degrees, it will not help much.

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: CrAlt
Ya if you take apart most of those cheap booster packs most of them have a little 8-12ah UPS battery in them.


Yep the Clore Jump and Carry i have has one of the 22 Ah sized batteries in it. They're supposed to be pretty high quality AGM too, they weigh 14 lbs.

 

[rustypigeon]

I ended up making another set of cables. #2 welding cable, 20ft long in addition to the #4 15ft set a made a couple of weeks ago.

I was at my local farm supply a couple of days ago and it costs $130 for a copper 2AWG 20ft set. I was able to make my own for $65. They also had 4AWG 16ft copper set for $72. I made the equivalent for $51.

I like how much more flexible the welding cable is compared to standard jumpers. I think having the two cables separate is also an advantage. If you ever had someone try to take control of your jumper cables you know what I mean. With the two separate cables, I can leave one cable in the trunk while I hook the first cable, then I can retrieve the second cable. This will help prevent the other person from hooking up the cables incorrectly since I can maintain control of the ends.

 

[andyd]

Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Originally Posted By: MarcS
It will conduct electricity for the 4 minutes you use it each decade.

I knew an israeli guy who, lacking jumper cables, would just remove the other battery, invert it and touch posts. Anything you do is better than that.
We used to do something similar in the old days of metal car bumpers-put the front bumpers together, use a piece of 18 gauge speaker wire to join the positive terminals together, wait a few minutes, then start 'er up. Amazingly never melted the wire!


I have started a vehicle by touching bumpers and using the jack handle of one car, held against both positive battery terminals. Wear gloves.
Heh heh , that won't work so good these days. If I don't have cables why would I have gloves? Warning, don't try this at home. Maybe to get home though.. former jeep owner

 

[wrcsixeight]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Originally Posted By: CrAlt
Ya if you take apart most of those cheap booster packs most of them have a little 8-12ah UPS battery in them.


Yep the Clore Jump and Carry i have has one of the 22 Ah sized batteries in it. They're supposed to be pretty high quality AGM too, they weigh 14 lbs.




The cynic in me thinks there is no difference at all, besides the sticker (which might weigh 0.99 lbs)

and this UPG battery:

I've weighed many a battery, they rarely match their product descriptions.

The 16Ah odyssey pc680 supposedly weighs 15.4 Lbs, which would make it a lot more robust a battery rated at 22Ah and 14Lbs.

If one wanted a small top quality high cca lead acid battery and was willing to Pay made in USA prices Odyssey TPPL have small sizes and can accept very large charging currents, whereas the UPG batteries generally limit to 1/3 the AH rating, 3.3 amps max for a 10Ah battery.

Limit voltage to 14.7v and the depleted 18AH Odyssey AGm battery can be hooked to a 40 amp charging source. In fact Odyssey indicates this is the best way to charge when deeply cycled or is in need of a reconditioning because of noticeable capacity loss.

I'd not do that to a depleted UPG AGM battery unless as an experiment to see when the sides bulge, thermal runaway begins and when the vents pop.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Pay the extra money for copper jumpers, especially for spousal unit's vehicle. AL jumpers are very poorly made, with lousy clamps. I used a pair once and had the clamps pull off the cables.


I had that happen, so I soldered mine back on. I don't know if you can solder to copper clad aluminum.

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
................. I don't know if you can solder to copper clad aluminum.


You can, it is quite easy actually.