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Old 22-07-2017, 06:29   #1
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Extending shore power cable

I need a longer shore power cable, will2 standard cables plug together?


Yes I could go disconnect mine and try plugging the ends together or spend $20 for a round trip Uber to West Marine to try it. But I'm sure someone already here knows.
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Old 22-07-2017, 06:37   #2
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Yes it will work but you are adding nine more points of resistance .... not a good thing.
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Old 22-07-2017, 06:45   #3
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Besides the extra connections, the wire gauge will not be sufficient for minimum voltage drop at twice the distance.
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Old 22-07-2017, 06:46   #4
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Re: Extending shore power cable

One can buy a cylindrical adaptor which accepts the females on the cable ends. watertight and holds the pins and sockets securely together,
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Old 22-07-2017, 06:48   #5
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Mechanically it will work. But it will now be a 20A cord, not a 30A cord.
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Old 22-07-2017, 06:49   #6
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Will turning the boat around get your connection closer?
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Old 22-07-2017, 06:59   #7
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Wouldn't be twice the distance, only want to use a 12'
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Old 22-07-2017, 07:08   #8
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Yes it will work. I did it for years in my previous slip. I did not have any heavy draws like air conditioning. No, it's not as proper as a single cable of the proper length and gauge. Do check the connections frequently for signs of heating.
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Old 22-07-2017, 07:08   #9
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Extending shore power cable

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
I need a longer shore power cable, will2 standard cables plug together?


Yes I could go disconnect mine and try plugging the ends together or spend $20 for a round trip Uber to West Marine to try it. But I'm sure someone already here knows.


I do it all the time, I have two full length cords and one shorter, maybe half distance?
Anyway works fine and I pull nearly 30 amps, usually around 25.
You have to often as you can't get within one cords length of the source sometimes. Those screw connectors on the cables are I'm sure meant to connect them together.
I also put silicone grease on the connectors, I feel sure a lot of the overheating problems people experience is from corrosion increasing resistance and of course heat.
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Old 22-07-2017, 07:45   #10
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Make sure the point of connection is protected from weather (rain, dew, direct sunlight). An upside down bucket with side cutouts for the cables works great
Use a good dielectric grease on the prongs, then pull apart every few months to check for corrosion or overheating
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Old 22-07-2017, 09:24   #11
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Re: Extending shore power cable

It works just fine, but our boat never draws near 30 amps. I do suggest you purchase the collar that allows you to screw the locking collars together, both securing the connection and providing some level of water protection.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/marin...22?recordNum=6
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Old 22-07-2017, 09:31   #12
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Quote:
Originally Posted by transmitterdan View Post
Mechanically it will work. But it will now be a 20A cord, not a 30A cord.
That sounds about right. I had my boat in a scantily powered yard and had to run two 12 ga. "construction grade" 15 amp lines to the nearest outlet of 100 feet and 50 feet. I noticed I would trip the circuit at about 10-11 amps, although I had good voltage of about 113 VAC at the boat end and I was "within spec" for that with 12 ga. You can find online calculators all over the place; I like this one: Voltage Drop Calculator
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Old 22-07-2017, 10:28   #13
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Measuring the voltage while max needed current draw will tell you if you've under wired it. Hard on power tools to run low voltage but just the fridge may be good. Smoke from the junction is a bad sign
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Old 22-07-2017, 15:56   #14
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Re: Extending shore power cable

Quote:
Originally Posted by transmitterdan View Post
Mechanically it will work. But it will now be a 20A cord, not a 30A cord.
That seemed a little conservative, for AC. So I plugged in some numbers here:

Quote:
Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy View Post
You can find online calculators all over the place; I like this one: Voltage Drop Calculator
This is what it came up with:

Quote:
1 conductors per phase utilizing a #10 Copper conductor will limit the voltage drop to 5.04% or less when supplying 30.0 amps for 100 feet on a 125 volt system.
That's closer to what I'd expect. I don't think you'd come close to a 33% voltage drop. Note that AC can be transmitted much more efficiently than DC. That's why Westinghouse won out over Edison.
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Old 22-07-2017, 17:55   #15
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Re: Extending shore power cable

While your math is probably correct the crummy twist lock connector is a big worry. Having 3 of these in series is just asking for trouble running 30A.
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