Quote:
Originally Posted by blucassen
I will spend a good bit more time in trying to get most of the connections back behind the electronics panel (where they belong)
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That is the right way to deal with this. A
battery terminal makes a lousy binding post, fuse block, or junction point. There are many reasons for this, and I can see you get it, but for the benefit of others who might be reading, they include:
1. Using the battery terminals to connect wires together leads to high odds of a mistake when the battery is disconnected and reconnected, whether for replacement,
maintenance, or in an
emergency.
2. Anything attached to the battery terminals will corrode, and if you get a shorted cell at some point, it will corrode quickly because of the sulfuric acid vapor that is emitted from teh vents.
3. Too many opportunities for a spark to occur in an
environment that may have an explosive atmosphere due to hydrogen emissions
Quote:
but until then I need to get the DC circuit up and running.
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So to paraphrase, you're asking what the best short-term hack is to connect the existing electronics to the new
batteries. Taken in that light, I offer suggestions.
My first recommendation would be to get suitable size solder-cup lugs and solder slugs, and connect all the wires together in the lug so that there is a
single lug connected to each batter terminal. Del City has the
parts and instructions for how to use them.
https://www.delcity.net/store/Cast-S...20567.h_820357
https://www.delcity.net/store/Termin..._1036.h_103464
You can get these from auto
parts and chandlers also. With solder slugs you don't need a crimp tool, and I find that the soldered connection works better where multiple wires of mixed sizes are involved.
My second recommendation would be to to terminate all the extraneous little wires at a pair of busbars at the side of the compartment, using premanufactured busbars, available from several sources.
https://www.delcity.net/store/150A-C...8aAiO8EALw_wcB
You could also make a busbar that is mounted by attaching it to the battery terminal with a nut and washer. Smaller is better since it's less stress on the battery, just get a tinned coppper rectangle that is big enough to be drilled for all the connections you need. It may take some
shopping to find a place that will sell you tinned copper in onesy twosy quantities. Untinned copper will
work for a while but will eventually corrode leading to poor connections.