12v ring terminators,wire routing,outlet

[Blacktank]

what i have,
50 feet each size 10 and 12 wire
blue sea 12 circuit fuse box
a pair of basic crimpers
and no money to speak of till next year sometime but dont want to waste what i have on crap


would these ring terminators be good enough?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/25-PC-12-10-AWG-...5d35513ce4


routing of wires
batteries behind passenger seat,fuse box close to them
so passenger's side electrical is easy,just run the wires
drivers side i have a slot cut in the floor to run wires for water pump,light,tv,fan,maybe a car stereo

what i am thinking is run the wire to water pump and light and then something like these with the appropriate size wire to it 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-45A-Ander...Swc49Y8E7d

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ElectroResales-Rig-Runner-Outrigger-4-A-12-Volt-DC-Fused-Power-Pole-Panel/162222133961?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41375%26meid%3D3138606357ce45b795b04f0a075faf79%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dlo%26sd%3D182822203314&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

as an outlet for the others

the other me thinking option would be to just run two large wires across to another blue sea fuse box


so what do folks that actually know what they are talking about think? the run would be about 7 feet to the pump and about 9 feet to where i would put a distribution 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

1:  3M Connectors are as good as it gets.  You're not going to find better ring terminals than these.  Well, special terminals for boats would have ADHESIVE heat shrink to really super seal the connection, but they're more money and you really don't need them.

2:  Not sure why you are looking at Anderson PowerPole connections.  They are used for circuits you're going to be plugging and unplugging, and that doesn't sound like what you are trying to do.  Plus, you really need a special crimper for doing the Anderson connectors.  Think of the Andersons as a much better replacement for cigarette lighter type plugs and sockets.  I'd go with the thicker wire to another blue sea fuse box.

[Blacktank]

would like the distribution box because the fan is a fantastic vent stand up with ciggy plug and wont be a permanent,the tv i want mobile so i can stick it in my giant windows and watch from outside and whatever 12v gizmos i come across that wont be hardwired

really disappointed at the lack of 12v standardized outlet,i knew ciggy plugs were junk when i was a kid and am no fan of usb,actually thought of using a residential blade outlet and just wiring those ends on things

i need an outlet for charging devices and random 12v gizmos not to be hardwired and ciggy plug isnt going to happen so anderson power plug or ???

[Optimistic Paranoid]

would like the distribution box because the fan is a fantastic vent stand up with ciggy plug and wont be a permanent,the tv i want mobile so i can stick it in my giant windows and watch from outside and whatever 12v gizmos i come across that wont be hardwired

really disappointed at the lack of 12v standardized outlet,i knew ciggy plugs were junk when i was a kid and am no fan of usb,actually thought of using a residential blade outlet and just wiring those ends on things

i need an outlet for charging devices and random 12v gizmos not to be hardwired and ciggy plug isnt going to happen so anderson power plug or ???

The only other option I can think of is the plugs and outlets used for electric trolling motors on boats.  These are VERY heavy duty, some of those motors pull 20 or 30 amps, and they are pretty waterproof.  Not submerged, of course, but able to ignore rain and spray. I have one I plan to use as an outlet/plug for portable solar panel.  Many are three prong, but you can just ignore one prong when you wire them.  I think it would be a LOT safer than re-purposing AC stuff, unless you can find a source here for the weird and wacky things foreigners use for AC power.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_14?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=trolling+motor+plug+and+receptacle&sprefix=trolling+motor%2Caps%2C149&crid=2UJB3KE9HK3JB

If you do want to go with Anderson PowerPoles, check out some of the stuff from Powerwerx, this is the go-to source for all the ham operators.

https://powerwerx.com/

[sternwake]

The Anderson powerpole in the 15 and 30 amp flavor can be crimped with a simple dimple crimper, it is the 45's which really should have their special crimper.  I've managed without, but have had a few failures too, and now lightly crimp and then solder.  but soldering anderson is a bit tricky as the solder cannot approach the curved portion of the  contact or it will interfere with the mating aspect and reduce surface area of the contact. 


The crimper used on those ring terminals you linked needs to not destroy the heatshrink when crimping.  Even with the right crimper I have found the heatshrink gets pretty beat up, not that I realy have the right crimper, and according to every site on the net I crimp my terminals backwards, folding the crease into the wire instead of using the dimple on the backside opposite the crease.  I just make sure the crease is split precisely in the middle instead of one side or the other and have never had issues.  I believe it is one of those 'do it this way because it is foolproof'  not considering the person doing it might not be a fool.

Do not be afraid to cut off the insulation on store bought ring terminals and use your own heat shrink over them after crimping.  The all in one kind are most beneficial for those doing it for a living and when time is money.

I try to buy terminals with no insulation, and use my own heatshrink.  Or I strip off the plastic insulation crimp and possible solder too, then slide up one or two layers of heatshrink to act as stress relief.  Depends on the application.

With a 5/16"( or so) Drill and a square file and perhaps a small dab of glue if one files too much, you can make your own Anderson powerpole retainers.

Keep in mind when you cut off the ciggy plug you cut off the fuse too.  If this circuit is dedicated to one thing then one can just use a fuse rated for the thinnest wire in the circuit in the fuse block for that circuit, but I often have 10 gauge fused at 30 amps at fuse block leading to a powerpole which might have something with 18 gauge wiring plugged into it, which needs to be fused for less amperage.

I have been making my own inline low profile fuse  holders, using flag terminal quick disconnects and ATC fuses, rather than buying inline ATC fuse holders.  Mostly I do this to eliminate having 2 butt splices, but one can insert the inline fuse holder's wire into the powerpole contact and eliminate one of those butt splices.  I try to not add any more splices/connections that required, not only from a resistance standpoint but from 'another point of possible failure' standpoint.

 https://www.amazon.com/Hilitchi-Insulated-Disconnects-Electrical-Assortment/dp/B01CXPV5B2/ref=pd_sim_328_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZWM6DBFB08AD4B3286V1

The yellow insulation is designed to be removed for crimping with a snap on cover,  but the blue and red pretty much require special crimping tools which I do not have, so i have been cutting off one side of the insulative cover, and soldering, then sliding red/blue insulation back over the contact, and then  using Amazing goop as a potting compound to make my own fuse holder.  I'll post some pics in another thread for making ones own fuse holder in this method.  I've had too many  purchased inline fuse holders melt, as where the wire meets the quick connects inside the fuse holder was a very pooor electrical connection which caused too much resistance.  12 gauge inline fuse holders should not melt at 10 to 15 amps, but some of them were.

Honestly while the flag terminal quick disconnect makes for a much lower profile  inline fuse,  a regular quick disconnect would be SOOOO much easier, cheaper, and are not all that much bulkier.  The flag terminal crimper, well I really tried hard to crimp these without, and would use my regular crimpers at an angle, then pull on the terminal, and it would slide off then find its way directly into the garbage.  I wasted about 5 before deciding on razoring off one side of the insulation sliding the insulation down the wire, then soldering them, sliding insulation back over the connector then amazing gooping them together.

https://www.amazon.com/Ginsco-Insulated-Disconnects-Terminals-Connector/dp/B01FFCVGBE/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1508260175&sr=1-4&keywords=quick+disconnects



While Ciggy plugs are despicible in design they are Ok at lesser wattages(sub 60 watts), and it is hard to beat their convenience. As much as I hate them I still use them on some things that use about 25 watts maximum.

If you run a secondary fuse block, run thick wire to it in case you later decide to run a bunch more circuits or have one high amp circuit on it.  I'd recommend the secondary fuse block not be inline with first fuseblock, but have its own fused connection to battery (+).

[MN C Van]

If you're short on $ you can go to junkyard and snip eyelets off vehicles; OEMs know what they are doing with wiring.
Join them with a linesmen twist and you can lift the car with it. Well, almost, LoL

You might find fuseblocks that will suit your needs; usually they're molded to fit the chassis, and have other components you wouldn't need, though.

[Blacktank]

wire sizes

would size 10 be fine for one of those outlets i posted in post 1?
would size 10 be fine for the refrigerator? also on the fridge,leave 3 feet of wire in back so i can put it in/take it out or add a blade connection 3-4 feet from the fridge so i can connect/disconnect ?

[Optimistic Paranoid]

10 gauge wire would be more than adequate for pretty much everything including the refrigerator, assuming it isn't a ridiculously long distance away from the battery.  It would actually be overkill for lights and fans and such.

The only places you would want/need larger wire would be:

Power wires from the battery to an inverter.
Wires from a battery charger or converter to the battery.
Wires from a solar charge controller to the battery.
Wires from the engine alternator back to the house batteries.
Wires from the battery to the main 12 volt fuse box
Wires between batteries if you are wiring multiple batteries together.

You would ordinarily be looking at 6 or 4 gauge wire for those, or possibly bigger in the case of a large inverter.

30 amp Anderson Power Poles would be fine on the refrigerator.

[Blacktank]

i'm using 12 gauge on most
the fridge run is about 12-14 feet and if i get one of those 4 outlet boxes there might be more then one thing plugged in and running
looks like i need to invest into a bag of power poles and a crimper,i have thoroughly entered the"nickle and diming me" stage

[sternwake]

The danfoss compressor instructions warn against it sharing a Buss with other devices. This is not only from a voltage drop standpoint, but also a possible 'surge' standpoint, like when one of the other devices on the circuit is shut off.

The electronic unit must always be con nec ted
directly to the battery poles (2). Con nect the plus
to + and the minus to -, otherwise the elec tronic
unit will not work. The electronic unit is pro tec ted
against reverse battery connection.
For protection of the installation, a fuse (3) must
be mounted on the + cable as close to the battery
as possible. 15A fuse for 12V and 7.5A fuse for
24V circuits are recommended.
If a main switch (4) is used, it should be rated to
a current of min. 20A.
The wire dimensions in Fig. 2 must be observed.
Avoid extra junctions in the power supply system
to prevent voltage drop from affecting the battery
protection setting.

Source:


That link also has a chart for recommended wire gauges considering length, and they are all MUCH fatter than one would expect for a device that in theory cannot consume more than 6.5 amps and on average will be half of that. This chart by danfoss makes me so livid when i see that portables come with the cheesy 18awg and ciggy plugs, as the thinnest gauge wire even allowed, according to Danfoss, is 12awg.


Now one can point out that All portable DC compressor fridges that come with 18awg wire and ciggy plugs violate this recommendation and seem to work 'just fine' at least when new. My view is that the copper path from battery to fridge compressor controller needs to be much more reliable than 18awg or a ciggy plug/receptacle can ever approach, and that permanent installs should approach 'ideal' Which means short as possible thick dedicated wiring just for the fridge and fused at battery with its own dedicated fuse at the battery.

I would have , and do have, a dedicated feed to battery (+) fused there for the fridge, but my (-) has to go through my Shunt, which is a huge Buss and shares every load on my system.

I would recommend feeding the fridge separately from any other devices on its own dedicated circuit. The higher the 12v nominal dc voltage it gets the happier and more efficient and reliable it will be.

I use 30 amp powerpoles on my fridge circuit and can access these from the adjacent part of the cabinet when I need to slide my fridge out. I can also hook my wattmeter inline here to see total fridge consumption.
An Extra 3 feet of wire just to accommodate this fridge extraction would just get in the way when inserting it into its insulated cocoon, and I would still need to unhook the DC input to fridge, so the powerpole and shorter wire are ideal, at least for my install.

I now basically only buy 45 amp powerpoles, and if used on thinner wire will just fold it over as many times as required to reach 10-12 awg thickness, but honestly the thinnest I've used them on is 18awg, and one fold is enough.

The Special anderson crimpers are on my list, next time I have some extra bank. That is unlikely to occur anytime soon. Andersons are not cheap though, and wasting contacts by fucking up the crimp can add up too. The 45s are kind of a pain, and I would enjoy the dedicated crimper, but also want any such ratcheting crimper be able to crimp flag terminals or other style connectors with different dies. I;ve not researched the possibilities as my budget puts this acquisition off in dreamland for a while. I know I can achieve a pretty good crimp and then cover it with solder, and protect the wire from flexing where any solder sucked up the stranding might end.

Look into the 10-2 low voltage landscape wiring at Lowes or Home depot. it is not super flexible but on things not requiring that, it is a good deal, and the bigger stranding actually makes crimping easier.

Also consider twisting the wires in a drill leading to the fridge to help negate any RFI produced, or reject any RFI produced nearby.