Jumper cables (booster cables)

mh348

mh348

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I want to make Jumper cables using either welding cable or battery cable... The one's I have are too weak and takes very long to boost a battery so I have to take it to get it charged at a battery centre..

My mechanic has a thick cable which he made using welding cable.. Within a few minutes of using his cable the car starts.. I tried Afrox, but the person there said they first need to know how many amps cable I need...
They have a 400Amp cable, but I'm not sure if that will be too "powerful" or sufficient for a jumper cable..

If anyone here has made their own cables, plz assist.

I found a thread on 4x4community forum, but can't post there yet as they need to approve my account.. Someone there suggested Arc welding cable (no amps stipulated)
 
http://www.afrox-welding.co.za/en/p...cessories/welding_cable/weld_cable/index.html

Clamps http://www.afrox-welding.co.za/en/products_services/arc_accessories/earth_clamps/index.html

Convert area to diameter http://www.onlineconversion.com/circlesolve.htm from this you can calculate (more or less) the current rating of the cables used by the guys in the 4x4 forum link you posted in conjunction with the above table.

What will you be boosting, cars, 4x4s, trucks, caterpillars? And how long do you need them to be?

The 600A cable is just over 10mm diameter so you can't go wrong with that. That's a schiteload thicker than anything you will get in a spares place. You can do standby duty for OR Tambo on their boeings and other guys will admire your girth :D
 
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wouldnt it be easier to just buy cables? They cant be that expensive?
 
syrrano said:
Some decent jumper cables that we stock

http://www.sparxxauto.com/jumper-lead-set-500a-p-38184.html

We also have the heavy clamps available in pairs and the cable in various sizes and lengths if you want to make up your own set
Click to expand...

Oooohh, i have a set like that. Was over R500, but works like a dream.
It basically jumps the car straight from the other car's battery.
You don't need to "charge" your own battery first before jumping.
 
hahaha the cables aren't the limiting factor. The limit is the number of amps the donor car+battery can provide at once - or possibly the TINY contact area between the clamps and the battery terminals.

Most alternators are below or in the 100amp range. A bigger cable won't miraculously "suck" more amps out of the donor car.
 
Ecco said:
wouldnt it be easier to just buy cables? They cant be that expensive?
Click to expand...

Making your own cables is a heck of a lot cheaper, so it's also fun.

Sinbad said:
hahaha the cables aren't the limiting factor. The limit is the number of amps the donor car+battery can provide at once - or possibly the TINY contact area between the clamps and the battery terminals.

Most alternators are below or in the 100amp range. A bigger cable won't miraculously "suck" more amps out of the donor car.
Click to expand...

Correct. But it's nice to not be limited by the cables.
 
Thanks for all the replies. :)

ponder said:
http://www.afrox-welding.co.za/en/p...cessories/welding_cable/weld_cable/index.html

Clamps http://www.afrox-welding.co.za/en/products_services/arc_accessories/earth_clamps/index.html

Convert area to diameter http://www.onlineconversion.com/circlesolve.htm from this you can calculate (more or less) the current rating of the cables used by the guys in the 4x4 forum link you posted in conjunction with the above table.

What will you be boosting, cars, 4x4s, trucks, caterpillars? And how long do you need them to be?
Click to expand...

I'll be using it for cars, and around 2 to 3 meters should be fine.

ponder said:
The 600A cable is just over 10mm diameter so you can't go wrong with that. That's a schiteload thicker than anything you will get in a spares place. You can do standby duty for OR Tambo on their boeings and other guys will admire your girth :D
Click to expand...

Will the 600A be fine for cars or will it be too much power, as I'm using it mainly for cars & 'bakkies'. /:D


supersunbird said:
Why this need to jump so often that this is a problem?
Click to expand...

I don't "jump" that often, but when I need to, I struggle with the jumper cables I have.. As Ponder said, Is good to have a decent set of cables..

Ecco said:
wouldnt it be easier to just buy cables? They cant be that expensive?
Click to expand...

Most if the ready-made cables are crap, it has think insulation which makes it look thick, but inside is just a thin wire...

syrrano said:
Some decent jumper cables that we stock

http://www.sparxxauto.com/jumper-lead-set-500a-p-38184.html

We also have the heavy clamps available in pairs and the cable in various sizes and lengths if you want to make up your own set
Click to expand...


Thanks, I want to first try and see if I can make it, If I don't come right I'll consider buying 1. How many amps are you cables ? and what would a 3 meter cable cost with clamps ?


Sinbad said:
hahaha the cables aren't the limiting factor. The limit is the number of amps the donor car+battery can provide at once - or possibly the TINY contact area between the clamps and the battery terminals.

Most alternators are below or in the 100amp range. A bigger cable won't miraculously "suck" more amps out of the donor car.
Click to expand...

As froot mentioned, it's better not to limited by the cable.. According to one of the posts on the 4x4community forum, they say some of the cables only do about 30A even though it might be rated as a 100A or 200A.
 
mh348 said:
Will the 600A be fine for cars or will it be too much power...
Click to expand...

The cable can't be too much. It will handle any current up to 600A so if you only draw 100A it will still do it's job, it can't add anything to the 'power'. The only way it can be too much is when it comes to price & weight, you are gonna pay more for the 600A as opposed to the 400A simply because it contains more copper. It will also weigh more so might be a bit harder to work with.
 
From what I've read, starter motors can draw anything from 100-300A. Some cars with much larger engines, V8s and bigger diesels can draw above this. If you're wanting to connect to another car's battery and start straight away without charging your battery first, you need cables that are able to draw enough current to power the starter motor.

The 400A should be more than sufficient for most cars. But just check with an auto-electrician.

And as ponder mentioned, the other battery can't provide "too much power". Your car will draw as much power as it needs, unless limited by the cable.
 
GarethC said:
And as ponder mentioned, the other battery can't provide "too much power". Your car will draw as much power as it needs, unless limited by the cable.
Click to expand...

The cable will heat up when it limits the current due to resistance, the same with the clamps on bad contact.
 
true, I've seen a set of jumpers with badly melted insulation as a result of this. Thus why it's recommended to first charge other car's batteries before trying to start the car, so it can draw most of the current from its own battery.

But that's what this whole thread is about, determining what current rating you need on your jumpers to negate the need of charging before starting.
 
mh348 said:
I want to make Jumper cables using either welding cable or battery cable... The one's I have are too weak and takes very long to boost a battery so I have to take it to get it charged at a battery centre..

My mechanic has a thick cable which he made using welding cable.. Within a few minutes of using his cable the car starts.. I tried Afrox, but the person there said they first need to know how many amps cable I need...
They have a 400Amp cable, but I'm not sure if that will be too "powerful" or sufficient for a jumper cable..

If anyone here has made their own cables, plz assist.

I found a thread on 4x4community forum, but can't post there yet as they need to approve my account.. Someone there suggested Arc welding cable (no amps stipulated)
Click to expand...

Just get Power cable form any car sound place...

This should help:
http://voltmax-cables.co.za/rubber_insulated_flexible_cords.htm
 
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