Where are you buying your cable?

[dzzz]

And are you using welding cable? I expect welding cable is SAE, not AWG, so it's smaller than battery cable at the same size. But is there any other disadvantage for vehicle use?

For bulk tinned 4/0 battery cable, anything under $7.00 a foor delivered is a very good price. Other than that I don't know prices. This place had good welding cable prices (I have not purchased from them):

http://www.bulkwire.com/wire-cable/welding-cable.html

Ebay has about the best per foot AFAIK.

I've bought bulk tinned marine cable from Jamestown Distributing.

For heavier cable I'm running just 4/0 or #2.

 

[Chazz Layne]

I've been buying from Parts Express, and taking advantage of their free shipping on orders over $98 (cable gets heavy, fast). Order the amount of "1-foot" length you need and they'll send it pre-cut.

Their cable calculator also comes in handy for figuring out just how big a cable you really need: http://www.parts-express.com/resources/power-cable-calculator.cfm

 

[AxeAngel]

I buy 4ga for $1 a foot and 2ga for $1.50 a ft at the local tint/audio installer.

-Sam

 

[07 Elephant]

Airgas.

 

[ldivinag]

local welding supply house.

 

[dzzz]

....

Have you seen these? - cleanest way I've found to take a fused cable off a battery.Peter
http://bluesea.com/category/5/21/productline/overview/378

Yes, I have the double version. It took me a moment to figure out that the threaded post is isolated from the battery.
I am using a T fuse to the inverter instead of these, but otherwise these seem to be the best way to handle big loads.
Do you have your main ground fused? What's the most conservative practice?

 

[ntsqd]

My local battery store only stocks welding cable. Good, high strand count wire and supple insulation, and at a reasonable price. Makes the decision easy. If I feel that the use calls for tin plated, then my easiest, though not the least expensive source is West Marine.

 

[ntsqd]

My 2 meter radio has fuses in both leads. My original radio had a diode inside on the ground side. I much prefer a fuse to having to send out the radio....

I do not think where the fuse is would matter. If it were on the positive post at the battery or on the negative post at the battery then no matter where the short it will still blow once the current exceeds it's rating.
The trick is do you fuse for starting current? Cold cranking can suck a lot of juice when nothing is really wrong. Would suck to blow the fuse just because it is -10*C outside. Seems to me that the positive post is the easier place to fuse for currents lower than cranking currents.

 

[BigJim]

Good Stuff - For High Current DC

Good selection of high current wire.

http://www.dlcparts.com/?osCsid=6124d1894abbc6f89749a688824e72bf

 

[spencyg]

www.hamiltonmarine.com

Of course they are right down the street from my house, so that helps.