User Tag List
Results 1 to 10 of 19
Thread: Multi-Strand Wire (100+ vs 8)
-
09-11-2022, 09:08 PM #1
- Join Date
- Jul 2017
- Location
- Wherever I park it.
- Posts
- 470
- Mentioned
- 4 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
Multi-Strand Wire (100+ vs 8)
I sourced some of my equipment from a solar and wind company in Missouri, including 8 AWG PV wire. The insulation felt similar, but the wire was stiff. Since these were the same folks that sold me a decent inverter, and they're knowledgeable--this stuff is literally all they do--I thought nothing of it and ran the wiring from my pass through to the box on my roof.
Now I read the owners manual to my Victron after hooking everything up, and it's saying to never use that type of wire for PV array or solar charge controller. What it pictures as acceptable is much more like the 10AWG I used to link my panels and the 4 AWG I used to feed from my controllers to the batteries.
Is there really a risk or something wrong with using cable that has thicker stands and a lower strand count?2018 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS
2020 Ram 3500 SRW
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7803/4...56f2161a_m.jpg
-
09-12-2022, 04:37 AM #2
- Join Date
- May 2020
- Location
- All over - Full-timing
- Posts
- 2,557
- Mentioned
- 46 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel
-
09-12-2022, 05:06 AM #3
- Join Date
- Sep 2020
- Location
- Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
- Posts
- 1,916
- Mentioned
- 20 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
The wire you used will not be a problem. The lugs in the victron equipment MAY be specially designed for fine strand though. And the difficulty of shaping stiffer wire may stress those lugs more - which could be the reason they insist on fine strand wire.
FYI, electricity runs mostly on the surface of wires. Higher strand count wire has a higher current carrying capacity - for wire of the same gauge.2018 Dodge 3500 6.7 Cummins SRW w/Aisin
2021 Reflection 303RLS
New to RV'ing since 1997
-
09-12-2022, 07:58 AM #4
- Join Date
- Jan 2022
- Location
- Central IL
- Posts
- 406
- Mentioned
- 4 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
Larry and JoAnna
‘23 Chevy 3500HD CCLB DRW High Country 6.6L Diesel, ‘22 Solitude 310GK-R, Hensley BD5
MORRyde 8k IS, QD8000 Genny, Dual 5kVA Quattros
Dual SOK 48V 100ah Server Rack Batts (10kWHr)
-
09-12-2022, 09:51 AM #5
- Join Date
- Jul 2017
- Location
- Wherever I park it.
- Posts
- 470
- Mentioned
- 4 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
Just to be sure I understand you, my use of 8 AWG is running 2 series of panels in parallel down to the solar charge controller (2 series of 210w panels to 1 controller and 2 series of 100W panels to the other). Does that change anything? Expecting voltages around 50 volts and amperages around 25 amp max at 50 volt.
2018 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS
2020 Ram 3500 SRW
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7803/4...56f2161a_m.jpg
-
09-12-2022, 10:41 AM #6
- Join Date
- Sep 2020
- Location
- Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
- Posts
- 1,916
- Mentioned
- 20 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
-
09-12-2022, 11:43 AM #7
- Join Date
- Jan 2022
- Location
- Central IL
- Posts
- 406
- Mentioned
- 4 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
You should be fine, as others have said. If your concerned, give Victron a call about the stranding you are using.
@scott’n’wendy I think dlo is an RHH insulation type, compared to XHH for xlink, and THHN which is likely what OP has. They line up in the NEC as having same ampacity. You can have wildly differing ampacities based on diff applications.Larry and JoAnna
‘23 Chevy 3500HD CCLB DRW High Country 6.6L Diesel, ‘22 Solitude 310GK-R, Hensley BD5
MORRyde 8k IS, QD8000 Genny, Dual 5kVA Quattros
Dual SOK 48V 100ah Server Rack Batts (10kWHr)
-
09-12-2022, 11:51 AM #8
- Join Date
- Jul 2017
- Location
- SW Indiana
- Posts
- 1,981
- Mentioned
- 42 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
John & Kathy
2014 F250 Lariat FX4 6.2L SBCC
2014 Reflection 303RLS
SW Indiana
-
09-12-2022, 12:15 PM #9
- Join Date
- Jul 2017
- Location
- Wherever I park it.
- Posts
- 470
- Mentioned
- 4 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
Thank you all for the replies. From the owners manual, the concern was wire surface area and resistance due to thicker strands. For the life of me I can’t see the difference at such low voltage, but was figuring that might be the reason all battery cable is super flexible multi strand.
2018 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS
2020 Ram 3500 SRW
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7803/4...56f2161a_m.jpg
-
09-12-2022, 05:23 PM #10
- Join Date
- Sep 2020
- Location
- Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
- Posts
- 1,916
- Mentioned
- 20 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
It's because electricity flows on the surface. More surface area...more flow capabilities. More strands = more surface area = more flow = less resistance. Regardless of frequency. Applies to DC as well.
But I really thought the multi strand requirement was going to be about flexibility and putting less strain on the victron lugs.Last edited by Scott'n'Wendy; 09-12-2022 at 05:26 PM.
2018 Dodge 3500 6.7 Cummins SRW w/Aisin
2021 Reflection 303RLS
New to RV'ing since 1997
Bottle Jack
Today, 03:37 AM in Frame