Hi Frans
"> About the aluminium #4 wire:
> I did some
calculations. Aluminium offers little advantage over copper.
>
The sales brochure will try to let you believe something else.
>
The error is that they compare #4 alu wire with #4 copper wire. This
> saves 45% of weight indeed. What they don't tell you (it is also
> forgotten in their data sheets) is that the conductivity of
aluminium is
> less. #4 alu wire has even less conductivity than
#6 copper wire. And #6
> copper wire weighs a lot less than #4
copper wire which they used for
> comparison. Now do the
comparison again... leave the math to you. ;-)
> What is the
weight saved? "
Your math is fuzzy.
Eric Jones
does in fact speak all about the fact that resistance of #4 CCA has same
resistance as #4 Tefzel:
http://www.periheliondesign.com./fatwires_files/Copper%20cables.pdf
also read install manual.
I saved a pound:
http://www.europaowners.org/modules.php?set_albumName=album266&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=1
#6 wire especially with an aft battery will be marginal at best.
Your .5 volt drop may be running the panel but when you crank 50 plus amps
it will be far greater. If you want reliable starts ona cold engine
best go minimum of #4.
That said I was thinking pretty
hard about using #5 CCA. Eric sells Teflon covered CCA. I purchased the
yellow cover CCA. If you were to strip the covering off #4 CCA, you could
easily unwind and make a #5 wire, then heat shrink on some Teflon heat
shrink tube!
Another reason I like the aluminium wire is
although itsaves a pound, it moves CG a bit more forward.
Redo your math.
Ron Parigoris
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