<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">We use the same inner melt heat shrink, I think. You don't know you have a problem, until you cut that pretty heat shrink off 5 years later, and see what is happening underneath.<div>The reason we use the vaseline, is that it remains conductive, so we can precoat the connectors before assembling and tightening. (Windy Dankoff taught us that one)<div>I would see the 3M coating as something to spray on after, but I would be concerned about using it on contact surfaces before.</div><div>I agree, heat can be an issue, so we use a high temp grease for applications were the temp might get over 100 deg F.</div><div>Maybe a combination might work best: grease on the contact surfaces before, and 3M spray outside after?</div><div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>R. Walters</div><div><a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">ray@solarray.com</a></div><div>Solar Engineer</div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span>
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<br><div><div>On Nov 30, 2010, at 9:47 AM, Warren Lauzon wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="WORD-WRAP: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space" dir="ltr">
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<div style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<div>We use the “inner melt” type of heat shrink and have had few problems with
it compared to the standard heat shrink. As far as Lead plated lugs, I am not
sure I see much advantage to them. Also as far as coatings go, most Vaseline and
other standard grease type are way too temperature sensitive, and in hot weather
they just melt away – and they are also great dust/bug/dirt gatherers. 3M and
others make a spray on coating that hardens somewhat that we have found to be
much better. From the 3M website “<font face="Times New Roman">Scotch®
Insulating Sprays 1601 and 1602 are electrical-grade, fast-drying enamel sealers
and insulators in pressurized cans.
<div style="DISPLAY: inline" id="learn0"><span style="DISPLAY: none" id="full_desc"><a onclick="toggleMe('longdescDiv');" href="javascript:void(0);">Full Description <span class="caret">»</span></a>
</span></div></font><font face="Times New Roman">These sealers protect surfaces
against weather, moisture, corrosion, oil, alkalies and acids. The sprays can
afford easy access to hard-to-reach spots. Use Insulating Spray sealers to spray
over insulation on wire and cable splices, as a general-purpose sealer, or for
touch-up insulation on motor windings and frames. Sprays are available in clear,
red or black.”</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">The local Home Depot carries it here, also
some electrical distributors.</font></div>
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<div style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<div style="font-color: black"><b>From:</b> <a title="ray@solarray.com" href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">R Ray Walters</a> </div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 30, 2010 9:26 AM</div>
<div><b>To:</b> <a title="re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</a> </div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery Cable REvistied</div></div></div>
<div> </div></div>
<div style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">HI
Mark;
<div> </div>
<div>Where do you get the lead plated lugs? We used to special order tin plated
lugs from Del City, but they quit carrying them.
<div>I found that the grease or vaseline coating was the most important issue,
though. Tin plated lugs would corrode just like the unplated ones, except they
first would lose their plating.</div>
<div>Lead plated lugs might just be the ticket, except you would still have to
keep the corrosion from creeping up under the heat shrink to the copper
cable.</div>
<div>I've had cables with corrosion going up the cable strands for over 6" past
the lug. And yes we use heat shrink with the sealing adhesive inside; the
corrosion just travels right under it along the surface of the metal. I actually
found electrical tape seals better, it just doesn't look near as good, so we
still use heat shrink, and coat over the heat shrink with the vaseline (or
grease).</div>
<div>
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<div><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal helvetica; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; " class="Apple-style-span">
<div>R. Walters</div>
<div><a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">ray@solarray.com</a></div>
<div>Solar Engineer</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>On Nov 30, 2010, at 9:09 AM, Mark Frye wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
<blockquote type="cite"><span style="WIDOWS: 2; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; FONT: medium helvetica; WHITE-SPACE: normal; ORPHANS: 2; LETTER-SPACING: normal; WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" class="Apple-style-span">
<div lang="EN-US" vlink="purple" link="blue">
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial"><span class="109580316-30112010">I recently worked with a telecom specification that
required lead plated copper lugs on the battery side and I have been using the
same on my own systems for some time now.</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial"><span class="109580316-30112010"></span></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial"><span class="109580316-30112010">How important is it to use lead plated lugs on the
battery side? Is tin plated copper just as good so long as you coat well with
grease etc.?</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial"><span class="109580316-30112010"></span></font><br><span lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">Mark Frye</font></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><span lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">Berkeley Solar Electric Systems</font></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><span lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">303 Redbud Way</font></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><span lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">Nevada City, CA 95959</font></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><span lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">(530) 401-8024</font></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><span lang="en-us"></span><a style="COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.berkeleysolar.com/"><span lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial">www.berkeleysolar.com</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial"> </font></span></div>
<div> </div>
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<hr tabindex="-1">
<font size="2" face="Tahoma"><b>From:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a style="COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org]<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>On Behalf Of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Glenn Burt<br><b>Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Monday, November 29, 2010 6:03
PM<br><b>To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>'RE-wrenches'<br><b>Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery Cable
REvistied<br></font><br></div>
<div></div>
<div style="page: wordsection1" class="WordSection1">
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: cambria, serif; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Hi
Ray,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: cambria, serif; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: cambria, serif; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">I have for my last 2
battery jobs used the Cobra X-Flex in 2/0 size with MTW
rating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: cambria, serif; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><br>At the battery end I
have found the Thomas & Betts 54163-TB lugs, available at my local
Grainger store to be a good match both mechanically and specification wise
(also the correct hole size for M8 terminals in my Concorde AGM’s).<br>On the
usual electrical equipment end, I use a Greaves Shoo-Pin<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: cambria, serif; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">PT131FX20 as the
appropriate reducer to a THHN stranding #</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">2/0 size (available through our local Graybar store,
drop shipped to my office). Because I am using a Sunny Island, of course
nothing #2 fits… so I have two Polaris style connectors in the trough below
the SI where I switch from the Shoo-Pins to four #1 THHN to go up into the SI
batt terminals (two conductors per pole).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">In fact, I am wrapping up one of these installs right
now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Don’t know if this helps,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">-Glenn</span></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>List
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