BATTERIES & CABLES

[Lobo]

I've just had the pleasure of hauling batteries out of Lobo and reinstalling same. Actually, I installed new ones.

Before I headed into the job I figured I better come up with a system to facilitate reconnecting the cables to the correct terminal on the correct battery.

I have a lot of cable ties -- I bought a container with 1,500 of various sizes and colours (colors, American friends).

On each battery handle I fixed one tie -- yellow, blue, green or white -- to identify the battery.

On each cable coming into the battery terminals I put two ties of the same colour/color as the battery.

Between the two ties on each cable, I put either a red (positive terminal) or black (negative terminal) between the two ties.

From then the removal and replacement was a snap.

An easy 15 to 30 minute project (time depending upon weather and beer) that should pay you dividends in future.

Dave

 

[j&lgray]

This is a good practice. On the Laurie Ann, I used a black Sharpie permanent marker and labeled the red (positive) cables to what battery they connect to (starter, thruster or house) and used a silver Sharpie marker to label the black (negative) cables. I also labeled the buss bars that each battery powers (house, thruster or starter) plus the ground buss. While you are at, label those little black fuse holders with the silver sharpie to what those fuses power (volt meter, Wallas, bilge pump, etc).

The labels bring calm when you open the hatch to the batteries and suddenly know what it all means.

 

[captd]

Man, those are good ideas.

In the process of changing batterys back some time ago, I dropped a small wire from the cluster without noticing. Could not figure out why some gadget or another did not work. After spending sometime trying to figure it out, I located the missing wire. Now I tie the wires together as they come off the battery and after reading this post I will use colored wire ties.
captd