What Do Slave Cables Consist Of?

[gottaluvit]

I hope I have this in the right forum. Mods, feel free to move it if I have it wrong.

Anyway, I picked up a set of slave cables with one end cut off and a big fuse holder inline of the positive cable on the other end. I knew about the cut end before purchasing. My question is, why was the one end cut off from the cables? Was there originally something inline? By the way, this is new old stock 20' cables.

 

[hndrsonj]

What do you mean a "big fuse holder"? Got a pic?

 

[steelandcanvas]

What AWG size cable is it? Sounds like a power supply cable for maybe radio equipment? I don't think it's a slave cable with a fuse holder built into the connector.

 

[juanprado]

Is that off epay with that large 250 amp fuse holder? Saw that and was tempted. It was probably a special purpose cable for a pump, or tool and the end was salvaged.

There are a few configurations and manufactures of those plugs. They can range to just a few amps to power equipment or all the way to 500 amp loads.

 

[gottaluvit]

What do you mean a "big fuse holder"? Got a pic?

Here's a picture.

 

[gottaluvit]

What AWG size cable is it? Sounds like a power supply cable for maybe radio equipment? I don't think it's a slave cable with a fuse holder built into the connector.

It is 2/0 wire.

 

[gottaluvit]

Is that off epay with that large 250 amp fuse holder? Saw that and was tempted. It was probably a special purpose cable for a pump, or tool and the end was salvaged.

There are a few configurations and manufactures of those plugs. They can range to just a few amps to power equipment or all the way to 500 amp loads.

Yes, it is off ebay, and it has a 250 amp fuse. The plugs are VERY heavy built. Do you think the fuse will be heavy enough to jump with the recipient truck having dead batteries? It makes sense that it had an other purpose and had the end cut off then they just threw another end in with it. Heck, the price I paid was the same as just the two ends, so I couldn't go wrong. The seller had more than one available if you are still interested.

 

[quickfarms]

Does the yellow tag, on the cable, have a number on it?

 

[jasonjc]

They don't look like 2/0 cable. It could be the pic thought.

 

[gimpyrobb]

If the fuse is rated at 500amp, I would think it would be fine. If not, find one, or replace it with a copper bar.

 

[tim292stro]

Yes, it is off ebay, and it has a 250 amp fuse. The plugs are VERY heavy built. Do you think the fuse will be heavy enough to jump with the recipient truck having dead batteries? It makes sense that it had an other purpose and had the end cut off then they just threw another end in with it. Heck, the price I paid was the same as just the two ends, so I couldn't go wrong. The seller had more than one available if you are still interested.

Looks like a power cable to a "device". I'm doing something similar to my 20' ISO storage container - it'll let me run a 24V truck outside at high idle and charge batteries or run loads (like a 300W inverter that powers 4' shelter lights) inside "the can".

The fuse sounds underrated for starting, but that's without knowledge of what class/type fuse it is. Fuses will blow at different speeds based on class and type. For instance a Class-T fuse rated at 800Amps continuous could support a 10-second 1200Amp start pulse without blowing, but would blow in a second if there was a 5000Amp dead-short.

Need more info.

 

[gottaluvit]

Does the yellow tag, on the cable, have a number on it?

Yes. Here is a pic.

 

[gottaluvit]

They don't look like 2/0 cable. It could be the pic thought.

I think this means 2/0 wire. It is 3/8". Here's a pic of the lettering on the cable.

 

[gottaluvit]

If the fuse is rated at 500amp, I would think it would be fine. If not, find one, or replace it with a copper bar.

The copper bar sounds best. Not like I can short circuit it anyway, like one can with jumper cables.

 

[royalflush55]

I think this means 2/0 wire. It is 3/8". Here's a pic of the lettering on the cable.View attachment 602698

Looks like #2 wire, not 2/0.

 

[jasonjc]

I think this means 2/0 wire. It is 3/8". Here's a pic of the lettering on the cable.View attachment 602698

That is 2ga wire. That would make good jumper cable for a car or pickup.

 

[tobyS]

Those are for a piece of auxiliary equipment but they use the 500 amp plug. Look on the plug, it says 500 amp in small print. Go ahead and take them apart and when you do, notice the very close parts for the inner rod and the outer ring. I have seen several that had signs of moisture causing a surface arc there. I clean them and put black silicone so the surface distance is much longer and they won't bleed off, or worse. You won't have the telltale white powder on NOS but you should use the silicone. I seal mine entirely with silicone.

That appears to be a #2 wire and not a 2/0. I use #2 for a 100 amp (home) panel and use 2/0 for a 200 amp panel, although by the weld charts they will handle about double that. Originally the slaves had 4/0. Google "welding wire amperage".

If you are using them for jumpers and have enough wire to cut out the fuse and put a new lug on the end, go for it, you don't need a fuse, but you do need to check the wire for heating when you use them. The duty cycle will be lower than 50% with a #2. Every connection can be a place that heats it up, so have as few as possible.

I would recommend replacing the wire with a 2/0 (or 4/0 if you jump a lot of trucks with dead batteries) and I use a denham cover to keep them looking nice (won't fit 4/0). Don't use aluminum lugs, use copper, and double crimp them. Use anti corrosion compound on each joint and put it on the wire prior to crimping.

If you have any problem finding parts, PM me. If you have surplus of these, PM me.

Toby

 

[gottaluvit]

Those are for a piece of auxiliary equipment but they use the 500 amp plug. Look on the plug, it says 500 amp in small print. Go ahead and take them apart and when you do, notice the very close parts for the inner rod and the outer ring. I have seen several that had signs of moisture causing a surface arc there. I clean them and put black silicone so the surface distance is much longer and they won't bleed off, or worse. You won't have the telltale white powder on NOS but you should use the silicone. I seal mine entirely with silicone.

That appears to be a #2 wire and not a 2/0. I use #2 for a 100 amp (home) panel and use 2/0 for a 200 amp panel, although by the weld charts they will handle about double that. Originally the slaves had 4/0. Google "welding wire amperage".

If you are using them for jumpers and have enough wire to cut out the fuse and put a new lug on the end, go for it, you don't need a fuse, but you do need to check the wire for heating when you use them. The duty cycle will be lower than 50% with a #2. Every connection can be a place that heats it up, so have as few as possible.

I would recommend replacing the wire with a 2/0 (or 4/0 if you jump a lot of trucks with dead batteries) and I use a denham cover to keep them looking nice (won't fit 4/0). Don't use aluminum lugs, use copper, and double crimp them. Use anti corrosion compound on each joint and put it on the wire prior to crimping.

If you have any problem finding parts, PM me. If you have surplus of these, PM me.

Toby

Good info. Thanks.

 

[gottaluvit]

That is 2ga wire. That would make good jumper cable for a car or pickup.

Well, I took that advice and used the 2 gauge wire for one kickbutt set of new jumper cables. Long enough to pull behind a car along the highway to jump. Crimped and soldered to the ends that connected to the new parrot clamps I bought. Thanks for the idea of how to use that smaller cable.

 

[gottaluvit]

Those are for a piece of auxiliary equipment but they use the 500 amp plug. Look on the plug, it says 500 amp in small print. Go ahead and take them apart and when you do, notice the very close parts for the inner rod and the outer ring. I have seen several that had signs of moisture causing a surface arc there. I clean them and put black silicone so the surface distance is much longer and they won't bleed off, or worse. You won't have the telltale white powder on NOS but you should use the silicone. I seal mine entirely with silicone.

That appears to be a #2 wire and not a 2/0. I use #2 for a 100 amp (home) panel and use 2/0 for a 200 amp panel, although by the weld charts they will handle about double that. Originally the slaves had 4/0. Google "welding wire amperage".

If you are using them for jumpers and have enough wire to cut out the fuse and put a new lug on the end, go for it, you don't need a fuse, but you do need to check the wire for heating when you use them. The duty cycle will be lower than 50% with a #2. Every connection can be a place that heats it up, so have as few as possible.

I would recommend replacing the wire with a 2/0 (or 4/0 if you jump a lot of trucks with dead batteries) and I use a denham cover to keep them looking nice (won't fit 4/0). Don't use aluminum lugs, use copper, and double crimp them. Use anti corrosion compound on each joint and put it on the wire prior to crimping.

If you have any problem finding parts, PM me. If you have surplus of these, PM me.

Toby

I took your advice and bought 50' of the same brand of copper 2/0 wire. I really liked the flexibility of the real rubber insulation. I then crimped and soldered new ring ends on and attached the 500 amp slave cable ends. Then I made wraps of friction tape every 18" to keep the wires together. Now I hope I never need them!