parallel battery distance??

[ngt]

Thanks! I have a question that I didn't see an answer to. If running 2 batteries parallel, does it matter how far away from each other they are? I want one battery on each side of the back of my boat, but running parallel. I have some SUPER heavy wire I can use. Will this be ok? Or do they have to be right next to each other?

 

[Grandad]

The total distance that current has to travel is what is of most concern. The distance between the battery or batteries and where the power is used is much more important than 5' of cable between the batteries. - Grandad

 

[midcarolina]

As long as the wire you describe as super heavy is a large enough gauge to properly handle the load you put on it there shouldnt be a problem.

 

[H20Rat]

The total distance that current has to travel is what is of most concern. The distance between the battery or batteries and where the power is used is much more important than 5' of cable between the batteries. - Grandad

+1 on that! In my RV I have two large deep cycle batteries that are 10 feet or so apart, with 8 gauge between them. Works well, the only heavy draw application I have is starting the generator (which is a large cable to one of the batteries), other than that it is low and slow amp draws (LED lights mainly).

 

[UncleWillie]

There is a lot of info missing from this discussion.
If you are trying to balance the weight side to side, the boat is likely under 8 feet wide. Not a long run.
6 gauge or smaller wire is not consider heavy duty. Super Heavy would assume something larger than 2 gauge.
If the paralleled batteries are going to be used to operate a trolling motor, the wire will not need to be as large as needed to crank a big block diesel engine.

What size and purpose of batteries?
What Gauge wire?
Length of the proposed wire run?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Super heavy duty is meaningless

I used to wire the starters on the diesels at work to the dual 8D batteries with 500MCM cable (that is almost an inch in diameter). then again the battery bank was 21' away from the starter.

0000 did not cut it for that application

what size load
what size battery
what length of run
what voltage (12 or 24)

I rewired my house load on my 24' boat with 4 gauge from the house battery to the distro panel.

 

[ngt]

Sorry i don't know the Guage. I usually use 8 or 10 for wiring. This wire is at least double the size, maybe triple. The batteries are for the trolling motor and fish finder. The batteries are at least 10 feet from either device and are word from a fuse box with 10 Guage wire. I'll use the larger wire to go between the batteries. Thanks

 

[Scott Danforth]

fish finder will run on 16 gauge.

your trolling motor is 50 amps at 12 volt, and at least 30 for a 24 volt. you will need 6 gauge wire or larger for the 50 amps.

too small of a wire is a toaster element.

 

[UncleWillie]

Sorry i don't know the Gauge. I usually use 8 or 10 for wiring. This wire is at least double the size, maybe triple. The batteries are for the trolling motor and fish finder. The batteries are at least 10 feet from either device and are word from a fuse box with 10 Gauge wire. I'll use the larger wire to go between the batteries. Thanks

That says a lot!
If the wire you propose is at least as large as the wire from the current battery to the trolling motor; it will be more than enough.
The cable between the two batteries will only have half the current on it that the cable to the motor will.

"Super Heavy" wire brings to mind something at least as big as your thumb.
If it is near the size of your little finger; it is just battery cable.