Lofrans Tigres Installation help

[Greatlaker221]

Reading the instructions and Nigel Calders book it seems like for the 30' run (15' positive and 15' negative) from the battery to the solenoid, I need to use 2/0 ga cable. The windlass case does not have the room for 2/0 ga wire. I will be forced to use smaller ga wire for the final run from solenoid to the windlass, maybe 2 or 4 ga. My question to the group is: Will the final smaller gauge wire invalidate the whole purpose of the 2/0 ga wire?

What have other Lofrans Tigress users done and what was the biggest wire you were able to fit in the restricted case? I know many of the group have the same model. Thanks

 

[psneeld]

pretty sure stepping down is acceptable.... not sure what some and ABYC think though.

 

[caltexflanc]

Bring the 2/0 up to a circuit breaker appropriately sized for the 2ga, which will come out of it to the solenoid and thence to the windlass. This should be covered in the manual. Make sure there is also at the beginning of the 2/0 run to protect it. You're simply creating a mini distribution panel.

 

[DavidM]

There are two issues at play here: voltage drop and ampacity of the wire. Taking the later first, #2 wire has an ampacity of 210 amps and the breaker near the batteries should be about 100 amps. So the #2 wire is fully protected. You do not need an intermediate breaker.

You should mount the solenoid very near the windlass. It is designed with big lugs to accommodate the 2/0 wire. But the last 1-2 feet or so can be smaller, like #2 gauge to fit the windlass.

So with 30' round trip to the solenoid with 2/0 and 4' round trip from the solenoid to the windlass with #2 and a current of 100 amps the total voltage drop is about 0.3 volts which is fine.

David

 

[swampu]

I set up a 24v battery bank stand alone with a charger about 2’ from the windless. Thus eliminating the large run, it was cheaper than buying the wire, almost

 

[koliver]

My Lofrans Tigres needed to be rewound last summer. I found the feeding of the 2/0 wire was difficult, but not impossible. After all, that was what I removed to get it out. The new wire didn't have the path memorized, so was not easy to feed in.
Try harder and you will succeed.

 

[Greatlaker221]

My Lofrans Tigres needed to be rewound last summer. I found the feeding of the 2/0 wire was difficult, but not impossible. After all, that was what I removed to get it out. The new wire didn't have the path memorized, so was not easy to feed in.
Try harder and you will succeed.

Good information, thanks.

 

[Greatlaker221]

There are two issues at play here: voltage drop and ampacity of the wire. Taking the later first, #2 wire has an ampacity of 210 amps and the breaker near the batteries should be about 100 amps. So the #2 wire is fully protected. You do not need an intermediate breaker.

You should mount the solenoid very near the windlass. It is designed with big lugs to accommodate the 2/0 wire. But the last 1-2 feet or so can be smaller, like #2 gauge to fit the windlass.

So with 30' round trip to the solenoid with 2/0 and 4' round trip from the solenoid to the windlass with #2 and a current of 100 amps the total voltage drop is about 0.3 volts which is fine.

David

Thanks, I have a 100a circuit breaker, planning to locate near the battery and an off on switch. it may be 8' run from the solenoid to windlass.

 

[FF]

Voltage drop from heating undersized wire is by the foot.

A great supply line , till the last foot or two should be no harm at all.