12v Sockets

[IdahoMan]

And, don't skimp on wire size.  If you want to add an accessory deep-cycle battery, isolate it from the cranking battery using a diode isolator and reconnect the regulator sensing lead so that it 'sees' cranking battery voltage.

Diode isolator or relay(solenoid)?
 
What of wire quality? I am aware of AWG/B&S standards and insulation types, but what of metal quality.. any standards on that? One person on another board was using heavy gauge audio wiring for his dual battery setup. Supposedly for better quality (I'm assuming a resistivity/impurity issue).

[bd]

What exactly are you trying to accomplish with the second battery?  Is it strictly for accessories and toys.  Is it to augment starting when the cranking battery is discharged?  Is it for high draw appliances such as a lift or winch?  A "thumping" sound system?  Before you invest in an isolated second battery, determine what you expect from it and plan accordingly.

Whether you use a diode isolator or relay are personal preference.  Both have pros/cons.  A diode isolator should be rated at alternator capacity or higher and requires rerouting the regulator sensing lead to compensate for voltage loss across the cranking battery diode.  There are no moving parts to wear out, but they require space for mounting and airflow for cooling.  A relay should be rated at alternator capacity, as well, mounted away from radiant heat and requires an energizing lead generally off the accessory circuit of the ignition switch.  There maybe other considerations depending on what you wish to accomplish.

What of wire quality? I am aware of AWG/B&S standards and insulation types, but what of metal quality.. any standards on that? One person on another board was using heavy gauge audio wiring for his dual battery setup. Supposedly for better quality (I'm assuming a resistivity/impurity issue).

You're splitting imaginary hairs!  lol  There's a lot of false information floating about.  Some of it seeded by vendors to promote sales to unsuspecting enthusiasts.  The hype sounds very cool, esoteric, even mysterious, but simply isn't true.  If an explanation or argument sounds very technical and drops a lot of terminology, immediately suspect its validity and whether it will withstand informed scrutiny.  "Oxygen free" copper, impurities in electrical wire causing high resistance... all fabricated concerns to move product or sell an idea.  It's just a fact!  It doesn't matter how many assurances support the hype if it cannot be supported without bias.  If you acquire all-copper electrical wire (no alloys, not copper-clad aluminum) through reputable vendors you'll have no issues - certainly, nothing measurable or demonstrably adverse.

Use suitably-gauged, all-copper cables with appropriately specified insulation.  If you require exceptional flexibility in the cable, or are using "0" or larger cable, consider neoprene jacketed welding cable (naturally at higher cost).  Crimp and solder (60/40 tin/lead rosin core) the cable terminations, then seal the terminal connections to their cables using adhesive lined double- or triple-wall olefin heat shrink.  Jacket the cables with the appropriate style loom and secure them away from excessive heat and abrasion along their lengths using Adele clamps and wire ties.  Always allow some slack in the cables via your routing.  Really, that is all there is to it.  Once you determine exactly what you intend to power up and have estimated the net current demand, post the target numbers and we can assist with gauge recommendations for the length of run.  Just bear in mind material costs - the greater the gauge, the higher the strand count, the longer the run, the higher the cost.

[IdahoMan]

Current status: Putting 12v Cig-Sockets behind the seats.

15, 20, 25 or 30 amps a piece. Each with its own breaker(thermal push or switch type) located next to the socket. Biggest issues are: Where to run the wires and how to get them through the firewall/into the cab.

I don't like to drill, but I may have no choice. Where would a professional do this?
Does the negative wire have to run directly to the source, or can I connect it to the body?

[timthescarrd]

Your wire needs to be sized according to load and length.  If you're supplying 30 amps, and running 5 feet with 12AWG wire, you'll get about .5V drop (so 12V becomes 11.5).  That same 12AWG wire at 30A running 10 feet will lose almost 1 volt.  Your truck electrical system supplies about 14V and you want at least 12V at the socket, but larger gauge wire never hurts, so If you think you need 8AWG, use 6AWG.  The link below has a calculator for voltage drop, just make sure you set it to 12VDC.

Professionals running through the firewall will either use a preexisting hole with a grommet or drill a new hole and install a grommet into the hole, they just usually find somewhere in-conspicuous.

As for the ground, use the same gauge and type of wire (stranded in MUCH better that Solid core for this purpose).  Look at the grounds on your truck, there is probably a 4AWG battery to the engine, 10 AWG battery to body, 10 AWG body to frame, braided strap engine to body, and braided strap engine to frame.  Anywhere you are running 6AWG power or smaller, you should be fine running the same size ground to the body or frame (make sure you scratch away at the paint where you're attaching the ground. 

If you think you'll be using all of these, I would upgrade all the grounds on the truck.  I would go 2AWG battery to engine, 6AWG battery to body, 6AWG battery to frame, 6AWG body to frame (the braided ground straps from the engine should be fine but you can get thicker ones).  Again, make sure all your ground connections are not touching paint or grease so they make a good connection.

Using steel star washers with grounds is typical because the resist corrosion and help to maintain the ground

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

[bd]

I concur with this ^^^^ kept in context with the other posts in this thread.

I disagree with using star washers, however.  GM and various over-the-road truck manufacturers demonstrated long ago that the use of star washers for electrical connections degraded continuity over time because of accelerated corrosion due to increased water intrusion.  A more effective approach is to use flat washers and/or flange bolts/nuts that firmly clamp the cable terminal directly to bare metal that is liberally coated with antioxidant.  All terminations should be tightly crimped and soldered using 60/40 or 70/30 rosin core solder and then shrink sealed with adhesive lined olefin tubing.  This will provide the longest service life. 

Cable routing can be through firewall, or under cab and through floor.  For added protection, positive cables can be armored using Syn-Flex air hose for conduit rather than fabric or convoluted loom and anchored to the body or frame using Adelle clamps.  To increase water rejection, self-sealing bulkhead pass-throughs, available in various styles and configurations, can be employed.  For heavy gauge, high-current feeds, I recommend against using rubber grommets - there is too much risk of eventually slicing through cable insulation from cable movement or grommet failure.  If you choose to install circuit breakers at the sockets, you'll need to protect the wire runs with fusible links installed at the battery, otherwise you run a risk of fire should a supply cable accidentally ground between the battery and circuit breaker.  However, I question the benefit and added cost of "redundant primary circuit protection."

Using the cab or frame for the ground path rather than running dedicated return ground legs should be adequate for your purposes.  But as stated in the prior post (especially if using the chassis as the ground path and high-current additions), the various OE ground jumpers should be upgraded.

Now, I have a question.  In a new unit of time... how many auxiliary sockets are you intending and why such a broad range of current capacities?

[IdahoMan]

Thank you both for your responses.

In a new unit of time... how many auxiliary sockets are you intending and why such a broad range of current capacities?

Let's see... interior uses...

Approximates(rough):
Fridge/Freezer...........................1-5A
Oven/FoodWarmer.....................4-12A
WaterBoiler/BevHeater...............7-8A
Searchlight...............................10-100W+ (See: CPF)
Laptops....................................50-200W+
Adapters/Chargers.....................20-100W+
Radio/Com(maybe)....................5-20A
Other/Unexpected......................

Considering, I'd like to have 4 aux sockets on the interior: two behind each seat in the  speaker cubby hole area. Blazin's idea for the fuse box would work, although I don't want to run wires all over the creation making bulges under the carpet. The channel under my passenger side door sill plate is open and I was going to run a wire or two through there if it would fit, but if the AWG is 6 or higher -especially using SXL- that isn't going to work.

Cab corner drain-holes? Better than drilling?

[bd]

Estimate for an 80-amp maximum draw (20 amps x 4 sockets).  String 2-gauge cable protected by 6-gauge link from a 3/8" junction block mounted on the radiator support adjacent to the battery into the cab through the firewall.  The junction block will allow for future power taps up to about 250 amps combined, w/o crowding the battery post or compromising the starter cable connection to battery.  You will need to drill an appropriately sized hole through the firewall and install either a feed-through junction block or a firewall bushing.  Mount the auxiliary fuse block under the dash near the feed-through and connect the 2-gauge cable.  Run 8-gauge feed wires from the fuse block to the auxiliary sockets and ground the sockets directly to the cab sheetmetal.  You can substitute manual or auto reset breakers into the fuse box.  Of course the cables will need to be suitably routed, anchored and protected from piercing, pinching, impact and heat.  Inside the cab, use GXL or GPT wire for a slight space advantage.

I know you don't want to drill any holes, but I think it is inevitable if you want a clean, organized and safe installation.

[IdahoMan]

What socket type is recommended? Engle, Merit, standard Cig., Anderson, other?

It really depends on what the many appliances, accessories and devices that are made for 12v homes/automobiles use for plugs. For a personal devices like spotlights and fridges I can put my own plug on that I think is best, but for things like cell-chargers or devices that belong to others I'll need some kind of socket that is universal/common.

Each "panel" behind the seat will be on a 40A circuit. The sockets on the panel will have that much power to share amongst themselves.

I'm thinking one standard Cig. and one Anderson per panel. The Cig. for most things, and the Anderson for high-power, sensitive or personal devices.

[bd]

As a reminder, regardless of what sockets you settle on, to safeguard from fire the circuit protection should be no greater than the rated capacity of the smallest capacity socket on the circuit.  So, if you power one 20-amp and one 30-amp socket from a shared fuse/breaker, the fuse/breaker should not exceed 20 amps or you will risk serious overheating and possible ignition.  Two 20-amp sockets can share one 20-amp fuse/breaker... 10-amp and 20-amp sockets on common circuit protection can share one 10-amp fuse/breaker... and so on.  Wire safely.

[IdahoMan]

Yes, thank you for that reminder!

It does disappoint, but that's the problem with Cig. sockets, they just aren't the best socket type. And they are the socket type I am most likely to encounter accessories for I'm thinking.

I don't even know if it is safe to run one continuously at around 20A, if you can find one that high rated (Waytek claims 30A).

[bd]

It is probably safe to assume an 80% of maximum rating continuous duty cycle, unless otherwise stated in writing and UL or similar agency approved.  Many fuses and breakers (not all) are rated at 80% continuous duty cycle.

You could always combine the 'cig' accessory sockets on a common 20-amp fuse/breaker and the remaining sockets on fuses/breakers appropriate to their rating(s).

[IdahoMan]

Anderson PowerPoles appear to be a very popular low and high power DC connector type, but there specs baffle me...

Am I to assume the 45A Powerpoles can only connect to a max size wire of 10ga.? How does that even work when the ampacity of 10ga. wire is 30A max? Let alone taking voltage drop into account: I was aiming toward 8-6ga wire.


IM

[bd]

Del City "Link" connectors and housings

The 50-amp connectors (terminals) are available for 6-, 8-, & 10/12-gauge wire.  Corresponding housings are available in black, gray and red that mate only with like colored housings.  Link cable connectors work quite well for high current applications, but require heavy-duty crimpers because of the bulky size and wall thickness of the terminals.  In addition, I recommend supplemental soldering (60/40 or 70/30 tin/lead, rosin flux) to seal the crimped cable-to-terminal joints against dust and oxidation.

[IdahoMan]

Yes, that might work. Thx.

Would you know of a good source of 50A breaker-switches? (Ex: here, here) I've decided to put one on each panel. It will be the protection and the ON/OFF switch for the sockets.


IM

[bd]

Carling Technologies A-Series rocker data sheet contains specifications relevant to the control you linked.  Since you know the Carling part number (AF1-B0-34-650-531-I) perform a general search for Carling suppliers, then a specific search within the initial results.  Blue Sea is probably manufactured by Carling.