Terminals

Getting a battery connection right first time

A crimped terminal is only as good as the tool used to make it; a poorly crimped ring or spade connector is a common cause of intermittent power loss on a boat that otherwise looks correctly wired. Match the terminal barrel size to the actual cable cross section in mm² rather than to the stated current rating alone, and choose tinned copper terminals over plain copper wherever the connection will see damp or salt air. Heat shrink with an internal adhesive liner gives a better seal at the cable entry than open barrel terminals covered with tape.

Torque matters as much as terminal choice: an under-tightened lug at a battery post or busbar heats up under load and can loosen further over time, while over-tightening can crack the terminal ring. Check the manufacturer's torque figure for the battery terminal or busbar in question, and fuse every positive cable close to its source regardless of how short the run is.