{"product_id":"plain-battery-cable-25mm2","title":"Plain Copper Battery Cable 25mm² 170A","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlain copper flexible battery cable, 25mm², rated 170A.\u003c\/strong\u003e The same fine-stranded flexible construction as our tinned range, with an untinned copper conductor. Correct and cheaper for dry indoor runs. Not the right choice anywhere it may see damp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhen plain is the right call, and when it is not\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlain copper is fine inside a sealed, dry campervan cabin or an indoor battery cabinet. It is the wrong choice in a bilge, an engine bay, a wheel arch, an outdoor shed or anywhere exposed to salt air, because corrosion wicks up the strands under the lug where you cannot see it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are straight about this because the price difference is small. At 25mm² the tinned version costs only a little more, and at 50mm² and above the difference from our supplier is between 4% and 8%, which is why we do not stock plain copper in the larger sizes at all. If you are anywhere near water, buy tinned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eConductor:\u003c\/strong\u003e plain (untinned) copper to BS EN 60228 Class 5 (flexible), 196\/0.40 stranding\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCross sectional area:\u003c\/strong\u003e 25mm² (nearest AWG equivalent 4)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrent rating:\u003c\/strong\u003e 170A nominal, conditions not stated by the manufacturer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOverall diameter:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9.7mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eConductor resistance:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.80 mΩ\/m at 20°C\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e approximately 0.3kg per metre\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColours:\u003c\/strong\u003e red and black\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThis is not welding cable\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lot of what is sold as battery cable in this country is welding cable, or unspecified PVC single core sold under both names at once. The honest arguments against using it are these. Genuine welding cable to H01N2-D is rated \u003cstrong\u003e100V\u003c\/strong\u003e, not 600\/1000V. Its current ratings are quoted on \u003cstrong\u003eduty cycle\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than continuously, so a 25mm² cable advertised at 300A is a 35% duty cycle figure and only 180A continuous. It is plain copper. Its insulation is rated 85°C rather than 105°C, and UV resistance is not specified.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat we will not tell you is that welding cable is not oil resistant, because it is: the H01N2-D specification explicitly covers resistance to oils, acids, fats and petrols. That claim is repeated all over the internet and it is wrong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eTypical applications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe highest volume size across all three markets. 1200 to 1500W inverter at 12V, 50 to 60A DC-DC chargers, battery to busbar on 100 to 200Ah banks, engine starting on small diesels, 3000W at 24V, 5000W at 48V.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCurrent rating: what the manufacturer actually says\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAMC publish \u003cstrong\u003e170A\u003c\/strong\u003e for this cable as a \u003cem\u003enominal\u003c\/em\u003e current rating, and they publish no conditions alongside it. Their datasheet says, in full: \"Nominal current amperage ratings are provided as a guide only, and can vary depending on the application, condition and environmental factors.\" There is no stated ambient temperature, no installation method and no bundling basis, on any size in the range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe say so because the same number is quoted all over this market as though it were a rated ampacity, and it is not. The datasheet is linked at the foot of this page if you want to check us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSo the derating below is ours, not AMC's.\u003c\/strong\u003e We treat their figure as a single unbundled cable in open air, because that is the usual convention for a table of this kind, and we apply bundling factors following ABYC E-11 practice, which is the most widely used published basis for DC conductor derating in small craft. It is engineering judgement applied to a guide figure, and we would rather show you the judgement than hide it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCondition\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eFactor\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSingle unbundled cable in open air (our assumed baseline)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 to 3 cables bundled or in conduit\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e× 0.7\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4 to 6 cables bundled\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e× 0.6\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e7 to 24 cables bundled\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e× 0.5\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e25 or more cables bundled\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e× 0.4\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngine space or other high ambient\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDerate further, and size on volt drop as well\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese ratings are considerably higher than BS 7671 would permit for the same conductor, because BS 7671 assumes a lower permitted conductor temperature and different installation methods. BS 7671 does not apply to small craft in any case: Regulation 110.2 excludes vessels covered by BS 8450. It is the right reference for a caravan or motor caravan, through Section 721. If you are used to BS 7671 tables, the difference is worth understanding rather than being surprised by.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eVolt drop is usually what decides the size, not current\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 12V a 3% volt drop budget is 0.36V in total, there and back. That almost always calls for a larger cable than the current rating alone would suggest. BS EN ISO 13297 permits up to 10% for general circuits and 3% for equipment vital to safety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWork it out properly with our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/cable-size-calculator\"\u003ecable size calculator\u003c\/a\u003e, which checks current rating and volt drop independently and hands you a configured assembly at the end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat goes with it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCopper tube terminals:\u003c\/strong\u003e 25mm² in M6, M8, M10\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAdhesive lined heat shrink:\u003c\/strong\u003e 19mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDatasheet\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery cable specification on this page comes from the manufacturer datasheet, and you can read it yourself: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0963\/0164\/6204\/files\/amc-pvc-flexible-battery-starter-cable-datasheet.pdf?v=1785877982\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003edownload AMC PVC flexible battery and starter cable (PDF)\u003c\/a\u003e. We host the file here rather than link to the manufacturer, so it stays available and stays the version our figures were taken from. The derating factors above are ours, not the manufacturer's.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cut \u0026 Crimp","offers":[{"title":"Red \/ Cut to length (per metre)","offer_id":57249100824956,"sku":"CC-PL25-R-001","price":7.92,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Red \/ 5 metre coil","offer_id":57249100857724,"sku":"CC-PL25-R-005","price":38.41,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Red \/ 10 metre coil","offer_id":57249100890492,"sku":"CC-PL25-R-010","price":75.24,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Red \/ 25 metre coil","offer_id":57249100923260,"sku":"CC-PL25-R-025","price":180.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black \/ Cut to length (per metre)","offer_id":57249100956028,"sku":"CC-PL25-B-001","price":7.92,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black \/ 5 metre coil","offer_id":57249100988796,"sku":"CC-PL25-B-005","price":38.41,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black \/ 10 metre coil","offer_id":57249101021564,"sku":"CC-PL25-B-010","price":75.24,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black \/ 25 metre coil","offer_id":57249101054332,"sku":"CC-PL25-B-025","price":180.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0963\/0164\/6204\/files\/8-00553-R.jpg?v=1785879684","url":"https:\/\/cutandcrimp.co.uk\/products\/plain-battery-cable-25mm2","provider":"Cut \u0026 Crimp","version":"1.0","type":"link"}