Extending Post Size on Vex (Gel) Batteries

[Scott M]

Merry Christmas.

I was wondering if someone had a solution for extending the posts on a gel battery. I currently run two sets of rope lights and a light bar, all three with alligator clips, on two different vexilar gel 12 volt, 8 amp batteries. Now I am wiring up a computer fan (friends business computer died) to push the heat down. I don't like clipping onto alligator clips because then if you bump the batteries something comes undone.

Anyone find a solution for this yet?

[Whoaru99]

Seems like a harness with insulated spade terminals on the battery end and multiple insulated spade terminals (keep "sex" of terminals different on + and -) or some type of 2-wire keyed (to help keep polarity correct) connector on the other end.

I'd probably go with the spades just because I have tons of them and really nice crimpers. OTOH, I've seen some 2-wire molded connectors around (like a trailer connector, except just 2 wires) but don't remember where it was. If you use them just be sure to wire them all the same and for consistency make the exposed prong on the battery side of the harness the - terminal.

[Guest]

I dont see why you just couldnt make a trailer connector harness to hook to your battery terminals, and change the connectors to plug into the trailer harness.. radio shack should have something. Those small alligator clips would probably fit right in the hole and clamp on to the connector and get good enough contact for a rope light. You can do the same on both the pos and neg terminals.

If theres a will, theres a way.

[nytelyter]

ya could always mount a terminal strip somehow and then branch everything from there. then you would only have one battery connection and everything else would hook up to the strip. ... paul

i would think you could even mount the terminal strip to the top of the battery, with some two sided tape.

[PerchJerker]

Quote:

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ya could always mount a terminal strip

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Yep, put in an accessory buss. One connection to the battery, and one connection for each of the accessories you want to run. Try radio shack, auto parts stores, or marine part stores, they should have several options to choose from.