Cutting wire on backup battery

[MikeDubreuil]

Does anyone know the legality of cutting the wire from the backup battery and splicing it back together? We would like to extend that length of wire. And if legal, what gauge wire is legal for extending the backup batteries wire?

[pras870]

granted this is not an official answer from FIRST nor am i condoning any such action.

I believe the wire on the backup battery is 18 guage. So I would get a set of 18-22 guage butt connectors from your local autozone (a lot of places have them actually), and splice them together that way. Leaving room on each end to crimp the connectors. Basically:

[Batter]-----[butt]--xtra_wire--[butt]-----connector

While I dont see anything wrong with this, I was suggest posting it on the FIRST Q&A board just to be sure.

[KenWittlief]

There is nothing in the rules anywhere that says you cannot cut, splice or solder wires together.

Personally I would use a Western Union line splice, soldered and covered with heat shrink.

to do this strip about a half inch of wire off both ends, cross them in the middle at 90°, then wrap the one end around the other wire, and wrap the other end around the first wire. when you solder it, it will look like a wire with a bump in it.

BTW - you gotta slide the heatshrink down on the insulation first :c)


LIKE THIS:

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I like Ken's suggestion using heatshrink over each of the wires. I add a third piece to protect the connection from additional abuse. Make it longer then the heatshrink on each piece of wire.

[MikeDubreuil]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

There is nothing in the rules anywhere that says you cannot cut, splice or solder wires together.

True enough, I was hoping there was already a FIRST Q&A on it.