why all the connections at the batteries?

[jdunmyer]

CGT,
Thanks for that clarification, I thought I remembered well under an amp.

I just installed a 48-volt Battery Minder: http://www.batteryminders.com/batter...er-desulfator/ (list= $314.00, but less from Amazon) and I wanted to check the current draw after the controller went to sleep. Forgot, and it's now parked in the outbuilding where it's normally kept.

Of course, I've now added yet another wire to the + and - terminals, I think it's up to about 4/each now. One of these days, I'll rig it the same as I did on the old CC when I wired it.

The cart is only a year old, and it doesn't see heavy use, but I found that all of the battery terminals were less than optimum tightness. This is a bit surprising, as they were presumably properly torqued at the factory. I had a connection apart when I made that measurement, and things seemed tight then.

I have another observation that's interesting, at least to me: I just am getting into the GE ElecTrak battery-powered garden tractors. See: http://www.elec-trak.com/ for a picture and description. These things are 36-volt, using 6 golf cart batteries, and were built in the early 1970's. What is interesting is that the battery connections are of the automotive-style terminals, NOT the lug-type that are used on our carts. The battery wiring is all #6. I have no idea how much current the tractor draws, especially with attachments, but the traction motor is about 1.5 Hp and the mower blades are about 1/2 Hp, times 3. It would be logical to assume that the entire outfit would draw half its rated current when it's working; I'm told that you can run the battery down pretty quickly if you're running a snowblower. A fella on one of the E.T. forums pointed out that the tractor will have a continuous draw vs. the G.C.s intermittent loading, and the automotive clamp terminals should make for a lower-resistance connection.

Sooo... we have better connections on the tractor, feeding lighter-guage wire, to run a heavier load that's more or less continuous in nature. Although a few people upgrade the wire, it's apparently not all that common.

Also, FWIW: there is only a single connection at each battery except where the pack is tapped for the lights and power lift.