Fuses are critical in any electrical system to protect the cable from a dangerous over-current situation but it is important to appreciate that only the section of cable after the fuse is protected. In  a typical battery installation it is common to find a short section of cable between the +ve battery terminal and the first fuse, and if this section of cable shorts to ground then the fuse is by-passed and will not protect the cable. Normal practice is to keep this un-protected section as short as possible to minimise the risk, but there is a better solution.....

To eliminate this risk entirely these clever fused battery terminal clamps have the fuse built into the clamp itself, meaning there is a direct, solid connection to the battery post and no unprotected cable to worry about.  If you're looking for maximum protection for your electrical system we highly recommend these.

Fuses are available in ratings from 50A - 300A.

Find out more: Fused battery terminal clamps

These rugged LED hand lamps we've recently added to our range are essential bits of kit for those dark winter evenings spent working on your vehicle or boat. Both models have inspection lamp and torch functions and are fitted with powerful ultra-bright LEDs. They also have magnets and folding hooks built into the bodies to provide numerous mounting options to direct the light exactly where you need it.

For additional lighting flexibility the larger model also has a pivoting head, whereas the smaller telescopic model is more compact and ideal for storage in a tool or glove box.

Both lamps come complete with 240V AC mains and 12V DC in-car chargers. Re-charge time is around 6-7 hrs with an operating time of around 5-6 hrs.

Find out more: LED hand lamps

We often take our batteries for granted, assuming they are performing well without really knowing what's going on inside them. Given our reliance on them wouldn't it be good to be able to monitor their condition and ensure that they are not going to let us down?

The Victron BMV 700 and 702 battery monitors do just this by acting as a fuel gauge for your battery or battery bank and providing a range of information including voltage, current, power, Ah consumed, charge level (%), 'time to go', and total KWh charged/discharged. They are simple to install and setup and contain a host of useful features such as alarms, relay output, auto re-calibration and auto detection of system voltage. In addition to these features, the BMV-702 model has the ability to monitor the voltage of a 2nd battery (typically the starter battery).

Find out more: Victron battery monitors

Our range of LED lighting has expanded again this month with the introduction of these 12V rectangular interior/courtesy lights from LED Autolamps. The surface mounted, low profile design is a perfect replacement for existing incandescent lighting, consuming far less energy yet providing a 120º spread of light equivalent in brightness to that of a 10W bulb.

These lights are 148mm long, 71mm high and only 19.5mm deep. Available with black, grey or white surrounds they will suit a range of applications from work vans though to motorhomes and boats.

Find out more: 12V rectangular LED interior lights