Power Wire: Tinned vs. Bare Copper

[MH Hawker]

Re: Power Wire: Tinned vs. Bare Copper

Not that this directly apply s but I used to build a lot of skid mounted power centers for mine use in the 12470, 3 phase 3000 KVA range and if the wires were tinned and yes we used marine rated wire and it would hold up in some of the worst conditions. Constant exposure to sulpheric acids and the average life expectancy was 10 years. Bare copper was 3 years.

How ever on a fresh water boat it should so just fine for a very long time. I would suggest the OP look at welding cable, it is a lot finer stranded and will carrier a lot higher amp load in a smaller wire and may save a bit of money.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Power Wire: Tinned vs. Bare Copper

I would suggest the OP look at welding cable, it is a lot finer stranded and will carrier a lot higher amp load in a smaller wire and may save a bit of money.

Not true. The number of strands means nothing. Its the cross section of the wire that matters. Its a myth that the stereo installers like to perpetuate. If you go on the net and do a search you will see probably half the people believe this nonsense. Especially at DC, there are no skin effects.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Power Wire: Tinned vs. Bare Copper

Has the op really given this any thought?

Another factor to consider is the cost of electrical system upgrades you'll need if you do have a mega-watt system. The current draw can easily reach in the 150+ amp range which will almost certainly require an alternator upgrade. These are expensive both in equipment and installation cost. Then you'll need to use the larger 0/1 gauge wiring which is about $6/ft as compared to 4 gauge wiring which is closer to $2/ft. With large current draws everything is going to need to be bigger, not just your amps. The law of diminishing returns starts to kick in and your mega-watt system may cost you four times as much while only delivering 6 decibels more output as compared to a more modest system.

So the question is how much power do you need. For most listeners that want a clear top end and a solid bottom end you'll do well with a 500 watt or less system. That should probably be split 40/60 with the lion's share of the power going to the sub woofer system (200 watts for the highs and 300 watts for the lows). This will keep the current draw from your alternator at a more reasonable level while still providing punch and clarity to your system. The cost will also be much less overall and your pocket book (and your ears) will thank you.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Power Wire: Tinned vs. Bare Copper

Even if he has 1200W amplifiers, the average power over time isn't even close to that. Depending on how much time he uses the stereo vs how much time he can allot to charging his batteries determines his alternator requirement. After all, there are plenty of people with trolling motors that deplete their batteries at a high current draw and charge them back up at a lot slower rate.

 

[Grandad]

Re: Power Wire: Tinned vs. Bare Copper

opcorn: Just to stay on topic; if there's a big difference in cost, I'd just use untinned wire and add some dielectric grease on the copper strands before crimping, then heat shrink tubing to seal the grease in. I'm only in freshwater, but I've never seen any corrosion when grease is used. Same on trailer wiring, though I suppose trailer lights and brakes aren't as important as stereos if you're under 30. - Grandad