Marine environments are so hostile that sometimes they defy logic. Marine grade wire is "tinned" throughout its length, even under the insulation. The theory, I believe, is that corrosive water vapor (i.e. salt) can be drawn up the wire by capillary action and eat copper over time. This sort of makes sense to me.<br /><br />What doesn't make sense is a recommendation that leads be crimped, but NOT soldered to the various types of connectors (spade, barrel, etc). I don't know where I saw this but isn't a soldered connection always better? If memory serves, it was also a corrosion issue of some kind?
Soldered terminals on coax were always a better connection. All that has changed in the last few years and, again
if done properly, the crimp connectors for coax are now as good as, or better than the old solder connections.<br /><br />Personally, I will not go back to soldering. I used to but there is simply no need to
IF you can crimp properly. I have never seen a proper crimp fail. Never.<br /><br />*There is an exception. As Ralph mentioned in his post above, battery lugs can be soldered to battery cable without any crimping IF the soldered area is not longer than 1 ½-times the diameter of the battery cable. You can get battery cable lugs that are primed with solder and all you do is slide the appropriately sized lug onto your cable and apply heat. I dont use them. I crimp battery cables as well.
