tinned wire
 

Getting geared up to install the audio system on my boat. Is tinned wire really necessary? Every wire that I have seen in the boat thus far has not been tinned.

Any body have a good source for tinned wire? power and speaker.

What about blade connectors?

yes .... and best source

http://genuinedealz.com/

I recommend going with soldered connections and heat shrink, especially in a boat. Soldering is really easy once you get the hang of it and is much more reliable. You do not need tinned wire to solder.

I recently installed stereo systems in two of my cars and soldered/heat shrunk everything. Really simple. Key is to have something that can hold the wires (like two alligator clips on a stand) so you have two hands free.

This is a really good how-to video.

http://youtu.be/BLfXXRfRIzY

Also I always use the sealed heat shrink or connecters. That way the soldered connection is totally sealed from the elements and can not corrode.

Buy all my wiring and terminals thru Genuinedealz. Prices can't be beat and you get the added protection of tinned wire. A no loose situation.

I used standard non tinned Monster cable in my home for speaker wire......it's corroded green the full length.


For a tid bit of info, I don't think soldered connections are the recommended, or approved??? method do to it creates hard spots, at the joints. Can break off from the movement associated with boating. But then, if the wire is fully supported at the connections, it's not a problem IMO. Just info I've ran across over time. Crimp and sealed heat shrink is the recommended process.

Throw away those cheap Walmart wire crimpers and cheap crimp terminals!
I use rachet crimpers made specifically for connectors with heat shrink, and also crimpers for double crimping with out the shrink. Search Greenlee, Ideal, and Ancor tools. Pricey, but oh so good. You'd never go back to the cheap crimpers and crimps. :)

I use nothing but tinned wire and also recently started buying it from genuinedealz. My previous supplier went out of business. I use tin coated uninsulated terminals and adhesive lined heat shrink. The adhesive lined heat shrink is awesome. When you heat it up with a heat gun, glue in the inside of the tubing melts and flows throughout the entire connection to completely seal it. You end up with a 100% sealed connection.
The other benefit to the tinned wire (called boat cable) is that the outer covering is impervious to water. If you take a standard piece of wire and leave it in standing water (say in the bilge), eventually the water will penetrate the outer pvc covering and corrode the bare copper wire inside. This won't happen to "boat cable". Even if the copper wire does get water on it, it won't corrode because of the tin coating. It's about twice as much as regular wire, but worth every penny in a boat.
Eddie

Another vote for genuinedealz dot com .... I've had a couple sets of "jumper cables" made by them for some friends and myself, that fit Fountain receptacles (a pair of parrot jaw clamps, 10' of paired stranded wire and an Anderson connector) for ~ $75, a fraction of what it cost to buy OEM. They looked, and performed, just like OEM.

I used the adhesive shrink tubing like Eddie recommended. Its great stuff and seals the joint/connection completely. I got it locally from Oreily Auto Parts.
I did not use tinned wire for stereo, just higher end copper. Neither my batteries or stereo wiring are exposed to any water though.

The KnuKonceptz wire is great for wiring stereos. It is super flexible and easy to work with even in heavy gauges. Priced well on ebay.

I too was looking at Knukonceptz too...what model power wire did you use?

Don't remember exactly other than it was 4 gauge for power and ground to each amp.
Both amps are wire direct to a dedicated stereo battery.

For wire ends and shrink try Del City Wire www.delcity.net

Waytekwire.com
 

Check these out http://order.waytekwire.com/scategor...%20Connectors/

They are not only a connector but they are crimp/solder/heat shrink/sealed connectors. Just crimp the connector on the wire, hit it with a heat gun, the solder in the connector melts, the heat shrink-shrinks and the adhesive (like hot glue) inside the heat shrink melts. At the end of the process you have a crimped/soldered/heatshrinked/sealed connection that was quick and easy. I bought a couple of hundred various types and sizes of butt connectors and terminal ends and have used over half of them up for various projects. A little pricey but super easy and fast to use.

I have done several installs with Kunkonceptz and had good results.
Crimp with solder has worked well for me, no experience heat shrink.

If you look at the specs, they do a good job explaining the amp rating for each wire.
Kolossus is tinned OxyenFreeCopper (OFC). 1/0 is rated for 375amp at 20' for example. $3.95 per foot

The KCA is CopperCladAluminum (CCA). 1/0 is rated for 250amp at 20'. $1.95 per foot
90% Al, 10% Cu

The difference is Aluminum is cheaper than Copper but not as conductive. I dont know about the corrosion resistance of the CCA.
I would stick with the Kolossus tinned OFC myself. Dont know how big of a system you are considering but if there is any chance of upgrades down the road, bite the bullet and install 1/0 main power from the start. Really sucks and twice as expensive, going back in and redoing just because another amp was added later.

Have not seen the Genuinedeals before. Looks like thier cable may have a more durable jacket which might be a nice feature with bilge wiring but all of my stereo installs have been above deck and would not significantly benifit IMO.

A pair of cable shears/cutters slice though thick cable like butter. ($20-$30 at most hardware/box store) MUCH cleaner and faster than nipping and hacking with wire cutters.
example - http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/QUI...e-Cutter-5LMC5


Not sure what OP is asking with "blade connectors"?
I use ring terminals at the battery post and most better quality amps simply insert and screw down the wires.

Use a mini ANL fuse holder, mounted in a dry location. 90% of corrosion problems I have encountered have been at the fuse. Have yet to find a true "water proof" holder. Stay away from the AGU glass fuse type.
http://www.knukonceptz.com/productMa...Fuse%20Holders

I have a set of these type I got from fastnel, they also make the non solder type.

Either would be the only thing to use, completely seals the conection.

Also with US1 on crimpers, I have greenlee and ratcheting types, why have junk tools.

When I mentioned blade connectors, I was referring to the push on connectors that plug into the speakers. I ordered some from Waytek last night.

I think I'm going to order all the wire from Knukonceptz...1/0 Kolossus for power and Karma 12ga speaker wire.

System: All JL audio except for a Clarion 309 HU, M6600 and (2)M1700 amps, 3 M10IB subs, 3pairs of 7.7 component sets.

I use Knukonceptz only for my stereo speaker wires. Can't beat the price and super fast delivery. Has a very high strand count which means very flexible. Don't let the pictures fool ya, The jacket on their wire is insanely thick. Good for abrasion proof, but the heavy soft jacket made it a PITA to run. Very sticky.

Use tinned copper.
The junction blocks are a no frills items. Not a fan of chrome plated blocks.

Thanks for posting this source...I ordered some and they are great...very nice product!

ALso, ended up getting the knukonceptz wire (1/0) and WOW! this is some serious stuff, I didn't realize it when I ordered, but the 1/0 is actually oversized and will not fit in a 1/0 connector without some trimming. Has a 5145 strand count...this is some flexible stuff and has an amperage rating of 375 Amps!

What I've noticed is with that very high strand count, once you cut the jacket back, the strands like to uncompress, open up a bit, making it hard to insert the wire into the connectors.

I swear you could use the wire as a paint brush...strands are that fine