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12-10-2017, 07:23 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
City: Compton
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 105
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Boat Wiring
I am getting ready to install an inverter/charger in the boat. Can you folks give me any advice about where I might get the best price for marine wiring?
Thanks JD
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12-10-2017, 07:33 AM
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#2
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TF Site Team
City: Jacksonville
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 11,670
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12-10-2017, 07:34 AM
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#3
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Scraping Paint
City: CT
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 963
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Call Berkshire wire in Western MA for a local distributor
http://www.bestboatwire.com
Sister co to http://genuinedealz.com , best for already terminated custom lengths
Maybe also try EPM (East Penn Marine)
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12-10-2017, 07:37 AM
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#4
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Guru
City: Solomons, MD
Vessel Name: Branwen
Vessel Model: Hatteras 48 LRC
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 645
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I've had good luck with Greg's Marine Wire Supply. Sometimes they don't have the the sizes or lengths I want, so I try bestboatwire.com. Greg's is often featured on Amazon for slightly less or possibly free shipping, so look in both places. I won't swear that either is the cheapest or the best, but I've had good luck with both and haven't felt taken. BTW - Despite the name, I have nothing to do with Greg's.
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12-10-2017, 08:35 AM
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#5
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Scraping Paint
City: CT
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 963
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Berkshire, Pacer, EPM, of course Ancor are the makers I look for. Not Cobra.
Do you know what Greg sells?
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12-10-2017, 08:43 AM
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#6
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Scraping Paint
City: CT
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 963
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Looks like "Lawrence Marine Products"
Manufacturer: Kalas Wire Manufacturing
No idea if as good
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12-10-2017, 10:24 AM
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#7
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Guru
City: Brookline, NH
Vessel Name: Shalloway
Vessel Model: Defever 44, twin Perkins
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,259
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I go to Bestboatwire or DelCity. Best prices and quality stuff.
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12-10-2017, 08:22 PM
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#8
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Guru
City: Pender Harbour, BC
Vessel Name: Gwaii Haanas
Vessel Model: Custom Aluminum 52
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 3,791
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Buy the good stuff, not Chinesium. Also, get tinned if its to go in the engine room.
__________________
Don't believe everything that you think.
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12-11-2017, 04:31 AM
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#9
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Scraping Paint
City: CT
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 963
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xsbank
Buy the good stuff, not Chinesium. Also, get tinned if its to go in the engine room.
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Tinned goes without saying, IMO everywhere not just engine room.
As to quality, the specific brands I recommended are known good.
As to Kalas, no idea.
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12-11-2017, 05:14 AM
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#10
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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Anchor used to claim their wires were 10% oversized.
As voltage drop is important , using Anchor might be worth a bit extra.
Going one size larger 10 instead of 12 has no downside besides cost.
And remember terminal ends must be made both mechanically as well as electrically.
Simplest is Anchor wire , terminal ends and crimpers.
The addition of a star washer on terminal ends helps to maintain good contact after long use , esp if a heavy current circuit.
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12-11-2017, 05:54 AM
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#11
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Scraping Paint
City: CT
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 963
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Ancor not Anchor.
The other brands I listed are just as good quality, no reason to limit yourself to the one maker, pay the premium for their marketing efforts.
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12-11-2017, 06:01 AM
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#12
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Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,119
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Funny tho, many marine manufacturers dont bother with tinned wire in their power cords or pigtails.
Kinda makes you wonder......
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12-11-2017, 07:18 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
City: Alexander
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 152
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Boat Wiring
After a thread awhile back on batteries, I did a lot of research on tinned wire. Most of what I found was tinning was not needed or was even detrimental. I've always tinned, but I'm now going the other way. Heat shrink is better against corrosion than tinning. When you tin, you effectively turn a stranded wire in to a solid wire that is way more subject to failure in a vibrating environment. I'm going to dig deeper in to this.
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12-11-2017, 07:23 AM
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#14
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Scraping Paint
City: CT
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 963
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No one is talking about the installer doing any tinning, as in soldering.
It's just a higher standard of marine wire to resist corrosion, AKA UL1426.
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12-11-2017, 08:25 AM
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#15
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Valued Technical Contributor
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,775
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugardog
After a thread awhile back on batteries, I did a lot of research on tinned wire. Most of what I found was tinning was not needed or was even detrimental. I've always tinned, but I'm now going the other way. Heat shrink is better against corrosion than tinning. When you tin, you effectively turn a stranded wire in to a solid wire that is way more subject to failure in a vibrating environment. I'm going to dig deeper in to this.
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Tinned boat wire such as made by Ancor or Pacer has every individual strand tinned, so the strands continue to let the cable flex just like untinned wire.
Never solder tin the wire. As noted above it makes it a solid connection with no flexibility and can break from vibration.
And to the virtues of tinned wire on a boat: I have cut many crimp connections on old boats with untinned wire and stripped the wire back to put on another crimp. The wire was green and in some cases had severe corrosion on it for a foot or more back after the insulation was removed. Tinned wire avoids this completely.
David
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12-11-2017, 11:18 AM
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#16
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Guru
City: Inside Passage Summer/Columbia River Winter
Vessel Name: Alaskan Sea-Duction
Vessel Model: 1988 M/Y Camargue YachtFisher
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 8,046
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Here is a place that has not been mentioned yet. I found this on Ship Shape TV. They will rebuild your entire wiring harnesses or just sell you a piece of wire.
https://www.pacergroup.net/
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12-11-2017, 04:15 PM
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#17
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TF Site Team
City: Seneca Lake NY
Vessel Name: Bacchus
Vessel Model: MS 34 HT Trawler
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 7,808
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If you haven't seen the Compass Marine article on wire terninals and crimpers this is worthwhile before your project.
https://marinehowto.com/marine-wire-termination/
__________________
Don
2008 MS 34 HT Trawler
"Bacchus"
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12-12-2017, 11:17 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
City: Alexander
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 152
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Thanks Bacchus, after reading his standards, I would get an A+.
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12-13-2017, 12:53 PM
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#20
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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While I understand the danger of overheating a soldered connection and turning the tinned wire into a solid wire , I usually do it.
My technique is very simple , after the wire terminal is crimped on (to make the mechanical connection) a large roofing soldering copper is heated with a propane torch..
A second or so will flash the solder in the terminal end and the wires , but even 1/4 inch out the wires are still flexible.
Good temperature and SPEED make this a practical solution , esp if you don't have a $75 proper crimper , that is claimed to cold flow the materials together.
Started doing this back when only aircraft mfg had the proper tools to crimp .
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