Where to buy 6/2 AWG tinned wire?

[Comodave]

A previous boat of ours had untinned wire in it. Anytime you cut into a wire you found it to be black as far as you wanted to go. The corrosion will gradually work its way down the wire. Then if you put a connector on it the connection will be suspect. Tinned wire is out there, you may have yo work a bit to find it. And boats are built nowhere near NASA standards.

 

[psneeld]

A previous boat of ours had untinned wire in it. Anytime you cut into a wire you found it to be black as far as you wanted to go. The corrosion will gradually work its way down the wire. Then if you put a connector on it the connection will be suspect. Tinned wire is out there, you may have yo work a bit to find it. And boats are built nowhere near NASA standards.

I have taken miles of untinned black wire out of many boats... lots of commercial boats get what's handy at the time.

Those were WORKING circuits most of the time where the wire was removed...the black is where it was exposed between the insulation and wire but pretty copper color a short scratch under the black. A proper crimp will keep that air out and hardly show resistance. Bad crimps sure...but that's not the wires fault.

Sure tinned might be better...and I usually use it for your reasons but wouldn't hesitate to substitute untinned. I like using boats till they drop...not waiting to fix them.

PS.... NASA allows wire connections that ABYC does not last time I looked up their standards.

 

[rslifkin]

My boat was built with a mix of tinned and un-tinned wire. The tinned stuff is all still perfect. The untinned stuff is a mix. Some I've replaced due to corrosion, some is still in good shape, depending on where the ends were and how good the terminations were.

Generally, most of the good, finely stranded (more flexible) wire I find with good insulation (105*C rating, oil resistant, etc.) is tinned anyway, so I just use tinned for anything I touch unless I had a good reason to use something else. That way I can be pretty convinced that even if something at one end is only 99% perfect, that wire run will still outlast the rest of the boat.

 

[Martin J]

https://bulkwire.com/ancor-tinned-marine-grade-battery-cable

2 x50ft single wire will cost you $150

 

[FF]

"Why must every boat be built to NASA , even better standards and always be kept in Bristol condition?"

Sometimes major quality is cheap!

There is a place near Orlando Skycraft Surplus that soells NASA discards.

Silver tinned wire in fat battery sized was cheaper by the roll than untinned auto stuff,so why not?

On the left coast Boeing has a recycle shop too.

https://skycraftsurplus.com

an ideal place for the maker, hobbyists, model builders, audiophiles, artists, and the do-it-yourself electronic enthusiast. We feature electronic parts, electrical supplies, hardware, wire and cable, test equipment, and thousands of hard to find items.

 

[Swede 1]

100' 6/2 tinned $230 from Boemarine.

 

[MOJO]

Why would you deliberately put in untinned wire? The corrosion resistance is far superior with tinned wire. The cost difference is insignificant in boating terms. It never fails to amaze me that equipment manufacturers are still putting untinned wire on new electronic equipment. I only use tinned wire, heat shrink connectors and one size wire bigger than 3% voltage drop. All of these cost a bit more but it is going into a boat.

This is the BEST advice you're going to get! You do not want a voltage sag under load, it just overheats the winch motor and leads to early death. Size up from the 3% recommendation, use tinned, fine stranded wire and make the connections waterproof and bullet proof. You'll only cry once over the cost of the wire & connectors vs. crying over and over again as you replace winch motors, re-do corroded connections, repair wire breaks, etc.

 

[pattormey]

West Marine seems to have it available in many if their warehouse locations. $2.63/foot with Pro account. Call the nearest retail location and I'm sure they will get it in within a day or two.

Model #328031 | Mfg. #123712 Ancor 6/2

As an aside, depending on the power requirement of your davit motor, that 40 foot run has the potential to drop the voltage too much and then run poorly (versus placing a battery closer with a separate switch and breaker).

 

[psneeld]

Ref post 37.......Or, it could outlast you and the next owner..... neither path is guaranteed.

I have seen plenty of even professional crimps fail and cause issues as well as untinned wire do its job for decade

Sure,, go the best route if you want and can...but the alternative with a bit of effort isn't the most horrible thing either.... how many have made emergency repairs that last longer than expected and they didn't leave the boat for weeks waiting for the right wire or part or available service?

 

[SBR]

My "GO TO WIRE SOURCE" Gregs Marine wire shows 6/2 @$2.84 a foot. Best service ever! Cant say enough good about them! I go thru 5-6 thousand $$ a year with them.

https://gregsmarinewiresupply.com/Duplex-Marine-Wire

 

[Tim]

Wire source

Try Fisheries Supply in Seattle

 

[Tim]

Try Fisheries Supply in Seattle. They have a 50 and 100’ lengths

 

[Lepke]

https://gregsmarinewiresupply.com/Duplex-Marine-Wire

 

[Redsky49]

Not sure 12 ga is suitable for any circuit above 30A.... so feeding the main or sub panel 6 ga may be more appropriate.

Otherwise shore power coeds could just be 12 ga.

But seeing it's DC for the OP.... 6/3 would only be needed/desired if going to a 3 wire motor.

12g wire is only good for up to 20 amps max.
For 30 Amps, 110V you should be using 10/3

If using triplex wire for DC circuits, I can certainly envision a.serious mishap due to misidentifying wires.

Maybe rethink this.

 

[rslifkin]

12g wire is only good for up to 20 amps max.
For 30 Amps, 110V you should be using 10/3

If using triplex wire for DC circuits, I can certainly envision a.serious mishap due to misidentifying wires.

Maybe rethink this.

12ga is good for more than 20 amps. Not by house wiring code, but going by the ampacity of 105* C rated marine wire. You only get down towards 20 amps if you've got it in a big enough bundle and run through an engine space.

 

[psneeld]

My 2500 Watt, 30A pass through inverter manual says 12 ga to send to panel for AC connection....but I went to 10 ga.

With all he wacky coloring of marine wire on many boats, I wouldn't hesitate to use triplex to wire a 12V motor on a dingy davit especially if most of the run is away from other wiring. Not like it's a huge danger....and good labeling with correct color heat shrink at the ends should lessen any risk.

If you could buy triplex in red, yellow and a 3rd color.....sure.

Again it comes down to textbook...or what really happens out there on used boats.

 

[ronobrien]

You might try these guys. HW ATEC-Connectors.com /// Electrical Wiring and Electrical Power Specialists

 

[subpilot]

I recently purchased 6/2 from Jamestown Distributors:

https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/product/product-detail/14015