Tinned cable or plain copper?

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Tinned cable or plain copper?

August 19, 2018, 02:04:55 am

I'm ready to order 4/0 cable for my battery , solar, inverter/charger install.
The system is in one of the sealed storage compartments (heated).
Is it necessary to purchase Marine/tinned cable or will regular copper cable suffice?
I see that the factory cable was tinned, but this was in a compartment with plenty of ventilation for the then installed wet cell battery bank. I will be installing AGM batteries.

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #1 – August 19, 2018, 06:50:14 am

Only tinned marine grade cable for me. I rewired a 40 foot sailboat and used these guys. They were good to work with and the prices were good. Also used these.. Also good. And PKYS (Peter Kennedy Yacht Services).
Maybe overkill on a RV, but for the small price difference I would not use anything else.
Bob

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #2 – August 19, 2018, 08:04:42 am

The tinned copper 4/0 cables mentioned above looks like much coarser strands than what I used.. And they are about twice the price of the cable I bought. Make a good estimate of what you will need and add about 20% at least. Buy in bulk if possible. A 50 or 100 ft spool is a lot less per ft than 20 ft pieces. All black is OK. Use different color heat shrink tube. If you are crimping your own ends buy a good crimping tool. Bay Marine has a good one as well as quality lugs, buy in bulk. You will need a good cable cutter too for clean ends.

You want welding cable, Type K stranding. SAE 4/0 cable is slightly larger and has about 2100 strands of 30 ga copper wire vs 1950 strands in AWG Cable. EPDM or PCV covers make them tough and abrasion and oil resistant. High temperature range of 90° C to 105° C. Use heavy duty adhesive lined heat shrink tubing. I used two layers on each end, the second one was longer. Use the corrugated wire sheathing on the plus cables anywhere vibration and abrasion might be a problem.

Flexibillty is key here. This cable is the size of a garden hose. Tinned wire may be great in a salt water boat but a bit less flexible.

I bought about 200 ft of 3/0 and 4/0 cable at Amazon Warehouse deals. A damaged box will cut the price 25%. 8 got a 100 ft of 4/0 on a wooden spool that was damaged for less tha 3/0.

I like Ancor tinned duplex wire for most smaller stuff. Looks like miniature romex.

Use Ancor heat shrink tubing, much thicker, better adhesive. More expensive but these cables need the best you can do. They stand up to a pretty high temp heat gun. When they are hot enough the adhesve will be clearly visable about the edge of the shrunk tube.

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #3 – August 19, 2018, 09:31:21 am

Another option is welding cable-- comes in many large-gauge sizes and is very fine stranded (flexible).

If wet cell batteries, I DO like the added corrosion resistance of marine-grade (pre-tinned) wire.

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #4 – August 19, 2018, 09:59:37 am

I always use welding cable. Very flexible as it has to be when welding. I solder the copper lugs but slide about three inches of shrink tubing down over the cable before soldering then use a heat gun (or match, hair dryer) to shrink it. Red shrink for positive..... I never get any corrosion, etc. It's waterproof as it goes over the cable and most of the lug.

It will not support itself so on a long span, it does need to be supported but no big deal.

Pierce

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #5 – August 19, 2018, 02:47:07 pm

Yes tinned every time for me on boats and the coach. A thing I do if I don't have any of the adhesive containing heat-shrink is to coat the wire connection with silicone rubber sealant then shrink it. Heat shrink doesn't always make a completely water/gas proof seal especially if the joint is uneven.

Keith

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #6 – August 19, 2018, 03:07:27 pm

Crimping lugs on cables.

Here is an updated link from an older post by Don. A great step by step to get a very high quality result.
Making Your Own Battery Cables – Marine How To

And why to crimp
Marine Wire and Cable: Crimping vs Soldering Marine Cable and Wire Connectors

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #7 – August 19, 2018, 06:15:04 pm

I already have a hydraulic crimper to make the cable ends.
The batteries are 10 ,L16 Lifelines that are lined up in a row, across the full width of the coach, I won't need a very flexible cable to join them .
When I run the cable from the batteries to the inverter I may have to snake the cable more, and may need a more flexible cable.
Is there a appreciable difference between the welding type cable and the tinned cable?
I think I will use the tinned cable for the runs from solar panels to the batteries ( not 4/0) .

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #8 – August 19, 2018, 06:55:38 pm

Your 300 watt solar panels will work fine with 8-10 ga solar panel cables. Use 8 ga if more than 20-25 ft. I wired them in parallel. These cables have very tough covers, the correct watertight connectors and are UV stable. If you need 25 ft get a 50 ft set and cut then in half. One end is ready to connect to the panel, the other end to your fuse block.

Amazon.com : WindyNation 8 AWG 8 Gauge 1 Pair 30 Feet Black + 30 Feet Red...

Amazon.com: WindyNation 10 Gauge 10 AWG One Pair 40 Feet Black + 40 Feet Red...

Your 10 L16 6v should be connected in pairs, a short cable between plus on one and minus on the other. Then the other plus on each pair should connect to a common buss bar with equal length cables. The other minus on each pair should connect to a second common bus bar again with equal length cables, same length as the plus cables. Then buss bar to load or charge source. Be sure to add a switch on at least the plus side after the buss bar. Nice on the minus side as well. And don't forget the big fuses. For these shorter cables 3/0 welding cable works well. For anything longer than five feet or so use 4/0. OEM wiring from the isolator forward is likely 3/0. You might want to add a second pair of wires from rear to front. Don't undersize anything. With 2075 amp hrs in your batteries the charge rates will go up. You could use a bigger alternator as well.

Your Victron 3000 VA Mulitplus requires two 4/0 plus and minus cables. And if your are going to use the full 50 amp pass through capability it needs new bigger 120v wiring and circuit breakers from the main panel to the Victron and new bigger 120v wiring from the Victron back to the inverter circuit sub panel. A small circuit breaker box and circuit breaker should be added near the Multiplus for the 120 v wiring back to the inverter sub panel.

It is hard enough making this cable go where you want it to go. I used welding cable. For a short 12" curved battery to battery cable crimp the ends on with the cable curved the way you want it. If you do it straight it is hard to form the curve. If the lug connection at one end is oriented 90Â° compared to the other end, mark the cable and lugs and crimp them on oriented the way they need to be. That way you don't have to twist the cable to make it fit. Careful planning makes this whole job go easier.

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Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #9 – August 19, 2018, 06:59:12 pm

Thanks Roger!

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Tinned cable or plain copper?

August 19, 2018, 02:04:55 am

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #1 – August 19, 2018, 06:50:14 am

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #2 – August 19, 2018, 08:04:42 am

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #3 – August 19, 2018, 09:31:21 am

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #4 – August 19, 2018, 09:59:37 am

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #5 – August 19, 2018, 02:47:07 pm

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #6 – August 19, 2018, 03:07:27 pm

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #7 – August 19, 2018, 06:15:04 pm

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #8 – August 19, 2018, 06:55:38 pm

Re: Tinned cable or plain copper?

Reply #9 – August 19, 2018, 06:59:12 pm

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