Power wire difference?

[Sinkoumn]

I'm just curious if there is any real difference between the Pos. and ground wire that you can buy from Stinger (or any audio company) as compared to the power wire you buy from Home Depot?

I'm going to be doing some wiring in the boat, and will be mainly using no larger than 8AWG wire. It may seem dumb, but I really don't know the difference in say the 8awg stinger wire, and the 8awg home depot wire.

Is there any real differences, or advantages to either - other than the Home Depot wire being a lot cheaper in price?

Thanks much in advance.

[Andrew]

RE: Power wire difference?

for power and ground, i'd go with home depot. u get a lot more flexibility when it comes to the length, and it is a LOT cheaper.

ur not gonna get any kind of goofy fluctuations in the power flow, so "quality" isn't really gonna be an issue with the + and - wires

[Sinkoumn]

RE: Power wire difference?

Awesome, thanks much Andrew.

[Rick]

RE: Power wire difference?

The major difference is the number of smaller wires that are bundled to make the cable. I agree with Andrew Just don't use solid wire.

[core-rider]

RE: Power wire difference?

The main difference is amp load I think. Depending on what your using the wire for the stuff from Home Depot will be fine for general wiring. If your trying to do a stero install I would spend the extra $ and get Stinger. You can find it on Ebay by the foot at pretty good prices. The Stinger wire is also more flexable for bending around sharp corners and tight areas.

[Fast351]

RE: Power wire difference?

The current rating is the same for any 8ga wire. The difference is flexibility due to strand count, and the composition of the copper. The more expensive copper wire is usually 100% oxygen free, which inhibits corrosion.

I have a spool of Home Depot speaker wire (12 ga clear) that has been sitting in my basement for a few years and the wire is pretty oxidized. The Monster speaker cable of the same vintage looks as new as the day it was bought. Usually I'm not a big advocate of designer wire, but the Home Depot stuff is not very high grade wire.

YMMV.

[Mikeski]

RE: Power wire difference?

This is one area where I am different than almost everybody else. The semi-clear jacketed stuff that the car stereo shops use in boats oxidizes in boats. Marine wiring is simple but different, my first choice in wire is pre-tinned finely stranded marine grade, my second choice is THHN or THWN commercial power wire that is gas and water resistant, my third choice is the stuff the car stereo guys use. More importantly than the type is the size. It's a mistake to size wire based on ampacity alone, you also need to look at voltage drop. When you are only starting with 12 volts a 1 volt drop is very significant for your electronic devices. My audio power distribution block operates at 1-2 volts higher than the stock instrument harness, my amps thank me for using big wire by delivering more power to my speakers.

Here is the stuff I use: http://www.pacermarine.com/wirecable.html

The wire is also approved by NMMA, USCG, and UL.

[ryanandrews]

RE: Power wire difference?

i used all thhn wire i got for free from my commercial electrician buddys...used 16 gauge for speaker wire, 3 gauge for grounds and positives, and 8 gauge for amps..tinned all ends solderd and shrink wrapped all connections...dont cheat on the wire, that makes a big difference...only push so much power through the wire that it will allow.go bigger....how much wire do you need?