4-RUNNIN' FREAK

Welding cable and power wire for mobile audio.

Both will carry current and that's all. Why do some people say not to use it?

I won't use it for the speaker signal cable, but why not use the welding cable to upgrade wires under the hood, and as power and ground wire for my amps?
I can get welding cable for free, and the "power cable" online and locally goes for $3-$5+ a foot.

I know some people here upgraded using welding cable, and I was under the impression that cable was cable for carrying current (not signals) as long as it's the proper gauge for the task at hand.

Sure the calbe that is sold in audio shops looks cool in colored jackets, but I will only be able to see but a few feet.

freshman

just from experience, i have a welding cable (live) running from battery(fused by ANL 60 amp)-cross firewall to the back of my 4runner- distribution box (fused at this end 6 fuse slots). this is where i am getting power to supply my amp and power inverter. Amp is RF 300 rms and inverter is 400 watts. But i only use one of the equipment at a time. been there for almost a year and no problem so far....

alanh

I think you've got the right idea. Nice colors and a "name" add up to a lot more money. The only issue I can think of is whether the insulation can stand up to oils, gas, temperature, abrasion, etc. I'd think welding cable insulation can since its exposed to some nasty use like vehicle maintenance shop floors and such. You could pretty easily find out by looking at the manufacturer data to see what they say.

I did find this which is probably typical of the audio wire manufacturer claims...

“There really isn’t a performance difference between welding cable and a car audio power wire,” states Manville Smith, vice president of JL Audio, a recent entry into the aftermarket accessories market, “but the car audio wire might be made from a better grade of copper (99.99% OFC, for example) which is less likely to oxidize and the car audio wire might have more strand count, making it far more flexible and easy to work with.”

“Yes, it is cheaper, and that’s for many reasons,” adds Casagrande. “It uses anything from TCP to OFC and is held to no standards. The companies that manufacture welding cables are manufacturing it in the least expensive way, which causes more impurities in the cable. The jacket is a lot less expensive to manufacture than the many colors offered by car audio manufacturers to dress-up the installs. Plus, welding cables are not coated or tinned to prevent them from oxidizing.”

OFC is the trade abbreviation for Oxygen-Free Copper, just one of the things to pay attention to while shopping for wiring. Another is the gauge size. Is the wire actually the size it claims to be, or is it a little smaller than others in the same “size.”

“Many companies out there (not mentioning any names) are using what’s called undersized wire,” explains Casagrande. “In this, I mean that these companies are trying to cut costs and it appears that they’re offering the same product by using the minimum size possible to classify the cable as say a 4AWG, 8AWG, etc. These companies are selling the smallest version of a cable (which has less copper) to appear as a better deal, but, in reality, they’re hurting the performance of the audio system because the wire size requirements were set by using a standard ‘true’ size classification for a given distance and amperage draw.”

I don't think the oxidation is an issue and consider all that oxygen-free business marketing hype. I doubt your vehicle was made with oxygen free copper wire in the first place. Make good crimps on the lugs at the end or solder them and don't worry about it. Welding cable is pretty flexible from what I've seen and heard - do you need more flexibility? Be conservative on your wire rating, don't get no-name stuff, and don't worry about undersized wires. If you want tin coating, look into a marine cable, but again, I don't think its really necessary as long as your connections are good.

NC-B17A

Manville Smith is a very knowledgible dude. Welding cable can & will oxidize if given the chance
There is some more good wire info on Monster Cable's site

tc

More than a very knowledgable dude - a very nice guy too. I used to work with him A LOT in my IASCA days. He loves music, and likes to listen to it LOUD.

I think if you are worried about the difference in OFC and regular, just go up a wire size. The big difference in welding cable and automotive wire (like Streetwires) is the flexibility. The super high dollar stuff is WAY more flexible due to finer strands and better insulation. Depending on your installation, you may not need that flexibility.

ldivinag

use the welding cable.

been using them for years. ever since i saw a top end local car audio shop them.

if you need to, use plastic loom to protect them.