Wiring for led lights

[NArmstrong]

I have just installed some 5050 LED strip lights in my tinny and I was wondering do u need special Marine grade wiring to run neg between it an battery and pos between it and switch?

[scorpo92]

I have some light strips as well. I just used normal wire and its been goin god for nearly 2 years.as long as everything is sealed it should be fine. I heat shrinked all joins.

[novice23]

I've had no probs with standard wire for last 3 yrs. Heat shrink and solder joins and it'll be fine

[barney1979]

always use tinned copper wire!!!!

[NArmstrong]

Y mate? More details would be good

[barney1979]

standard copper wire will oxidize in a marine enviroment or in any wet or humid enviroment, which will create more resistance for electrons to flow.

so over time as the standard copper oxidizes the current carrying capacity of the cable will decline.

using tinned copper wire will eliminate oxidization.

[PixieAU]

standard copper wire will oxidize in a marine enviroment or in any wet or humid enviroment, which will create more resistance for electrons to flow.

so over time as the standard copper oxidizes the current carrying capacity of the cable will decline.

using tinned copper wire will eliminate oxidization.

Is this when the copper goes that brittle, dark brown?

I've had that on some wires and it has led to some very difficult connection problems to solve. Very hard to solder also, really need to strip the coating away until hopefully find some copper still there.

Is the tin simply a coating around the wire and will the tinned copper wire simply oxidise within the tin? Or is the tin mixed with the copper?

Thanks

[barney1979]

yes standard copper wire will go black, unless you rub it back to bare copper it won't take solder.

tinned copper is exactly that, copper on the inside tin on the outside.

[Dignity]

LED circuitry used to suffer from low voltage and failing, I don't know if that is still the case but using tinned wire will help eliminate that problem.

[ozscott]

I have wired up a heap of LED's in my boat including waterpoof LED's that permantly sit under the water line when the boat is in the water - blue for squid and bait night use. I always use tinned copper wire to stop the green creep and where possible solder and heat shrink and where not convenient I use crimps and heat shrink or self annealing tape/Starbrite paint or a combination. Never had a fuse blow on any electrical lighting circuit in the years that I have owned the boat.

Cheers