"Steve" wrote in message ...
I realize that this might be a prompt for lots of argument but anyway....

I have just started rewiring the 12V side of my boat. While ripping out
the miles of cable that seemed to power big blobs of ancient insulating
tape I have noticed that the continued wire seems to have survived well.
i.e. the boat is 20 years old and the original stuff is which was mainly
continued is fine. I can see no signs of corrosion even after stripping
large lengths. The insulation is a different matter in some cases. It is
in a poor state, especially were it is exposed to heat or sun but that is
a different issue.

So the question is: Is tinned copper really necessary? It is more than
twice the price of pure copper and has the same insulation! I am prepared
for quotes from various recommendations and standards (many of which I
have read) but what I would really like is some real empirical engineering
info here. I have been involved in standards bodies and know how they
work. Good ideas can very easily become mandatory requirements because it
could be critical in some obscure cases. I was trained as an engineer
which is to say I can live with the concept of good enough for purpose. If
the life expectancy of pure copper is half that of tinned and tinned will
last 30+ years, I can live with having to change the wire again in 15
years.

Steve

If the ends of the wire can be sealed from moisture then non-tinned wires
will work fine. I've seen corroded wire up more than a foot under the
insulation. If tinned wires is used then one can use crimped connectors
without
sealing the ends.

Doug