Welding cable used for Q2B

Terri........ glad to see that you have taken a bigger interest in helping Richard with getting his siren mounted and powered. Welding cable is good, and that is what I had suggested to him a few weeks ago. Guess he forgot to mention that to you.. Is one of the cars going to become yours???
 
As stated, welding cable is generally more flexible than battery cable because it is made up of a lot of smaller strands of copper, whereas battery cable is made of fewer bigger strands.

From my car audio experience I can tell you the only thing to really watch out for is to make sure you wrap the ends of the cable tightly with electrical tape or shrink wrap, otherwise you will run into corrosion problems.

What happens is this: Battery cable is usually 8 to 10 big strands of copper. Because of the size of the strands, each one can corrode quite a bit before it becomes a problem conducting electricity. Welding cable is made up of hundreds of tiny strands of copper. Each individueal strand can corrode to the point of uselessness very quickly if exposed to the elements. If enough of them corrode you can reduce your current carrying capacity by half or more. With battery cable you can usually just crimp an end on it and it will likely outlast whatever it is attached to. With welding cable (or large gauge stereo cable) you need to wrap the ends up to prevent too many strands from corroding.
 
B&M Siren Company advises NOT us welding cable for siren installations. I'll leave it to Kevin O'Connell to explain why.
 
Paul...As a married man for many decades I, along with many others KNOW the true answer: What is ours is also Hers and IF we play nice we get to play with them occasionally. :071: :yankchain:

What is ours is HER's and she lets me play with them. You're right about that. And I did forget that Paul mentioned earlier but anxious to hear Kevin's explanation as to why we shouldn't use welding cable. :snow_smi:

I anyone using welding cable currently?
 
Currently Using Welding Cable

What is ours is HER's and she lets me play with them. You're right about that. And I did forget that Paul mentioned earlier but anxious to hear Kevin's explanation as to why we shouldn't use welding cable. :snow_smi:

I anyone using welding cable currently?

Yes I am I just got Done Welding LOL


Russ
 
lets just say the question has been answered by Todd. we don't need to get in to current flow skin effect and the forces of nature at work here. it's over the top. sufficient to say if you wanted to you could chop up enough 18 gage extension cords and by adding them together get a big enough cable to fire off the Q. how long it will last is what we are talking about. welding cable is a lot bigger then you need. that makes it harder to make connections with. rout threw the inside of the windshield pillar and threw the header to get to were you want to mount that noise making boat anchor. that alone is sufficient reason not to use it. the #4 wire (same as the ground lead on a wire feed wilder) is multi stranded Farly cheap and easy to obtain in any length. connectors can be added easily and it size will let it sneak in threw a 3/8 hole. don't think battery cable think #4 wire. battery cable is handy if your making short runs as it all ready made up. but you need a run from the battery to the roof of the car. no made up cables are that long.
 
Was that on a 71 Lifeliner Russ? You do have a Lifeliner don't you Russ? Come on be honest you are amoungst friends. Tell the truth you really don't have one after all do you.....:yum:

Richard I have Just Acquired Several Criterions and 2 Lifeliners + Several S & S Hightop Ambulances. so I would Say yes I Do


Russ
 
Welding cable is very finely stranded which makes for excellent conductivity. Unfortunately, its insulation is more apt to crack over time. If you're using a fiber sleeve or convoluted loom the hazard is diminished but such measures are not always possible in an "A" pillar.

There are some excellent battery cables available from manufacturers like Bee Wire and Cable. Though not as finely stranded as welding cable, they are more so than average and their insulation will retain its properties better over time.

Todd makes an excellent point and I can't stress this enough: Use a high quality, heavy wall, silicone-lined heat shrink tube when attaching lugs and terminals to battery cable (or welding cable). This serves not only as an insulator but provides strain relief from vibration and a barrier against contamination.
 
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