Why Use TOFC Instead Of Bare Copper For Marine Grade Cables

Marine grade cables are not used for automotive audio systems and should normally be on the power cord or stereo on the ship. Marine grade cables or speaker cables are tin coated to prevent oxidation. The main reason is that tinned copper does not tarnish or oxidize like bare copper. Even with oxygen-free copper (OFC), copper that has been refined to at least 99.95% purity, oxidation can slowly reduce the cable's ability to conduct electricity, potentially damaging your automotive audio amplifier.

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As we know that bare copper wire oxidizes more easily than jacketed copper, stripping the jacket of the cable to terminate marine grade wire exposes the bare copper to oxygen. For tinned copper, the exposed portion of copper is limited to the cross-section of the marine-grade wire itself, which is the end of the strand.


This extra protection against high humidity and salt-covered snow trails will keep the current flowing with little change over the life of your marine installation. In addition to being resistant to oxidation, tinned copper wire is easier to solder because the individual copper wires are already covered with tin. Connect our Kuka Cable battery wires with our tinned copper terminals, which are also marine grade cables and are the best choice for preventing oxidation. These terminals allow you to crimp battery wires and solder cables. Cover the 100% bare copper tip with solder to ensure absolute protection.


Marine battery cables require an adhesive applied to the connector, which forms a moisture barrier on the outer walls of the cable and connector, effectively sealing the automotive or marine battery wire. If you are looking for quality automotive & marine cable suppliers, KukaCable must be your first choice.