Gold Plated Fuses ? or not?

I am getting 300 amp ANL fuses and the holder doesn't come with any fuses. I see there are gold plated ones, silver plated, etc. Can you tell me which kind to buy and the best place to get them? Thank you.

Not sure about where, but the gold plated ones will be more resistant to corrosion. Important for marine applications, less important for a house or RV in Arizona or something.

Defenestrator said:

Not sure about where, but the gold plated ones will be more resistant to corrosion. Important for marine applications, less important for a house or RV in Arizona or something.

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I just wonder if it's "real" gold. They seem really cheap for having gold on them. I just saw a platinum one too. I would like to know the difference with all these and which is better in order of the material.

On the real fuses it's a very very thin layer so the cost of the gold itself is negligible. Gold is good for corrosion resistance. If your fuse holder lets you tighten down on the fuse properly the contact resistance should be low enough that it won't cause a problem regardless of using gold plated contacts or not.

*edited to add more info*

gnubie said:

On the real fuses it's a very very thin layer so the cost of the gold itself is negligible.

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Do you know which is best and better, i.e., silver, gold, platinum, and is there copper? Wouldn't brass be good too?

Gold and silver usually. Copper oxidises too quickly. It's why the cartridge style fuses you see have nickel plated ends instead of bare copper. Tinned (lead solder style) is fine too as any oxidation can be easily broken through to give good contact.

I'd be more worried about where I bought the fuse from, ie the quality of the thing, than the contact having gold / silver / tinned ends. There's no point in a fuse that you can't rely on to do its job.

The amount of gold used in plating is really, really small. Probably along the lines of <0.01g total of gold used (so ~$0.50 or less)
Silver conducts better but corrodes more easily. Gold is very corrosion-resistant.
Platinum... not a clue. That sounds like marketing bullshit to me.

If you're worried about corrosion, get gold-plated. Otherwise, don't worry about it. I think you're waaaay overthinking this. It's a fuse. A hunk of metal with a thin spot designed to break.
If you're really concerned, just go with any name-brand 300A ANL. The coating makes very little difference unless it's going to be in a hostile environment (like on a small boat or a dock).

Blue Sea is a name-brand and makes stuff for marine applications. Just grab the 300A version of this: https://www.westmarine.com/buy/blue-sea-systems--anl-ignition-protected-fuses--P009_273_004_004

The reason that gold plated fuses exist is because technically illiterate audiophiles believe that it will make the sound sent over gold plated optical cables will sound better.

A fuse that is mounted properly in a hold might get surface corrosion in a harsh marine environment, but not in the mating surface with the holder. That should be basically sealed by the clamping force.