Proper hookup wire to use - Printable Version

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Proper hookup wire to use - murf - 01-13-2018

Hello fella,s and Brenda,
Have a new topic to discuss.
Hookup wire gauge etc. best to use for chassis restore?
Best suppliers?
Have been trying to destroy old radios now for about 5 years with pretty good track record thanks to some people on the forum and shear luck.
Question is, where is everybody buying their wire, and what gauge do you prefer?
Myself, I like the solid wire versus stranded because it is easier to solder in.
I have bought from an online antique radio supplier which only sells 22 gauge wire rated at 600 volts.
They also offer cloth covered for a quite a bit more.
Problem I am finding with this supplier is the cost of shipping if you want to order 5 to 8 rolls of wire.
Ebay has a bunch of Chinese wire which is rated at 300 volts.
Some of the 22 gauge x 600 volt wire that is on ebay has very thin insulation and just looks undersized.
Myself, I would like to get 20 gauge x 600 volt with a decent insulating jacket similar to what I was buying from above supplier, which has a thicker insulation jacket but again it's only 22 gauge wire.
My current antique radio supplier that has stated above wire now is charging more for shipping than the cost of the wire.
What do you guy's think about this?
murf

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RE: Proper hookup wire to use - KCMike - 01-13-2018

Don't about the others here but I get mine from Radio Daze. I buy the small profile wire 20 AWG. I use the solid if the wire is not going to be moved or bent as inside the chassis. Never bought any Chinese made wire so can't comment on its quality.

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RE: Proper hookup wire to use - Brad Winder - 01-14-2018

I buy from Radio Daze as well...in fact, I just hung up my newly built wire rack tonight!

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RE: Proper hookup wire to use - Brad Winder - 01-14-2018

I try to use the same size/type of wire that came out of the chassis I'm trying to repair. Sometimes have to substitute colours, though...

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RE: Proper hookup wire to use - jcassity - 01-14-2018

you can get all the wire you need from a scrap automotive engine bay or computer harness.

solid single conductor is not a good idea. two or three movements of it and the physical connection is prepared for breaking.

i put up a picture of a way to consolidate wire into one spot instead of a wire reel holder.
I thought about the wire reel holder system and decided i didnt want to dedicate space to it in my garage.
The system i show allows you to put all your wire in one container.

you just sit there and starter thread each color into the lid.
when thats done all the wires are haning off the lid.
you just bundle everyone up into a spiral down into the container.

This container i made as one of my gifts to my son for one of his birthdays... he geeks out on this kind of stuff also.

my wire container is much larger, its an old weight gainer jug with a huge lid.  you could use one of those cheese ball containers if you had a lot of wire.


your saying "restore" so if thats completly true then ignore this post.

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RE: Proper hookup wire to use - Eliot Ness - 01-15-2018

Murf, I also use cloth covered wire from Radio Daze, both solid and stranded (there is an application for both types), but I suspect RD is the supplier you are referring to with high shipping.

I also have some old wire bundles from a friend that has a lot of cloth covered wire inside, and some modern vinyl (or rubber or plastic) covered wire bundles I got from another friend.  

As mentioned by Jcassity you can harvest a lot of wire from an automotive harness if you have access to a scrap yard.  It can be messy removing one but there is a lot of wire, although that might be a task for warmer weather 

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