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The "what kind of wire is this" game... - Printable Version

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The "what kind of wire is this" game... - Beckett - 01-28-2011

I'm rebuilding a 40-195 and am in the process of rebuilding the pushbutton controls. Mice have eaten/destroyed some of the wire leading from the coils to the pushbuttons. The coils themselves are OK and test good so I'd just need to do some fancy work to rewire between the coil and the pushbutton. However the wire is like a braid that I can't seem to find when looking at wire online. Anyone have an idea where one might be able to get that wire - or isn't it that important that I use the same type of braided wire? (I could use magnet wire or some other small diameter bus wire I suppose?)

Re: The "what kind of wire is this" game... - codefox1 - 01-28-2011

Strangely enough, you can get some "desoldering braid" and use it. This will remain flexible as the switches do move a little as you push on them. Another possibility is a shielded cord from an old tape recorder, just remove the center and use the braiding. Must have been mighty mouse to do this much damage.

Re: The "what kind of wire is this" game... - Beckett - 01-29-2011

Well, the braid is like a 24-28ga wire would be my best guess when I attempted to measure it with my wire tool. I have plenty of old coax that I could strip the braid out of and use but I think it'd be almost just as easy to use some small gauge stranded wire if the type of wire really doesn't matter much.

Re: The "what kind of wire is this" game... - Ron Ramirez - 01-29-2011

I don't see any reason why you can't use regular stranded wire...

I find it very odd that the rodents would eat the wire itself. They must have been hungry Icon_lol

Re: The "what kind of wire is this" game... - Beckett - 01-29-2011

Thanks for the advice. Maybe the rodents didn't eat it per se and it was more of the urine the deteriorated it in spots so it just fell apart... They did seem to have a nest right in the general area.

Re: The "what kind of wire is this" game... - nash - 01-31-2011

Sure sounds like Litz wire. Litz wire is often used for winding antenna coils, and used in the tonearm to connect the phono cartridge. Here is a link to some on Ebay Wiki Link