[phly guy]

Much of the original wire in my 38-5 is in good/serviceable condition but there are parts where the insulation is brittle and/or cracked. I can rewire these parts but I don't know what guage wire is normally used. I'd like to have enough on had before I start the project, it may be a while. I have access to nice teflon coated 600V wire of just about any guage needed, I just need to know what guage is normally used?

John
KC0EYF

[BDM]

18 gauge should be fine. But, why not just remove the crumbling insulation and slide on a piece of heat shrink? That's what I do. Far easier in my book, plus you keep the lengths proper. Which may avoid unwanted oscillation and/or noise.

[Texasrocker]

For serious vintage radio-restorers, the best value I have found for 18 ga stranded steel wire is sold by: Interstate Wire & Cable online. They offer a 100' roll of " communications-cable" wire that has 12 separate individually "color-coded" wires wrapped in 1 gray pvc outside covering that can easily be removed to separate all the wires inside. Ea wire is also PVC coated 18 ga each in different colors. Enough wire to last a busy vintage repair shop up to 5 yrs before re-ordering.
I looked at my spool, and heres the product info:
Belden 12 conductor communications cable:
P/N: B-8466-1000
Audio Communications Cable UL- 2598
18 ga stranded
100' roll

Last roll of this I purchased about 3 yrs ago for under $65. incl UPS gnd shipping

Yield: 12 separate color codes, 100' long each, 18 ga stranded steel PVC coated Belden quality! Very easy to solder point-to-point for any use!!
The Best deal I have found yet for purchasing 18 ga wire for the vintage radio hobby! 1 roll would last many a lifetime indeed! Just carefully remove the outside PVC cable housing and "wire-o-plenty" inside!! Also works great for those old A-K radios with potted- powerpaks where 12 individual wires feed the chassis in one harness!!! BINGO!!

[rghines1]

18 gauge stranded wire is typical for power cord. Seems to me it would be overkill and more difficult to make hookup connections under the chassis. Most chassis hookup connections are typically 20 and 22 gauge. Simple answer is to replace with same gauge wire you are removing.

Richard

[phly guy]

Thanks for the input guys. Always great stuff.

I hadn't heard the heat shrink thing before. Neat to know. That may work for me as there are only some wires that are 'crunchy' most of them are in good shape, as long as I don't have to move them too much.

Obviously using the same guage as what is there is best. I was probing to see if you guys knew what guage the majority of the wiring was before I went on the hunt for wire.

Like I said I have access to many colors of great teflon coated 600V rated wire in just about any guage from 30 up to 10ga. But once I get some I can't take it back! So, I was looking for the dig on what ga. I should be going after. (20ga. for 9-12 cents per foot isn't bad in my book)

I've scavenged bunches of wire before from old multi-line phone cables, computer power supplies (the dead ones) and other places. Sometimes though, like with this project, a guy wants to do a good job and not have 6 different types and guages of wire floating around under the chassis. In 20+ years when I have some kind of an issue to fix I don't want to be scratching my head thinking "Now why the H#!! did I do that?"

John

[Texasrocker]

18 ga "stranded" wire isnt that big or bulky to work with in 99% vintage radio chassis. Their are exceptions however! I wouldnt recommend using 18 ga under the small AC/DC type chassis', where extra-space is paramount. The 18 ga. "stranded" types solder much easier than many single strands in most cases once cut to length, & tinned 1st on each end. However, I do use the smaller guages also in tight spots! Guess its kinda "whatever" the job calls for? Heat shrink works fine for a quick "patch job" if needed also on a few wires! Sure bet though,.. if a "few"orig wires are brittle and crusty, so are all the rest in most cases! I replace all them individually one at a time in the old "crusty" sets with new wiring altogether for future dependability of "no shorts". I find it easier replacing the entire wire(s), with new, (point-to-point), than cutting one end loose and subbing shrink-tubing myself.
All my point was on this topic was helping "serious" restorers involved in this hobby get a "great amount",... of wire for "low $$"!! I restore LOTS of vintage tube-type electronics, and have found this the best-deal out there for serious hobbyists when lots of 18 ga wiring is needed from yr to yr in electronics restorations. I keep my supply of the smaller guages wire in stock from throw-away old TVs, computers, & misc electronics for free! There is always a plethora of different ga. wiring in those old throw-away chassis indeed. The Belden 18 ga wire works great in all the early TRF type large-chassis' models, and the Philco 37-XXX models, and many,many more brands! Purchasing 1200' of 18 ga. stranded electronics wire (in 12 separate 100' colors with pvc shield),.. for under $60 bucks is hard to beat on pricing for me. Just trying to share a good-deal when I find one!

[exray]

Way back when - we used to use "bird wire" for replacement in the old radios that had the rubber wiring. Bird-wire was an open, unshielded telephone cable used in rural areas by some of the independent telcos. Usually about 4 pair. Conductor was 18 ga and the overall size was real close to the original rubber wire. It was just a bunch of pairs, colored, all twisted together and looked like a bird's nest, hence the name.
Talk about cheap Haven't seen it anywhere for many years, though.

Nowadays I usually go with the 20ga cloth covered stuff from Radio Daze. I use a combination of stranded and solid depending on the application. I keep a bit of 18ga around as well but the 20 sees the most action. Ya gotta get the 'unrated' type. The UL-rated/600 volt stuff is way too bulky.

I once had a big coil of the cable like Tex is referring to. Some sort of surplus that I dragged home from somewhere. I got a LOT of use out of it. Guess it got tossed somewhere in my moving around cuz it ain't here now

[phly guy]

Texas,

By no means was I poo poo'ing your deal on wire. Sounds fantastic. If I didn't have the source I have I'd jump all over it. Fortunately I work for a large Avionics Mfg. and can buy some supplies from their engineering stock at what amounts to their cost. Often it's a great deal cheaper than other retail sources. On a few select items however it is cheaper to buy retail.

I know that we all don't have these sources and I'm thrilled that everyone is willing to share their resources with everyone here. Makes me feel better about making the plunge into this aspect of the hobby.

By the way, I've got a hunk of multi-line phone cable that I will be using for quite some time in the future for all of my other "quick fix" or "homebrew" projects that I have.

Thanks again.

John

[Texasrocker]

I will add this about the new-wire source I mentioned in my previous posts on this subject. The new Belden type 100' spools I referred too previous, is the "soft-flexible" kind new PVC thin-style jacketed coated type. Nothing like the 18 ga stuff we all see in AC "extension cords" at all !!! Its called "communications-wire" for easy installs where the "stiffer types" dont work period. This new wire fits vintage radio chassis very well, and "user friendly" to the max. Just takes careful removal of the outside grey-colored jacket (via x-acto knife), to reveal the type "old-style" flexibility, vintage radio/amp restorers expect for easy use.
No need to buy the expensive cloth-covered wires anymores, unless of course, you prefer to use it for "originality" purposes.
We ALL need to be on the look-out, for all those discarded TV sets setting in alleyways, dumpsters, etc after Feb 09, when HDTV takes over the airwaves! Many folks will just "update" to newer TVs,so make sure the sets you find in dumpsters,etc, arent still good using a HDTV "converter box"??
There will be many still-good analog type TV sets simply "thrown away" in this transition!!
If nothing else, we can ALL use these old discarded TV sets to get a "plethora" of many different guages scrap wiring from!! Nothing beats "free wire"!! (hee hee!) Just a idea!!

[Ron Ramirez]

You can't get much wire from the TVs made in the last 20 years or so.

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but if you don't want to spend $$$$ on a new HDTV, just pick up a CRT type television with the largest screen you can find. Well, not literally "pick" up...the larger ones weigh well in excess of 100 pounds and will require 2 people to move them.

I have a 36 inch Toshiba in the living room...it weighs 165 pounds...cost me a whopping $5 plus gasoline to pick it up (gas was cheaper last fall)...had to resolder several points on the PC board, but now it works like new again and I will use it, with a converter box, until it wears out.