[knight_yyz]

Hey guys, this is another dumb question. Tried google with no luck. People are terrible at explaining things. Anyway, I have this really cool vintage twisted wire in 18/2 gauge . I see most people twist 2 wires together but what they don't say is if they are using twisted pair for positive and a twisted pair for negative, or is the twisted pair split to pos and neg? I've read I can use 18 gauge for 4ohm up to about 25 feet, I know a lot of guys use 12, but for my setup and volume it is overkill. The cable from amp to cab will be 10 feet.

 

[greco]

.....the twisted pair split to pos and neg

This...One wire to positive and one wire to negative.
Nice, fancy lookin' wire you got there.

 

[Granny Gremlin]

Yep; just be careful you keep it straight which wire is which at both ends since the wires look to be both plain vs 1 marked for polarity (use a meter or some other continuity test to be sure; measure twice cut once sorta thing).

 

[GTmaker]

I cant believe that a question can be so confusing....
As best I can tell, your making up a 10' cable to go from your amp to the speaker box.

Speaker cable only have a positive wire and a negative wire...
The end that plugs in to the amp ( lets say its soldered to the tip portion) you can call it positive...
This same single wire needs to be soldered to the tip of the speaker box jack.
How you follow this wire in a twisted cable from your pic is up to you. MAybe only one wire has some printing on it. Most do.

Do the same for the negative wire and your done.

G.

 

[greco]

Yep; just be careful you keep it straight which wire is which at both ends since the wires look to be both plain vs 1 marked for polarity (use a meter or some other continuity test to be sure; measure twice cut once sorta thing).

Excellent reminder.

Because I use continuity all the time, I forget that others might not be aware of how easy and important/beneficial it is to use...and then I forget to mention it.

 

[greco]

How you follow this wire in a twisted cable from your pic is up to you. MAybe only one wire has some printing on it. Most do.

If you use continuity (as suggested), you don't have the pain of trying to follow one wire in a twisted pair.

I doubt cloth covered wire (as pictured) will have any markings....especially on one wire only.
Maybe I'm wrong...I was once...in 1963

 

[greco]

I cant believe that a question can be so confusing....

BTW...The question is not confusing at all and I'm sure the OP is pleased to get a variety of answers.

 

[blueshores_guy]

The way I read the question, he's asking about using 4 wires to go from amp to speaker, not 2. Two twisted pairs, in other words.
For a run of 10 feet, it's hard to imagine you'd need 2 wires for the positive and 2 for the negative. Unless he's got a 300W amp, there's not a lot of current travelling down those wires.

 

[GTmaker]

BTW...The question is not confusing at all and I'm sure the OP is pleased to get a variety of answers.

As I can see already by your 4 responses to a " simple question" I am sure you will add another 137 on how to wire up a 10' speaker cable.
You really should try and explain the "continuity" factor..... sounds interesting.
Maybe the tools needed ( type and quality of meters, setting for best results, where to buy good quality meters to insure a proper reading.)

I tend to use speaker cable that is marked ( printed) on one side and this provides all the continuity I need.
G.

 

[mr trick]

can alway put some red heat shrink on the pos wire, both ends

 

[Granny Gremlin]

I tend to use speaker cable that is marked ( printed) on one side and this provides all the continuity I need.

Yes (obviously - you don't need to check if the wire is labelled), but the OP's question is about using this specific wire (which appears to not have such markings).

can alway put some red heat shrink on the pos wire, both ends

Sure, but what we're talking about is figuring out which wire is positive at each end so you label them correctly in the first place. Frankly I wouldn't bother (labeling permanently) because you can always unscrew the jack's shell and see what's conected to tip, but I would use (e.g. ) a piece of masking tape to mark the +ve wire after checking with a meter so I don't get the leads mixed up again before soldering/crimping/etc.


To nobody in particular:
Seriously; if you have cables (never mind make them) you need a multimeter (or a cable tester; I rec a meter because more versatile and actually usually cheaper). Most will make a noise so you don't even need to look at the meter/tester, just touch the leads and listen. It takes 2 seconds to check, and then you KNOW. Not think you know, not hope it's right; certainty. Following a conductor in a twisted pair is such a pain - takes longer and half the time, and I know from experience, you get it wrong because of the twisting (when 2 like conductors as regards appearance, as in this situation - too easy to make a mistake) - there's no mistakes with a meter.

 

[greco]

I am sure you will add another 137 on how to wire up a 10' speaker cable.

If 137 or more are needed to help a fellow GC forum member...YES, I would indeed.

You really should try and explain the "continuity" factor..... sounds interesting.

It is not a factor...it is a test. Google is your friend.

Maybe the tools needed ( type and quality of meters, setting for best results, where to buy good quality meters to insure a proper reading.)

Again, if the OP wanted to look into getting a DMM, I would be happy to contribute and to learn what others suggest, etc. I find electronics oriented threads very interesting and learn a lot from them.

I tend to use speaker cable that is marked ( printed) on one side and this provides all the continuity I need.

Yes...but the OP didn't!

I buy the twisted wire that is different colours and inside an external rubber coating ....made by Rapco.

@Granny Gremlin and I were posting at the same time..he won...LOL

 

[High/Deaf]

That wouldn't be a choice for speaker cable for me, unless I needed something and it was all I had.

18 gauge is a little light, but will be OK for short runs. But no dedicated indication of separate conductors is just asking for trouble. Plus, I find that cloth covering abraids very easily and can expose copper, which can let the smoke out. And we all know those cables are filled with smoke, because when the smoke comes out, they quit working. That stuff, IMO, is better for fixed installations like inside an amplifier. Even though it looks cool.

 

[Granny Gremlin]

That wouldn't be a choice for speaker cable for me, unless I needed something and it was all I had.

18 gauge is a little light, but will be OK for short runs. But no dedicated indication of separate conductors is just asking for trouble. Plus, I find that cloth covering abraids very easily and can expose copper, which can let the smoke out. And we all know those cables are filled with smoke, because when the smoke comes out, they quit working. That stuff, IMO, is better for fixed installations like inside an amplifier. Even though it looks cool.

I'm assuming you mean 'frays' up there. This is a fair point, but shouldn't be a huge concern - I'd worry more if this would be running across the room on the floor getting stepped on, but not is down behind the amp, along the edge of the wall to the cab. Once could also use clear shrink tubing if worried or if the cable is to be exposed to abuse. Might make it a bit stiff, but it'll look cool.

Re 18 guage - I use it everywhere. Not an issue with amps 200 watts or less; 16 is a standard safe bet for any reasonably forseeable instrument amp situation (anything bigger than that is wasted money and frustration because of physical size - even 16 is difficult to fit into some connectors - and the main reason I stick to 18). 12 is insane unless you are running some serious power.

 

[High/Deaf]

I'm assuming you mean 'frays' up there. This is a fair point, but shouldn't be a huge concern - I'd worry more if this would be running across the room on the floor getting stepped on, but not is down behind the amp, along the edge of the wall to the cab. Once could also use clear shrink tubing if worried or if the cable is to be exposed to abuse. Might make it a bit stiff, but it'll look cool.

Re 18 guage - I use it everywhere. Not an issue with amps 200 watts or less; 16 is a standard safe bet for any reasonably forseeable instrument amp situation (anything bigger than that is wasted money and frustration because of physical size - even 16 is difficult to fit into some connectors - and the main reason I stick to 18). 12 is insane unless you are running some serious power.

Oooops, spellded it rongly:

abrade (third-person singular simple present abrades, present participle abrading, simple past and past participle abraded)

1. (transitive) To rub or wear off; erode. [First attested in the late 17th century.][1]
2. (transitive) To wear down or exhaust, as a person; irritate. [First attested in the mid 18th century.][1]
3. (transitive) To irritate by rubbing; chafe. [First attested in the mid 18th century.][1]
4. (transitive) To cause the surface to become more rough.
5. (intransitive) To undergo abrasion.

Any use will cause it to ABRADE. Why choose something that will do that when so many better choices won't? Let alone screw around with the extra hassle of covering it to protect it. Heat shrink tubing would be horrible in the long run. It hardens and cracks. You'd go to those lengths but you're worried about the cost difference of 18 to 16 or 14? Anything with a rubber jacket will be better than this at everything - except looking cool. Personally, cool looking speaker cables are just below thread count in my amp covers but YMMV.

Re: gauges (correct spelling, since you're into that). I use 14 and 16 for most everything. It's what I buy lots of and have around, I've never had a problem fitting it into the two or three types of Switchcraft plugs I always use. PA speaker runs of longer than 20 feet, I would probably up it to 12 Ga. Again, no problem with the larger Switchcraft plugs. Many it's a handcraft thing?

 

[greco]

Duplicate

 

[greco]

...I use 14 and 16 (with a rubber jacket) for most everything. I've never had a problem fitting it into the two or so types of plugs I always use.

Slight adjustment in my quote of what you wrote...but, for the most part, I agree with you.

Cheers

 

[jb welder]

I don't know if it was discussed, or any intent by the manufacturer, but twisted pair does nothing for running power. I assume the 'twisted' part is just for looks.
Agree that for anything other than head to cab, cloth covered is not practical due to durability.

 

[knight_yyz]

if you look carefully you will see the wires are marked. That was never my concern. it was not the question i asked. I have 2 fluke meters, thanks anyway.

So twisting the wire is purely for looks and does nothing at all to cleaning up the signal or whatever reason they use twisted pairs in an Ethernet cable.

 

[knight_yyz]

I cant believe that a question can be so confusing....
As best I can tell, your making up a 10' cable to go from your amp to the speaker box.

Speaker cable only have a positive wire and a negative wire...
The end that plugs in to the amp ( lets say its soldered to the tip portion) you can call it positive...
This same single wire needs to be soldered to the tip of the speaker box jack.
How you follow this wire in a twisted cable from your pic is up to you. MAybe only one wire has some printing on it. Most do.

Do the same for the negative wire and your done.

G.

There are actually 2 choices. I can run 2 18 gauge wires to the positive and 2 to the negative which would be the equivalent of about a #10 wire I would guess. Or i can hook the black wire to negative and white wire to positive. I didn't see the point of twisting 2 wires of any gauge and then separate them.

As for reliability/wear etc, I'm don't gig, my stuff doesn't move. The only movement this cable will see is if i unplug the Marshall and plug in the fender. Other than that its sitting up against the wall doing nothing.

I find it hilarious that everyone says to use lamp cord for a cab. lamp cord is 18 gauge. This stuff is 18 gauge, and if i really want to be safe I could solder the wires like the pic below. Which was my original question

These two wires soldered together can carry more current than the single wire yes?