wjm@whuxl.UUCP (MITCHELL) (07/20/84)
<munch> I certainly wouldn't use anything smaller than 14 gauge wire, and would probably use 12. Also, I wouldn't use a 4 conductor cable, but would prefer 2 2-conductor cables to minimize crosstalk between the stereo channels. Armored (BX) cable would seem like a good choice for several reasons: 1) It is approved by the National Electrical Code and most local codes, for use in house wiring 2) It has an outer metal shield, which provides mechanical protection for the wires 3) The metal armor will also shield the signal carrying wires from RF interference (true, speaker leads are low impedance, but they can pick up RF, especially if you have someone running an illegal overpower CB operation nearby. Point 1 is very important - be sure your wiring complies with the local code. When you start running wires through walls, it becomes permanent wiring and the provisions of electrical codes probably apply. Another point: Do NOT use standard receptacles and plugs as connectors to your system. Too many people have done this and then zapped their speakers by inadvertently plugging them into 120 VAC. I recommend the Hubbell Twist Lok plugs as a reasonable alternative (plus, they won't be unplugged by someone tripping on a cord, since they have to be rotated about 30 degrees before they can be unplugged). Be sure to ground the metal armor of the BX cable and the outlet boxes in your system for safety and for the RF shielding. Bill Mitchell (whuxl!wjm)
smb@ulysses.UUCP (Steven Bellovin) (07/21/84)
I doubt that most electrical code provisions apply, as speaker wires are low voltage. But the code probably does prohibit using standard power plugs, which strikes me as a sane sort of rule in any event...
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (07/23/84)
The code also prohibits wire going through conduits with AC in it unless you use 600V insulation wire. -Ron
bytebug@pertec.UUCP (07/25/84)
> I certainly wouldn't use anything smaller than 14 gauge wire, and would > probably use 12. Also, I wouldn't use a 4 conductor cable, but would prefer > 2 2-conductor cables to minimize crosstalk between the stereo channels. . . . > I recommend the Hubbell Twist > Lok plugs as a reasonable alternative (plus, they won't be unplugged by > someone tripping on a cord, since they have to be rotated about 30 degrees > before they can be unplugged). > > Bill Mitchell (whuxl!wjm) Considering what the other golden ears have said in the past, I recently ran speaker wire though the walls of my new place, and left about 8 feet of wire at each end of the run. When I finally move in, I won't need to worry about the signal loss through connectors. :-) I'd also appreciate pointers to where one finds "Hubbell Twist Lok" plugs. I also opted for 14 gauge wire. Since the wire I used wasn't shielded, my dad recommended making sure that the wire had plenty of twists in it to minimize noise. This isn't difficult at all, since it occurs naturally as you thread the wire through the studs! -- roger long pertec computer corp {ucbvax!unisoft | scgvaxd | trwrb | felix}!pertec!bytebug