[ARC5] Wire

[Kludge]

-----Original Message-----
From: arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of J. Forster
> The WW II vintage cables I've seen are:

> Aluminum flex conduit sleeved w/ wire braid and w/ loose wires inside.
> That stuff is pretty much unobtainium, AFAIK, and the connector adapters
> are scarce too.

This is what I'm going for with the SCR-A*-183 since the piece I already
have is of this construction.  I'm not sure yet how I'll manage the conduit
yet although I know I've seen it somewhere (may have been stainless but the
same idea) so I have to do some diligent searching - maybe in industrial
robotics.  OTOH, the adapter (which I guess is the ferrule at the end of the
cable I have) is easily machined so won't be an issue.  The connectors
themselves are where I'm having problems - them and an FT-100 Tx mount.

> Rubber covered multiconductor "control" cable. The problem is, you need a
> wide variety (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 conductors, at least). Getting such an
> assortment, especially in #20 or #22 is costly. It is only authentic for
> some systems, like the ASB-5.

I've been thinking about this and wonder if the cabling for the later
VRC-type equipment (RT-524, RT-246, R-442 etc - I think I've got the numbers
right) wouldn't do for this.  I have no idea what the conductor size is in
these and don’t' have any manuals on them that might indicate what they are.

> Individual wires, either laced and held together w/ Adel clamps, or
> sleeved in amber (clear 50 years ago?) vinyl tubing or sleeved in fabric
> (the RCAF liked this in bright red!). I kinda prefer this option because
> it easily allows a mix of wire sizes (#16/#18 for power; #22 for
> everything else). This goes well w/ the clampless ARC-5 connectors.

I like laced since it's easy to set up and make pretty.  I rewired an entire
42' houseboat by creating the wiring harness then putting it in place
without a glitch so this is pretty much log-falling-off work.  When I'm
creating a harness, I use a set of spring thingies copied from those Panduit
sells (or sold) to hold the wires in place ahead of where I'm working and
pieces of thin plywood drilled with the same pattern as the connectors but
with tighter diameters for the pin circles to keep the wires in order.  This
makes for a nice neat harness that's custom made for the particular setup.  

> A compromise is to use individual wires in Expando tubing (black or
> white). While certainly not original, it does look good, IMO.

Hmmm ... hadn't thought of this.  I've used it in places where abrasion was
a problem but they were for my own work.

> I'm not a fan of Zipper Tubing, BTW, although that is correct for 60s and
> later mil stuff, especially GSE.

The closest I've been to this is getting some unsolicited samples a few eons
ago.  I couldn't think of any way I could use it.

Best regards,
 
Michael, WH7HG ex-K3MXO, ex-KN3MXO, WPE3ARS, BL01xh ex-Mensa A&P PP BGI 
I am me.  I’m the only one who’s qualified.
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Hiki Nô!