[Elecraft] Cable for DC Wiring

[Jim Brown]

On 3/13/2014 1:40 PM, Jan wrote:
> I will also agree with an earlier poster that #12 audio wires are more 
> flexible than the red/black married pairs we normally see. 

It is really quite unfortunate that red/black glorified zip cord has 
become the defacto standard for power and speaker wiring. It is a really 
poor choice for both uses because it is very poor at rejecting RF 
interference. A FAR better choice would be twisted pair of suitable 
conductor diameter, because it strongly rejects all sorts of 
interference -- audio hum, buzz, and RFI.

We tend to forget that although we CALL those cables "DC power" or 
"speaker" cables, Mother Nature knows the laws of physics, so she calls 
them "antennas," and they behave as antennas. I have solved MANY serious 
RFI problems by replacing zip cord with twisted pair. BTW -- have ever 
noticed that the red/black zip cord sold at flea markets is several wire 
gauges smaller than it is marked, and that the insulation is thicker to 
conceal that fact?

Yes, I know that everyone uses zip cord for these uses, but as my mother 
taught me when I was but a wee lad (sometimes with the assistance of a 
good whipping), "just because everyone does it doesn't make it right."

73, Jim K9YC