[GreenKeys] Wire

[Jim Haynes]

On Tue, 28 Jun 2011, Rokumon Cat wrote:
>  
> I was wondering, what would be the "proper" type of wire (cable) to be used for loop interconnection between teletype machines and patchpanels, etc. I am currently using plain old lamp cord, but would like to use something that would have been used back in the day for my TTY setup.
>  
Big patch panels, like switchboards, would of course use cable.

For smaller installations like on customer premises...I guess the Bell 
System would use whatever was the kind of inside wire they were using for
telephone installations at the time.  Which recently would be the round
jacketed station wire of 2 to 4 conductors.  Earlier their inside wire
was twisted pair or triple or quad with solid conductors and colored brown
or ivory.  Or multiconductor cable if they needed more than a couple of
pairs.

I've seen wire on old Western Union and Associated Press machines that
was solid conductor twisted pair with plastic insulation and a textile
weave over each wire separately.  Probably you can't get anything like
that anymore.  I've also seen it with plastic insulation alone.

Something that would be suitable would be doorbell wire.  I've seen and
used twisted pair solid conductor wire where the wires of the pair are
two different shades of brown.  I haven't been able to find that lately;
seems like recent doorbell wire is a pair one red one white.  I've also
seen twisted pair, one red and one black wire, and a gray jacket overall.

Now if you're talking about military installations, you would probably
find the wire run in conduit, and it might be shielded twisted pair.
Even before TEMPEST (the enemy picking up signals radiated from your
machinery and wiring) there was use of shielding to prevent radio
interference.