Hookup wire question

[Fred G.]

I just ordered a five-reel set of hookup wire - solid core, 600V.

The insulation is frightfully thin. However, the wire is supposedly Mil Spec wire. It's definitely 22AWG, verified by stripping it and comparing to some other wire I have that has thicker insulation.

I fooled around with a strand of this wire a little bit - and - the insulation seems much more durable than some other solid core 22AWG wire I have on hand. It's much less inclined to melt at the mere touch of a soldering iron than the thicker stuff.

It just seems weird as hell to look at this wire and see how thin it is compared to the other wire (which is wire that came with a Trinity amp kit). Some seriously skinny wire!

Thoughts/opinions/comments?

Thanks!

[Justin Thomas]

Years ago I ordered some "600V" teflon wire from my local electronics distributor. I used it happily in all kinds of amps for a few years... Then one day I noticed on the spool label "300V*". I got scared all of a sudden & decided to look some stuff up.

Seems the 30V rating was only with that little "*". The note said "suitable for immersion in gasoline, and with wires running parallel to each other and touching. So it seemed my wire WAS 600V rated, in air.

Anyway... They've made AMAZING strides in plastics and rubber technology over the decades; I'm inclined to trust manufacturer specs - they've got plenty to lose if they're wrong.

Now, current handling, on the other hand... That I try to follow rigidly.

Justin

[Fred G.]

Years ago I ordered some "600V" teflon wire from my local electronics distributor. I used it happily in all kinds of amps for a few years... Then one day I noticed on the spool label "300V*". I got scared all of a sudden & decided to look some stuff up.

Seems the 30V rating was only with that little "*". The note said "suitable for immersion in gasoline, and with wires running parallel to each other and touching. So it seemed my wire WAS 600V rated, in air.

Anyway... They've made AMAZING strides in plastics and rubber technology over the decades; I'm inclined to trust manufacturer specs - they've got plenty to lose if they're wrong.

Now, current handling, on the other hand... That I try to follow rigidly.

Justin

Thanks, Justin.

I definitely needed a sanity check. That insulation is so thin, it makes that hookup wire look like strands of hair next to the thicker-insulated stuff. But the thicker stuff melts pretty easily when touched with a hot soldering iron. The "skinny" stuff, on the other hand, seems to have pretty durable insulation, albeit thin as can be. Allrighty then!

[Gaz]

Fred, you're definitely good if it's Teflon or Tefzel. The thin appearance takes some getting used to. I had the opposite experience. Always used Teflon (because that's what came in my first amp kit!), and then switched to regular PVC wire, and compared to the Teflon, the 22AWG looked like something you might hang a ski lift chair from!

[eschertron]

Yes, really strange getting use to how the teflon coating differs from what I'd always seen before.

For the last couple builds, I've been buying the Tefzel wire by the foot. A couple feet of red, green, white, whatever I think I need; a couple bucks and it's within my budget. And it helps counter my poor technique! I'm never going back.

[Justin Thomas]

That's what I use, too. Once I work my way through my few remaining rolls of teflon it'll be tefzel all around, except heaters - I use cheapo solid-core for that. Plus it's easier to twist in the vise with a drill. Wish I'd caught onto that trick sooner...

Justin