Floor Cords out of Telephone wire?

[hpfencing]

Iheard last week that somone was using telephone cord under a floor as a floor cord, does this work?

[JEC]

In the end, it's about resistance and impedance. The entire circuit has a maximum tolerated amount. The smaller the wire, the higher the resistance ... the more likely failures. However, for repeater lights it could be used (Favero's).

[swordsen]

I've seen phone wire used in homemade reels before. It works but is fairly fragile and breaks pretty quick. but it is cheap enough to replace often. Great for practice reels in the club.

[Purple Fencer]

Major problem....each wire is a single strand...one break and it's repair time....happened at SwordPlay all the time until I replaced the stuff with something stranded.

[Mergs]

I think that if you are using it under a floor, you should be OK. After all, it's used inside walls for the same purpose! But if you are going to continually subject them to pulling, tugging and generally mucking about with them, then you will have problems.

That said, I still prefer stranded wire.

[larkmaj]

Extension cord!!
Just use a normal power extension cord with ground. Three lines in the cord, very durable.

[DJ Apostrophe]

a quote from my coach, "Stuff breaks because fencers touch it." ... this is the reason our reels are elevated, the grounding wires to the strips are run through conduit and then underneath the floor and come up to a copper pad underneath the middle of the metal strip, 'floor cords' (term i use loosely as they never touch the floor) run from the box (mounted elevated on a pole) to the elevated reels in conduit.

I would imagine that if you were to use telephone wire in a similar fashion you would be fine... however, I would refrain from using it as a conventional floor cord where it is under the stress of being moved, wound and unwound, tripped over, etc. as it would be much less durable in that application.

-w

[Joe biebel]

Telephone wire works great for floor cords or bungee system reels. You can find 6 wire round braided telephone wire that you double up that will last and last if you stress relieve the connections. It is very cheap and easy to come by (radio shack) and easy to work with. I made four overhead reels, three years ago, and have yet to need a repair.

[hpfencing]

The cords I am building are going to be mounted in the ceiling of our new building. Very little touching and pulling. I am tired of pulling up the regular floor cords before eeach event and then after the every trying to rush around to get the cords and stuff ready for the next practice.

thanks, I'll try the cord, it's cheap enough that if I need to I can just throw it away and be wiser if it stops working.

Thanks everyone

[RITFencing]

I think the idea about extension cords is a great one. They have a low impedance, are very tough naturally and have three cords internally. Splice the ends from an epee body cord on there and you're set.

Don't forget to use a bit of solder to ensure a good connection where whatever cord you use meets the socket. That's goign to be the #1 place for high impedance on the line.

[yeoldearmourer]

Use level 5 or level 7 telephone wire which is stranded and have 3 pairs of wires works fine and beening cat 5 or 7 the res. is very low has this is data quailty

[DHCJr]

Actually CAT-5, as well as telephone cords have a high resistence compared with regular body cord wire or extension cords. Not as many strands and not as much metal.

I tried using CAT-5 for some special test wiring for the 2000 Pentathlon Worlds. I had to keep them very short to keep the resistence down. CAT-5 is not for low resistence, but for low loss of data which is different.

There was a proposal for the use of telephone cords for body cords as a standard. This was one of RR projects to 'Modernize' fencing. Luckily it fell.

[EPEEDAD]

Telephone. CAT 2,3,5...are inherently weak.

yes the best are stranded wire but some are also twisted pairs...stiffer.

The copper is made in the millions of foot year. good/fair and poor worldwide mfg's.

the wire is also 24 or 26 gage--weak electrically but this a low current use.

Most stranded wires begin to break after 7-10 tight bends- solid wire less and get stiffer with increased resistance.

If you have the bucks try a micro flat electronic cable with fine braid sheathing and berrylium copper- only $1.00 plus per foot

belden.com
newenglandwire.com
alphacable.com

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