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Wire that's not wire

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tomj View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Wire that's not wire
    Posted: Sep/21/2022 at 1:47pm
I should have known better...

A year ago I installed a small bluetooth three-channel amplifier in my '60 American, and bought a pair of speakers and subwoofers from Parts Express. Works great no complaints.

Yesterday the left channel went out, turned out to be the wire to the speaker failed. I mean, failed, as in internally. Connections were tight.

The wire was this thin, very crappy "zip cord" type wire that came with the speakers. I should have known not to use it on general principles, but laziness won. I also figured the makers of pretty good speakers (6 x 9s, I forget the brand but they're fine) would ship usable wire.

I replaced the wire, left and right, with real 18-gauge wire from a reputable source (All Electronics), unbranded, but I think it's Alpha.

The system DOUBLED in volume. OK, this sounds like you know I stuck an STP sticker on my car and now it's so fast!

One six-foot length of this alleged "wire" stuff is 1.7 ohms (both wires, out and back). The speakers are 4 ohms. I did the math; that's 30% power loss in the wire, each channel. On the freeway with the windows up, I had the volume near maximum; now it's halfway. That's more than "30%" but the numbers are rough DC calculations and in any case, bad wire is bad wire.

The bad wire is stranded, and while it's too thin even for my modest system, I'd guess it's 24 or 26 gauge. But it's 0.14 ohm per foot. #32 copper -- hair fine -- is 0.16 ohms/foot.

So this cheap wire isn't even *copper*. It's some crappy alloy. Who knows what it is!








1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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MIPS View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MIPS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/21/2022 at 2:28pm
I found similar stuff when I was removing a pair of aftermarket Kickers from my doors. Too flimsy. I replaced it with 16ga clear lamp cord.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bingagain24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/22/2022 at 9:09pm
Product fraud is a hilarious study in how cheap can it get. Supermarkets sell food-like substances as well. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bigbad69 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/22/2022 at 10:19pm
Originally posted by bingagain24 bingagain24 wrote:

Product fraud is a hilarious study in how cheap can it get.
More like how much crap is the consumer willing to buy because the price is good.

@tomj, I thought you said it was Bluetooth, why do you need wires? LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 6PakBee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/23/2022 at 8:00am
I could not find the website but I recall reading up on cheap Chinese guitars.  How can they make them so cheap?  One factor was that the pickups aren't wired with pure copper wire but some copper alloy that saves a couple bucks.  This may be the case here.
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tomj View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/23/2022 at 11:06pm
While there are probably Chinese manufacturers that only make garbage more likely it's American sellers spec'ing lowest-possible-cost and doing zero quality control. 

After 30 years out microwave died. It took us FOUR tries to get a good one. Three from best buy. There return policy seems great, 'no questions asked'. Problem is that it's literal -- they don't even ask what the problem was. Two of them never worked, bad keypads. One tossed over a fence and bent. 

So best buy moves fantastic volume, literally no way to know whats crap, selling junk from manufacturers also doing no QC.

(We bought one from target; it works.)

Quality control is what's missing. Because it takes human skill and labor. And thats the one thing big businesses hate to pay for. 



Edited by tomj - Sep/23/2022 at 11:08pm
1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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pacerman View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pacerman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/24/2022 at 12:37pm
I'm curious about the Bluetooth comment too.  Joe
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Eddiebell Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/01/2022 at 7:41am
I think it's because you can buy Bluetooth speakers now the only wires going to the speakers themselves is power wires because they have a built-in amplifier and a Bluetooth receiver so you don't even need speaker wires. I bought one of those hidden Radio Systems with Bluetoothhttps://www.woodyscustomshop.com/the-classic-audio-solution/  and it worked great but boy did they give you some cheap wires to hook up the speakers with and the blue tooth was just a flash drive  hooked into it . But i was able to usea sd card with it so i just put my music on a sd card off the computer back up and no more commercials for meLOL I just hit it in the side glove box tucked up tight with the factory stereo in his place you never even notice it
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/01/2022 at 10:03pm
Assuming stereo, two speakers, there must be wires to each speaker. Bluetooth supports one connection, and received the stereo signal (data) that the box decodes. So there can't be Bluetooth to each speaker, for stereo. 

I'll take a photo of my setup and post it tomorrow. 


1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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