The right size wire?

[jonhut]

Hi,

I have a 1947 BV. I need to replace the 6 strand cable that goes from the Amphenol outlet to the preamp and Leslie control box. I ordered a new cable from Tonewheel General, http://www.tonewheelgeneral.com/buil...item_no=BELDEN, which arrived today. It is 18 AWG

My concern is that the wires look quite a bit smaller than the original. I have a new Leslie connection cable (from Goff) and the wire in that looks heavier also.

Is this the right wire? It says this is what it is used for but they don't specify the organ Models it fits.

Jonhut

[David Anderson]

All that really matters is the wire gauge. The original wiring in a BV will have thicker insulation, but that's just how it was made at the time.

18 AWG is more than sufficient for the AC power wiring (pins 3/4), and it's overkill for the other four conductors where 22 or 20 gauge would, again, be more than strictly needed since hardly any current flows through them. Personally, I like to keep wire colors original for ease of future service (blue/grey/brown/yellow/red/black).

[Jyvoipabo]

It appear this câble is similar to Mouser P/N 566-8690-100
This cable is suitable for 'Audio, Control and Instrumentation'
Not for power lines.

JP

[David Anderson]

It appear this câble is similar to Mouser P/N 566-8690-100
This cable is suitable for 'Audio, Control and Instrumentation'
Not for power lines.

Based on regulations or physics?

[jonhut]

OK, I just heard back from Tonewheel General (emailed them but had not heard back when I posted this), and they assure me this cable is fine.

David- Yes, not only are these wires not the right colors, but three of the wires are the same color (black). This is not great, I would rather have the right colors. I have searched for one that is right (color wise) to no avail. Any ideas where to get one?

If I use this one, maybe I can mark the wires for easier future reference.

I also noticed that in the original wire, the twisted red and black ones to the control box have their own separate casing isolating them from the rest, this new one does not. I assume that's OK as long as I keep them twisted right up to the connection?

Thanks
jonhut

[David Anderson]

I usually buy wire from bulkwire.com, but I'm stocking a shop, so I know I'll use it all eventually.

You can also buy standard Leslie cable from Tonewheel General by the foot, and it has all the standard wire colors. That could make sense for you in terms of the total price. You can either use the whole cable like they did at the factory or remove the brown plastic jacket.

Hammond Tone Cabinet/Leslie cables have been sold in a few different styles over the years. On some of the oldest, the #5 wire is actually inside a braided shield (#2 Ground) inside the larger cable. In the higher quality cables, the black and red are a twisted pair. In others, you just find 6 identical conductors.

In what Tonewheel General sells, the black/red pair is twisted. This is for the purposes of balanced-line noise rejection, the idea being that if any noise is picked up equally by both conductors, it will be canceled in the power amp.

If I were doing it with discrete wires, I might twist blue/grey as a pair, brown/yellow as a pair, and black/red as a pair. You might loosely twist brown/yellow & black/red for convenience.

One irony is that in older cables with the black/red pair in its own black jacket, you often find that the black/red pair has shorted out due to insulation failure inside the wrap. It's not unusual to find CVs in which the black/red pair has already been replaced, sometimes all the way to the tone cabinet.

Also, keep in mind that in the older cable standard, yellow is Ground. Hammond later tended to use brown for ground inside organs or in some 5-pin cables, which can cause confusion, but in any 6-pin cable, yellow is still the standard ground color.

[Tim_at_Jonas]

RHC AC-Audio/110 Ohm AES/EBU Digital Audio /9U AWM style 2464 80C 300V E164266—Made in USA

Or

ProCo Siamese Twins 2A1P14D Digital Audio/Power Composite Cable

Or

Whirlwind W1AC2A

Or

CBI BW-MTPA,


All of which are a jacketed “hybrid” or “Siamese” cable comprised of:

Power: 1x three conductor 14 gauge stranded copper within an overall jacket. Conductor color code is Green, Black, White; or Green, Brown, Blue.

Mic/Line: 2x individually shielded and jacketed twisted pairs (24, 22, or 20 gauge). Parallel the conductors in one of them for the B+

[jonhut]

Thank you,

That's what I will do (use the Leslie cable wire).

That is exactly what I found when i checked out the wire. The red and black insulation had completely disintegrated to the point where it basically disappeared as I pealed back the outer casing. I am hoping that this was the cause of the distortion and buzzing.

Jonhut

[David Anderson]

I am hoping that this was the cause of the distortion and buzzing.

Unlikely, but I suppose it's remotely possible. Usually shorting the red/black wires simply causes a volume drop or a complete loss of signal.

[jonhut]

Dang,... Well It needs replacing anyway, so I will see what happens.