Andrew

Finding replacement wire for broken antennas has always been a problem locally, but I've located an internet source for the lighter gauges. You can get stranded in 26 AWG and 28 AWG in a variety of colors from [link=http://safe.spsp.net/cgi-bin/debco/index.html]Debco Electronics[/link]. This is 7x36 for the 28 gauge (8.49/100') and 7x34 for the 26 gauge (8.95/100') -- the insulation is fairly flexible. Not a high strand count, but probably sufficient.

Select WIRE (lower lefthand side), then Hook Up Wire.

KidEpoxy

you dont butcher a telephone wire & grab the pretty colored wires inside?
Good phone wire will be copper, cheap extentions are usually stranded.

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Regular (solid,unstranded) phone wire is 22 to 24 gauge. I've got about 30k feet of of four-pair and 10k feet of six-pair. Uncounted feet of cat5 which is now relegated to near uselessness. However, if you can find the cheap wall cords like Kid says, they are usually 26-28 guage stranded. The flat cords usually contain the individual wires you'd need. Some will be made like lamp cords, though. Strands of copper blowing in the breeze won't help a bit.

KidEpoxy

drawing on knowlege of quarterwave lengths, matching ohms, and conductor mass capacitance, I've determined I dont remember hardly any of that from a class 15 years ago [&:]

ok, so which is better antenna: Solid or Stranded?
(I'm thinking solid, but SWAG at this point for me)

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Solid copper wire doesn't like to flex much. Stranded is better at least for that one reason! One strange fact is that every flat cord I've ever seen has yellow insulated wires inside. BTW, you'll know a flat cord when you see it. They look different from your run-of-the-mill base cord.