Wire and rope, rarely the right gauge
In my experience, rope and wire are sold in two sizes: not thick enough and too thick. I should have been better prepared for this fact of life; after all, I had read the tale of the little blonde and her ursine neighbours. In that story, though, there was a middle ground.
I left the house this evening with a plan. I’d nip over to the local hardware store, purchase some crimpable ring connectors and several metres of wire. Standard gauge, either 10 or 12, copper. An easy thing to find. Right! In my dreams. One hour later, several serious choices (compromised ones), I’m back home with an approximation.
The need (no sense going shopping without one) was to conduct some current. 12 V, 25 A. Hardly enough to need a specialist. But, we live in a world where less is better, if copper is involved. I’d take up mining the stuff, given the price. When you ask a clerk for wire to move 25A, there is an assumption that you’ve missed a decimal point. When you explain that it’s for a radio, the disbelief quotient climbs.
I’ve settled for three metres of stove wire, I think. The clerk didn’t have a measuring stick, so we approximately cut a length from the spool, and since I’d already spent an hour moving in circles, I went home via the cash register. Not a big deal.
It makes that mailbag of wire lengths I keep around for emergencies seem much more valuable. I know, I didn’t have what I needed, this time. Blame it on the Goldilocks Factor. But on some future date, I’ll save myself a tour of the hardware emporium.
