dcmo Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 Okay, this is probably a dumb question but is there a problem with splicing the same type of speaker wire together. Problem is I'm moving my room around, and one of the wires in the new set-up won't be long enough. I don't have enough spare wire to run a new wire, but I do have enough to splice in and I really don't want to go out and buy more wire. Can I do this as long as there is a good connection at the splice and get the splice covered up well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 Yes, you can. But I would recommend that you get new wire of the length needed, as all extraneous connections and/or solder joints have an effect, and solder will eventually oxidize. You may find it noticable or not... But try it, you have nothing to lose, especially if it is not a permanent situation. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 no problem, jut twist those babies together well and cover with electrical tape, or solder them together if you have an iron, you will be fine that way. regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbflash Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 Yes you can. Just make sure that you splice them correctly. If the wires are red and black connect red to red, etc. If they are marked on the insulation with +++, manufacture name or ridge make sure you connected both wires correctley. If you have a soldering gun I would solder the connection. I would wrap the splice with either black tape or heat shrink. This is no big deal and if done correctly will last for years. Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceDeuce Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 Behind every outlet or wall switch in your home is a wire-nut or other kind of inline splice. If there were any but a negligible amount of resistance that splice would be a fire hazard. Splicing a speaker wire operating at a few volts should be just fine. It just looks tacky, is all. Solder, as far as I know, only oxidizes on the surface. I don't want to start another discussion about current at audio frequencies traveling on the surface of the conductor. But. . . I haven't heard of even the tweakiest of audiophiles saying that they regularily reflow the solder connections inside their electronics be be certain of that "pure" sound. A solid mechanical connection, nicely done solder, heat-shrink tubing. . . good as new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 I believe there will be no problem even with just twisting the wires together and covering them with tape. Years ago a secretary brought her son's Nintendo box or the like into the office. Some how the video feed got cut (vacuum cleaner roller?). I cut back the insulation, twisted the center and shield together, covered it with transparent tape. It worked fine for video. Natually, I was a hero (blush). Mom liked that there was no expense. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksdad Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 to splice properly do not solder. the only thing you need do is make sure both ends are of uniform length, and than twist them as best you can, the tighter the better, and than use a couple of wire nuts, the wire nuts act in the same way bananna plugs do, they apply pressure to the joint to insure contact. we (electrical industry) gave up soldering wire joints quite a few years ago, it adds resistance and encourages heating, as far as oxidation , it can happen anywhere, and usually does, i can tell you how many time i have striped new wire only to find it changing color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richinlr Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 ---------------- On 11/4/2004 8:19:23 AM marksdad wrote: to splice properly do not solder. the only thing you need do is make sure both ends are of uniform length, and than twist them as best you can, the tighter the better, and than use a couple of wire nuts, the wire nuts act in the same way bananna plugs do, they apply pressure to the joint to insure contact. we (electrical industry) gave up soldering wire joints quite a few years ago, it adds resistance and encourages heating, as far as oxidation , it can happen anywhere, and usually does, i can tell you how many time i have striped new wire only to find it changing color. ---------------- Since this is inside in a controlled environment, I agree with the pressure the wire nuts provide. However, one cannot make blanket statements about not soldering. 15 years ago, I installed an electric fan in my classis British sports car (an am probably more finicky with it than I am with my audio system). Bought the best crimp wire connectors I could buy along with a good cripming tool. Made beautiful connections. Two weeks later, it all stopped functioning. Ripped out the crimped connectors and soldered almost everything. That was 15 years ago, I still own the car and the fan works to this day. There are an incredible number of electrical devices that have been around for a great many years that are soldered and everything is holing up fine. As part of the electrial industry, I am sure you will agree that wire fails about .05 percent of the time and connectors fail about 99.05 percent of the time whenever there is an electrical failure involving connectors and wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richinlr Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 ---------------- On 11/4/2004 8:19:23 AM marksdad wrote: to splice properly do not solder. the only thing you need do is make sure both ends are of uniform length, and than twist them as best you can, the tighter the better, and than use a couple of wire nuts, the wire nuts act in the same way bananna plugs do, they apply pressure to the joint to insure contact. we (electrical industry) gave up soldering wire joints quite a few years ago, it adds resistance and encourages heating, as far as oxidation , it can happen anywhere, and usually does, i can tell you how many time i have striped new wire only to find it changing color. ---------------- Since this is inside in a controlled environment, I agree with the pressure the wire nuts provide. However, one cannot make blanket statements about not soldering. 15 years ago, I installed an electric fan in my classis British sports car (an am probably more finicky with it than I am with my audio system). Bought the best crimp wire connectors I could buy along with a good cripming tool. Made beautiful connections. Two weeks later, it all stopped functioning. Ripped out the crimped connectors and soldered almost everything. That was 15 years ago, I still own the car and the fan works to this day. There are an incredible number of electrical devices that have been around for a great many years that are soldered and everything is holing up fine. As part of the electrial industry, I am sure you will agree that wire fails about .05 percent of the time and connectors fail about 99.05 percent of the time whenever there is an electrical failure involving connectors and wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 Yeah, but dude: 3 words - LUCAS WIRING HARNESS - notoriously unreliable. Probably the ripping out part helped the connections, not the soldering... DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceDeuce Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 Lucas, Prince of Darkness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceDeuce Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 Wire nuts (aside from sounding like a really disturbing medical condition) are fine. They just look tacky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 I have a bumper sticker on my Jensen Healey that says why do the English drink warm beer...because they have Lucas refrigerators Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richinlr Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 ---------------- On 11/5/2004 3:10:10 AM ricktate wrote: I have a bumper sticker on my Jensen Healey that says why do the English drink warm beer...because they have Lucas refrigerators ---------------- I had a '73 Jensen Healey back in the 80's. Loved it except for the oil leaks at the cam covers (whoever thought of using flat cork gaskets on a curved surface should be shot) and distributor position (timeing it is a b**** unless you do it static after removing the carbs). The car loved to go fast and handled quite nicely as well. Mine got about 23 MPG at 55 mph (law of the land back then) and got 28 MPG at 80-85 mph. I am a lucky soul - I have a '73 MGB (owned by me since 1978) with its original wiring harness intact and working like a dream. Everything on my car still works. It is a true daily driver. My wife and I even used it exclusively several years ago when her HONDA was trying to be British... The ripped out connections were NOT Lucas ones - they were exquisitely stripped and prepared new crimp connections on new wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richinlr Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 ---------------- On 11/5/2004 3:10:10 AM ricktate wrote: I have a bumper sticker on my Jensen Healey that says why do the English drink warm beer...because they have Lucas refrigerators ---------------- Do you also know that you have to be very careful when you work on a Lucas wiring harness? If you let the smoke out it's no good any more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 I couldn't agree more about Lucas. I had an ignition switch which stopped conducting. There were two brass plates overlayed with a brass rivit. Somehow it stopped conducting. How can they find material to do that? It beats me. Maybe a marginal connection heats up and corrodes. I did solder it, with good results. A buddy had a TR-7 (?) with the motorized, raising headlights. The winter road salt in Boston had corroded most connectors and it took us most of a weekend to fix things. I was reading a text about aircraft engines. The author commented on a particularly poor British design. He quipped, "But you have to recall the British put plumbing on the outside of the house so you can get to them when they freeze." In view of the U.K. standing with us in Iraq, all is forgiven. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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