Is there any "rule of thumb" for replacing general wiring in any given radio set as far as gauge is concerned?
Also can stranded wire be substituted for solid or vice versa?
I was wondering if replacing wiring going to or from
IF Cans really makes a difference on what gauge you might use and also when replacing wiring to electroylics? I have not had any problems with the mere 20-25 sets I have done work on so far but wondered if I might not be following recommended procedures. I have not seen anythng in print regarding these issues.
Thanx, Bob

Bob,
Read my post 10-26 under Philco 42-350

marv

:Is there any "rule of thumb" for replacing general wiring in any given radio set as far as gauge is concerned?
: Also can stranded wire be substituted for solid or vice versa?
: I was wondering if replacing wiring going to or from
:IF Cans really makes a difference on what gauge you might use and also when replacing wiring to electroylics? I have not had any problems with the mere 20-25 sets I have done work on so far but wondered if I might not be following recommended procedures. I have not seen anythng in print regarding these issues.
:Thanx, Bob

Bob,

As a rule-of-thumb or should I say my rule-of-thumb is to replace a wire with as close as I can with what is there. If it is solid I replace it with solid or stranded with stranded. I keep a quantity of both in different color insulation. I replace with the same length and observe how the original was run (probably a good idea to take a closeup picture of the bottom of the chassis for later reference). I make sure the plate wire/component of the plate of the tube is kept as far as possible from the grid input of the tube. In the IF circuits I make sure the plate lead of the previous tube is as short as possible (or the same length as the original) and dressed as far as possible from the grid lead of the next tube. Also in the RF/Oscillator stage(s) I try to place the new capacitor/resistor in the same location as the one removed and observe the length and placement of wires I may have to replace. Wire length and placement can be important especially at SW frequencies and up. In the alignment data of some manufacturers (some RCA) there is a section on "critical" lead dress that should be checked by the radioman.

Radiodoc
**********

:Is there any "rule of thumb" for replacing general wiring in any given radio set as far as gauge is concerned?
: Also can stranded wire be substituted for solid or vice versa?
: I was wondering if replacing wiring going to or from
:IF Cans really makes a difference on what gauge you might use and also when replacing wiring to electroylics? I have not had any problems with the mere 20-25 sets I have done work on so far but wondered if I might not be following recommended procedures. I have not seen anythng in print regarding these issues.
:Thanx, Bob

Thanks for that info. I do follow your advice as to matching the gauge as close as possible and always
match the strand VS solid. Since I am a photographer
I will take 40-50 photos of both sides of the chassis and the cabinet etc. with plenty
of close-ups. I learned this the hard way. :O) Still
I always seem to miss a particular angle on any given set that I wish I had taken. Your other remarks about
avoiding certain areas and lengths I will take special note of in the future. So far I guess I am lucky or I generally try to run the same path as the one I am replacing. Tonight however after rewiring an IF can and 10 or 12 other wires that were crumbling I
took a short cut with the last wire because I was saving the hardest wire to replace until last and I
had burned my fingers for the last time today. I am
working on a Zenith 6S532 that I wish I would have left on the shelf :O) but recently I found a knob that I have been looking for forever and fixed the switch that someone had bypassed to a toggle switch. Now I am looking forward to things moving faster with this one. Whew!
I have only restored about 15-20 radios so far and I often tackle a set I should wait for awhile to do.
But it is fun and I look forward to the winter months
when I can spend more time doing radios rather than lawn and garden etc. You "regulars" on this site
are always a big help to me either verifying what I thought was wrong was wrong or what I did right was right plus all the new information I glean just reading all the other postings. Thanks to you all.
Bob

:Bob,
:
:As a rule-of-thumb or should I say my rule-of-thumb is to replace a wire with as close as I can with what is there. If it is solid I replace it with solid or stranded with stranded. I keep a quantity of both in different color insulation. I replace with the same length and observe how the original was run (probably a good idea to take a closeup picture of the bottom of the chassis for later reference). I make sure the plate wire/component of the plate of the tube is kept as far as possible from the grid input of the tube. In the IF circuits I make sure the plate lead of the previous tube is as short as possible (or the same length as the original) and dressed as far as possible from the grid lead of the next tube. Also in the RF/Oscillator stage(s) I try to place the new capacitor/resistor in the same location as the one removed and observe the length and placement of wires I may have to replace. Wire length and placement can be important especially at SW frequencies and up. In the alignment data of some manufacturers (some RCA) there is a section on "critical" lead dress that should be checked by the radioman.
:
:Radiodoc
:**********
:
::Is there any "rule of thumb" for replacing general wiring in any given radio set as far as gauge is concerned?
:: Also can stranded wire be substituted for solid or vice versa?
:: I was wondering if replacing wiring going to or from
::IF Cans really makes a difference on what gauge you might use and also when replacing wiring to electroylics? I have not had any problems with the mere 20-25 sets I have done work on so far but wondered if I might not be following recommended procedures. I have not seen anythng in print regarding these issues.
::Thanx, Bob

I agree with all the above as relates to gauge and dress etc.
I understand that stranded wire was used for the most part in area where a wire might be flexed. So I think, (with the exception of high freq or RF power circuits,) that you probably..can always replace a solid wire with stranded wire but that it is best not to try to use a solid wire where stranded wire was the original.

Bob,

If you haven't already done so, you may take a look at the Tutorials on this site at:

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/References/Articles/

The information may be helpful.

Radiodoc
**********

:Thanks for that info. I do follow your advice as to matching the gauge as close as possible and always
:match the strand VS solid. Since I am a photographer
:I will take 40-50 photos of both sides of the chassis and the cabinet etc. with plenty
:of close-ups. I learned this the hard way. :O) Still
:I always seem to miss a particular angle on any given set that I wish I had taken. Your other remarks about
:avoiding certain areas and lengths I will take special note of in the future. So far I guess I am lucky or I generally try to run the same path as the one I am replacing. Tonight however after rewiring an IF can and 10 or 12 other wires that were crumbling I
:took a short cut with the last wire because I was saving the hardest wire to replace until last and I
:had burned my fingers for the last time today. I am
:working on a Zenith 6S532 that I wish I would have left on the shelf :O) but recently I found a knob that I have been looking for forever and fixed the switch that someone had bypassed to a toggle switch. Now I am looking forward to things moving faster with this one. Whew!
:I have only restored about 15-20 radios so far and I often tackle a set I should wait for awhile to do.
:But it is fun and I look forward to the winter months
:when I can spend more time doing radios rather than lawn and garden etc. You "regulars" on this site
:are always a big help to me either verifying what I thought was wrong was wrong or what I did right was right plus all the new information I glean just reading all the other postings. Thanks to you all.
:Bob
:
::Bob,
::
::As a rule-of-thumb or should I say my rule-of-thumb is to replace a wire with as close as I can with what is there. If it is solid I replace it with solid or stranded with stranded. I keep a quantity of both in different color insulation. I replace with the same length and observe how the original was run (probably a good idea to take a closeup picture of the bottom of the chassis for later reference). I make sure the plate wire/component of the plate of the tube is kept as far as possible from the grid input of the tube. In the IF circuits I make sure the plate lead of the previous tube is as short as possible (or the same length as the original) and dressed as far as possible from the grid lead of the next tube. Also in the RF/Oscillator stage(s) I try to place the new capacitor/resistor in the same location as the one removed and observe the length and placement of wires I may have to replace. Wire length and placement can be important especially at SW frequencies and up. In the alignment data of some manufacturers (some RCA) there is a section on "critical" lead dress that should be checked by the radioman.
::
::Radiodoc
::**********
::
:::Is there any "rule of thumb" for replacing general wiring in any given radio set as far as gauge is concerned?
::: Also can stranded wire be substituted for solid or vice versa?
::: I was wondering if replacing wiring going to or from
:::IF Cans really makes a difference on what gauge you might use and also when replacing wiring to electroylics? I have not had any problems with the mere 20-25 sets I have done work on so far but wondered if I might not be following recommended procedures. I have not seen anythng in print regarding these issues.
:::Thanx, Bob