Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Wire colours (warning: possible stupid question)

In preparation for the arrival of my m80s, I bought some bulk speaker wire (12 gauge) at a local hardware store. I notice that the two strands are different colours - one plain copper (gold) and the other silver. I'm a believer in the "copper is copper" school of thought, but the silver strand clearly is copper with something done to it.

Do you guys avoid this type of color coding system and insist on wiring where the cable housing lets you keep track of positive vs. negative, or is the colouring process on the copper (not a metallurgist, just a computer programmer) benign and has no impact on the electrical properties?

As far as I know it's simply to make it easier for you to keep the + and - clearly identified. It shoulnd't make any difference at all.

Spiff nailed it.. Both are copper, one is just tinned to make it easy to keep plus to plus and neg to neg.. Same deal as red/black insulation, etc..

And since you're doing all the wiring yourself... wire the gold conductor to the black post and if you're ever stuck trying to remember which conductor goes where, think of Mr. T - and the connection between black and gold will be engrained in your memory forever.

Don't even ASK how I memorized resistor colour bands, I took my electronics training in a MUCH less politically correct world!

Bren R.

Haha! One of the funniest things I've ever seen.

actually... id put the copper one on the positive post...

Just as long as both are copper i guess its ok. i know ive seen some thats one side copper and the other one was aluminum or something.

Haoleb,

Is there a reason you'd put copper on the positive side? You that electrons have a negative charge, don't you?

because the positive side is better. its positive not negative. and id rather have the pure copper on the pos side rather then the neg side.

to be completely honest i wouldnt have got a two colored cable anyway but for some people wire is wire. of couse, i wouldnt have spend over 80 bucks for a pair of cables either.

yeah but they flow positive to negative. I always put the copper color on positive just cause positive is red and the copper color has a more red to it. Thats the only reason i do it.

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yeah but they flow positive to negative

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Actually, if I remember my physics from so many years ago, it's current that flows from positive to negative, the flow of electrons (because they are negatively charged) adtually goes from negative to positive.

Mark