The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls

Main => Buy/Sell/Trade - non-retail => Topic started by: Shieldwolf on July 07, 2003, 04:08:14 pm

Title: Best place to buy wire?
Post by: Shieldwolf on July 07, 2003, 04:08:14 pm

I'm going to be wiring up my cp soon and I wanted to know where i could get  cheap wire. I've been told I want 24 gage wire. Where can I get it cheap. Is there anything else I will need?
I don't know if it matters but I'm using the hagstrom 72 with trackball

Title: Re:Best place to buy wire?
Post by: AlanS17 on July 07, 2003, 04:23:42 pm

You can get wire at alot of different places. You can get basic wire at Radio Shack. If you wanna use Cat5 you may wanna check with local private PC vendors cuz retail shops will probably be a bit high.

Personally, I like 22 gauge. I think that's what quick disconnects use, too.

I've found that hardware stores are usually not a very good place to get wire. They usually only carry electrical wiring or heavy-duty stuff.

Title: Re:Best place to buy wire?
Post by: u_rebelscum on July 08, 2003, 12:02:17 am

Quote from: AlanS17 on July 07, 2003, 04:23:42 pm

... 22 gauge. I think that's what quick disconnects use, too.

Depends on the quick disconnects.  You can buy different gauge disconnects (if your store carries them that is).  See pic on bottom

Quote

I've found that hardware stores are usually not a very good place to get wire. They usually only carry electrical wiring or heavy-duty stuff.

I agree.  Any electronics store is better than most hardware stores.  I have okay success at Radio Shack, but even better at Fry's Electronic, a huge electronics store mostly in California and Texas ( http://www.frys.com/localframe.html ).

Title: Re:Best place to buy wire?
Post by: ZippySLC on July 08, 2003, 08:58:57 am

Actually, I got a spool of 500' thermostat wire at Home Depot last night for $30. It has three strands - white, red, and green. I'm going to wire my CP with green for ground, white for player 1, and red for player 2.

It's solid wire (not stranded) so it's easier to bend into shape as well.

IIRC it was 22ga.

Title: Re:Best place to buy wire?
Post by: Chris on July 08, 2003, 11:31:17 am

Whenever we have our phone repair guys in the office, I ask them if they have a foot or two of scrap 25 pair cable, and I use wires out of those cable scraps for light-duty stuff...

Title: Re:Best place to buy wire?
Post by: loksenna on July 08, 2003, 11:03:53 pm

I got a roll of 4 color wire from radio shack for 3 dollars.  Get different colors of wire if you can.  Radio shack is fine for wire, but if you want quick disconnects go to wal-mart.  Radio Shack is a rip-off.