This is a non-model railroad hobby shop supply question. Where can someone fin a source to buy wire? I am looking for unshielded multi-color communications cable. Would like ten pairs, or better yet, twelve. Twenty or twenty two gauge. It probably comes in at least fifty foot quantities, which would be fine for what I am thinking as it's use. Ideas?
I buy my wire at a surplus electronics shop in Boise, but have purchased wire you describe as cat3 stranded wire there, which has 8 conductors in 4 pairs twisted together, and has no shield foil, just gray pvc around the wires. As far as 10 or 12 conductors, the way they name the cable is by gauge slash conductor number. Example, you want 22awg 10 conductors it is called 22/10 low voltage cable. Here is an online source for 1000' rolls: https://www.discount-low-voltage.com/
I can't make a promise but you might talk to a telephone or cable TV installer/repair person. I used to do that type of work and we would throw out a lot of that cable. The worst they would say is no.
a scrap yard, lots of places throw out leftovers / no longer needed .... and the price is right ... usually about two bits a pound
Digi-Key has about ten options in stock from which you can choose, one of which is sold by the foot while the others come on 100' spools. Prices are in the $5-$10 per foot range.
Could you help me with a link or links? Fiddling with their search function is getting me a few 'not founds'. Don't have a manufacturer name to plug in or what they term as "series".
Do you need a lot of wire? Or just small pieces to wire in decoders and engine to tender hook up wire? Go to you local recycling site and look for old worn out/out date dated computer CPU's. Maybe your local computer repair depot. There is a lot of small wiring in it. Many times they will just give you an old CPU if you'll just take it. All you're going to do is tear the CPU apart anyway.
Looking at multiple short sections of 3 or 4 feet. It's just the funky way I prefer to wire up my DC empire of little modules.
I've purchased all of my track bus and feeder drop circuiting wire from Remington. https://www.remingtonindustries.com/ Purchased a 100' roll of Cat6, 23awg as bus wire for my Tortoise machines. Got that from Home Deeepaut'.
