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Installing dedicated lines. Which cable to use?

Hi guys

I'm having some dedicated lines put in. I've already purchased some Porter Ports (what a great guy that Albert P.!), and have a couple of questions concerning which cable to use. I want to use 10-2 solid core, but am confused about a couple of things:

-the runs from the breaker box will be relatively short (15-20 feet). Should I use shielded Romex or unshielded? I do have some problems with noise (hum, buzz)in my setup when using unshielded interconnects (Nordost). I am told that unshielded sounds better but is noisier. Experiences?

-I am having trouble locating brand name Romex. The local HD and Lowe's don't carry it, but do have a Romex-like 10-2 copper wire. Is real Romex worth the search? Lots of references in the archives to Romex from HD. What gives? Is the name Romex used generically to mean any similar cable? What is a good source for real Romex?

Thanks in advance and any other suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.
frogman

Showing 3 responses by sean

sean
6,231 posts
 
Since you have such short runs, you might want to think about making your own cable. Using two individual runs of solid core 10 gauge, simply twist them together i.e. make a twisted pair out of them. The twists don't have to be consistently spaced, but should be done at a rate of appr 3 - 4 turns per foot. This will be used for the hot and the neutral. The ground wire can be run individually outside of the twisted pair.

One suggestion here. If your runs are going to be 20 foot, start off with 25 - 28 foot of wire or so. You WILL lose length as the wire is twisted. For your own sanity, it is best to cut individual runs and work with the shortest lengths possible. That is, don't try and twist 100 ft of cabling together and then cut to length. Having another person to hold the far end and rotate it accordingly can make things go MUCH quicker and easier. Sean
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sean
6,231 posts
 
As Bignerd stated and Nrchy affirmed, so long as one uses the appropriate wiring, the geometric configuration of the wiring isn't critical so long as it is properly terminated. If in doubt, check with the local inspector and / or discuss it with a licensed electrician.

As to Nrchy's comments about separating the ground wires as much as possible, i agree. This is especially true if the grounding system has been optimised. Having said that, just getting the ground wire outside of the hot / neutral bundle is of benefit, hence my recommendation to do so.

How far one wants to take all of this is up to the capacity of their wallet. Obviously, better performance can be had over what i recommended. In terms of bang for the buck, convenience and effort required, the approach that i mentioned will be hard to beat. You could do FAR worse for a helluva lot more time, money and effort using much more expensive "audiophile approved" gear and methods. Sean
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sean
6,231 posts
 
I guess that we all learned something in this thread. It's good to see that there are others paying attention that can help prevent "bad situations" from potentially coming into play.

While i don't think that Romex type wiring would result in any type of problem i.e. fire or shock hazard, it could make the difference between an insurance claim being approved or denied if some other electrical problem come into play.

Maybe we all need to work on our "bedside manners" and take things a little less personally. This includes me too : ) Sean
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