Home Depot wire question.. (1 Viewer)

[Mike_T_]

Dumb question... I got some 14g speaker wire from Home Depot and noticed that one strand of wire is all copper, and the other is copper mixed with some other type of material..silver colored..no idea what it is.
1st question is..why isn't this 100% copper on both strands?
2nd question..which side is the + and which is the -? The wire is not marked, I'm assuming the 100% copper strand is the +.

Thanks!

 

[SVS-Ron]

Mike,

The other color is just done that way to allow you to keep polarity correct. Finding the tiny little "+" or "-" on a wire in poor light (usally leaning over a couch ;^) can be tough so I don't mind the more visible technique at all myself.

It doesn't matter what side you use for positive or negative, but just remain consistent. I tend to use the copper colored wire (don't know what they use to make the other wire silver looking, but you can bet it's not silver. Tin probably, or a bit of aluminum, who knows) as "+" since copper=red=+ is easy to remember.

Ron

 

[Mike_T_]

Great! I appreciate the help!