Flexible wire: what is it called?

[rtarbell]

I'm looking for small gauge (22 AWG or smaller) stranded flexible wire. I don't know how to describe it, but it should be very soft (i.e. not able to stand up in the air on its own).

I recently got some 22AWG stranded wire, but it is still very stiff, and it's not exactly something I can use for long lengths (it would get kinked easily).

==> What is the more "flexible" wire called? Is it more flexible because of the insulation?

[poobah]

Oddly enough it is called flexible wire. Sometimes it is called tinsel although this is a special construction, sometimes with a soft filler core, sometimes braided.

2 issues effect flex: First is the stranding, it is listed like "7/30" for a typical low-flex 22 AWG stranded wire. This means 7 strands of 30 AWG wire. The same 22 AWG wire can be "168/44"; this is 168 strands of 44 AWG wire. The more strands, the more flexible, and of course, the more $$.

Second is insulation; the softer, or thinner it is, the more flex, Weight can fool you here, a heavy but soft insulation can seem more flexible just because it is collapsing under its own weight. Polyethylenes, teflons, and kynars tend to be stiff. PVCs are softer. Silicones and rubbers are the softest. Keep in mind there are a zillion types of ALL of these... so these are just guidelines.

Look here .

[clem_o]

Phono wire (not sure of the term either, but works for me here)?

this is the stuff used to connect the cartridge, thrugh the tone arm to some mounting point of the phono base.

Cheers!

[Simpleton]

Seems pretty much like Litz wire to me (used for crystal radio coilds (spider web, honeycomb, etc)

[cpemma]

You'll find extra-flexible wire sold for meter leads, though you're limited in colour and gauge. As Poobah says, it's more but thinner strands making up the wire, in this case 55 strands of 0.1mm diameter compared to 16 strands of 0.2mm in a similar rating ordinary hook-up wire.