Dedicated power lines-getting started


Any advice please on the right questions to ask my local electrical contractor re: dedicated power lines.
I'm very interested in getting this done but I'm obviously"electrically challenged" when it comes to this stuff.
Also any feedback on estimated cost, time involved, material etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
greh
Yeah, the issue seems to be the fragility of the Teflon outer jacket, whether its red or natural. I have a good friend who's a pro independent adjuster (worked both sides of the fence for 20+ years, and is a mech e from MIT, so we always yak about wires and the old "question", of course.)
Perhaps this stuff could be run through an easy to install conduit somehow to satisfy codes? I suspect that the soft vinyl jacket I use on my PCKits isn't sufficient, either.
Does anyone know the mechanical requirements for external jacketing of house-wiring?
Seems a shame to not use such a nice, quiet, detailed and affordable 12AWG'er.
Chris..."super duper"? Does changing it from red to white, and going "softer" (19x26 vs the semi-stranded 7x20) really do anything except establish propriety? We've done well to partially debunk the snake-oil around here re PCs....
Please send that sample I ordered. I'm pretty curious to run a few single-blinds to see if there's something audibly different. Thanks. GREAT new logo you've got, too!
>>>Does changing it from red to white, and going "softer" (19x26 vs the semi-stranded 7x20) really do anything except establish propriety?"

Sir, are you questioning my integrity, business practices or motivation? What are you inferring? Literally THOUSANDS of audiophiles worldwide haver made my DIY recipes for speaker cables, interconnects and power cords over the years, and I never ONCE asked people to pay for the designs. All I asked was for no one to "commercialize" my designs without my permission. That apparently went unnoticed by you. So now you are implying that I changed my cable design simply so I wouldn't have to compete with my own cable design? Ludicrous.

>>>We've done well to partially debunk the snake-oil >>>around here re PCs....

...in the limited time I've been here, the only debunking I've seen is the legal use of 83802 as house wiring...

>>>Please send that sample I ordered. I'm pretty curious >>>to run a few single-blinds to see if there's something >>>audibly different.

Would you like me to give you the name and telephone number of the engineers and manufacturer of the wire too? I'm sure your "single-blind" test will have absolutely no bias....

Cheers.
If you want to meet code requirements and have a really low-inductance path to your components, particularly your amps, then this is what I would recommend (several have followed this advice and are astonished by the improvement):

Buy three wires, white, black and green insulated 10 or 12 AWG THHN solid copper wire. It has thin insulation.

Twist the black and white wires together in a pair at 4-6 twists per foot.

Twist the green wire around the first pair in the opposite twist direction as the first pair. Twist rate is not too important, just to hold it together as a unit.

Then fish the assembly through plastic conduit in the walls using a "fish-tape" - an electrician worth his salt will have one.

Terminate the wires to a good outlet, such as the PS Audio or Acme silver ones.

This creates very low inductance compared to any ROMEX, no matter what gauge you use. Low inductance is what makes the difference, not low resistance, but it helps.
Chris, Lighten up!

"pay for the designs?" Are you kidding? All one had to do (as I did), was look through a Belden catalog for a fat-gauged all-Teflon shielded cable, and there they were: 883802, 3, 4, and 6.

I installed my 8380x lines two and 1/2 years ago, well before hearing of your "flavors". I won't argue the merits of intellectual property, as I suppose one can claim to reinvent the paper clip. That you published awareness of this cable was undoubtedly a fine service, but using a two conductor cable as a power line is NOT patentable, sir!

My "commercialization" is simply to finally be the mule who assembles this magical Belden cable with good connectors, a proper good-looking outer jacket, and instructions for assembly.And for an exceptionally low price.
How the hell can you call that infringement of your "design"? I understand the bruised ego, and suspect that you're now finally motivated to make a go of it with your own production variant, but your previous posts, ads and introductory price certainly seem to cast aspersions on 8380x, and that by twisting it extra hard, coloring it like skim milk, and softening its "hand" you can somehow reinvent the wheel, and now REALLY claim "intellectual property" improvements as well. That's fine. But this is indeed small potatoes. I've just heard from a guy in Brazil and one in Germany who are overwrapping my dearlittle $35 PCKit with a nylon "proprietary (HA!) cover" and getting dealers to sell it in the HUNDREDS!

You never chose to play that game. neither have I.
Over a hundred guys have thanked me for finally being the guy who put together a fine DIY PC Kit... just since Thanksgiving. I'm netting about $10/hr at this "commercialization". Ha!

So go ahead and take over this chore. But please desist from referring to this cable that you've loved all these years as being required to be replaced by a less "gawdy"
version that "takes it to the next level" because of your "intellectual property" needs. Your and my efforts are/were about avoiding the snake oil, no?

AC delivery is pretty simple stuff. Good copper, all-Teflon and shielding just about defines it, and you and I know that Belden covered it well. Now getting it code-legal with some easy to use, low-cost outer conduit is another story.

Maybe you should just make some zoomy CVH versions and go up against the big names at the dealer level?You've got a nice logo, website, and probably lots of connectons.
You can hide your milky magic in an opaque cover like others and offer a mid-priced cable that would outperform mamny others. Hell, just the stock Belden 83802 does that already. There ARE others out there simply using 83802 matrices hidden in Techflex, and charging $$$ for it.
I can understand your frustration, and decision to get into the game yourself.

I coinvented a widely used common lab tool called the Pipetman, and didn't make a nickel. But that doesn't mean that I need to reinvent a "next level" version and go up against my old self.

I wish you all the luck with your CVH ventures, but your defensiveness in casting aspersions on my bias in blind tests is a cheap shot, and not worthy of you. I simply would like to hear for myself what you've got. If it sounds better, and sits at a low price/ft, then it's an easy matter for you to grab some market by a fancy website and clever marketing. If most folks around here eventually can't perceive a difference, then the stock Belden 83802 will retain its place as the $2/ft giant-killer. But this you know already....

We're all grateful for your efforts, Chris. Please don't misinterpret mine. I'm not looking for a third career to cap off my work life by sqeezing for marketshare at the $2/ft or $35/PC level! It's just a nice service for fellow Audiogoners who want to build a PC or Power Box or two, and don't want to spend hundreds on raw materials bought in bulk, and/or just want a little hand-holding to get it done right.

We can easily coexist as allies in this small market where price-performance are so poorly correlated.
So please relax a little, stop feeling attacked or robbed, and good luck with your new biz. I'll probably refer MANY folks to you for spades and stuff in my remaining time here.

Keep well...you can let your guard down a little.
Ern

Not sure if my previous post got through, Audioengineer, but you have just described the "outside-ground" version of the Belden 83802 dedicated line we've been talking about.
Thanks for the idea about the plastic conduit. If this works then the argument's over. The advantage of this Belden is that it's shielded and all-Teflon dielectric.
I too think that 83802 (12/2, as you describe) with a countertwist outside ground might sound cleaner than 12/3 83803 correlated-twist internal ground. Great!