? for electricians

[70jimmy]

I put this here because the wire may be able to be used for automotive work so I figure that makes it truck related

So the other day the wife and I are leaving town and as we are turning right I see something in the middle of the road for traffic going straight that looks like it could total a rice grinder if it ran it over. So I tell the wife to stop and I am gonna move it.

It ends up being a 500 foot spool of electrical wire. So my question is what is this used for?

The wire is insulated, green in color. Looks like heavy copper wiring on the inside. Printed on the wire insulation is the following: REPUBLIC WIRE 10 AWG TYPE THHN OR THWN 600V OR GASOLINE AND OIL RES II OR AWM VW-1 SHNRES OR C-7UL TYPE T90 NYLON OR TWN 75F 187614FT1

So what is it used for? Any good for automotive? Seems pretty rigid and overkill. Worth any money?

Thanks

 

[73k5blazer]

THHN is not typically used for automotive use. It is usally solid wire, typically used in home/commercial construction. Not so good for automotive because it's not easily terminated into small terminals and doesn't take to tight bends as easly. It usally has an insulation rating up to 90degrees C, (but some only to 60 )which is the same as most cheap auto parts wire that they sell (GPT), so you could use it for automotive use if you really wanted to. Good automotive wire (SXL or TXL) is rated to 120c. Solid wire doesn't transmit the current as good, and creates more heat in the process. Current always transfers along the outer edges of a conductor, thus good quality wire has more strands. More stands=more surface area=better conductivity.

500' of 10awg, that's alot of copper,don't throw it away! If you were to buy that at the store it would probably be around $100 at least.

 

[70jimmy]

Thanks, seemed pretty rigid for auto use. I think I will call a friend who is a commercial electrician and see if he wants it. Heck it might have even fallen off of one of his trucks.

 

[goldwing2000]

Worse comes to worse, it's worth about $.80 a pound for scrap.

 

[RockinChevy]

Sell it and use the money for upgrades to your rig!!!