Wire gauge/calipers for cable csa

[sevuk]

I've seldom seen these as I mostly do installation work, but does anyone know of any good calipers or gauge for measuring the csa of a cable?

 

[HandySparks]

I use an ordinary digital caliper, now available for less than a tenner.

Measure the diameter of the strands in a few places and take an average. Work out the csa of the strands, then multiply by the number of strands. Maybe write a lookup table for the common sizes.

 

[rsgaz]

write a lookup table for the common sizes.

plastic wire gauge - mm - https://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/threads/plastic-wire-gauge-mm.121194/#post-1271184

 

[telectrix]

think the greek letter Π comes into the equation.

 

[sevuk]

think the greek letter Π comes into the equation.

Also a magical number.

Thanks for the responses. The table is very useful.

 

[The Ghost]

I use a micrometer, decimal one and do the Pi r² x the strands.

 

[paul291277]

Pie causes nothing but problems for my csa

 

[telectrix]

can't beat a good cow pie.

but horse d'ouvres is a nice starter.

 

[The Ghost]

It's Horses douvers, sigh!

 

[telectrix]

nah. douvers are their feet, silly arse.

 

[paul291277]

Worked with a guy once who ordered Prosecutor Ham and Dolphin-nosed Potatoes at the same meal

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I never found a pair that I found accurate enough, although I did only experiment with a few fairly cheap ones though.

I made this, just one of Richard Burns many good ideas!

 

[The Ghost]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Metric-Out...=1511897929&sr=8-5&keywords=metric+micrometer
Brilliant device, and accurate.

 

[telectrix]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Metric-Out...=1511897929&sr=8-5&keywords=metric+micrometer
Brilliant device, and accurate.

got one of them but it's in english. 1/1000th inch divs.

 

[The Ghost]

got one

So conversion to metric size after finding CSA then for you...

 

[telectrix]

never bother. if it fits in the terminal without using s hammer, it's right size.

 

[The Ghost]

Oh crap didn't realise that, better go back and check a few jobs I done then, so... without using a hammer, mhmmm

 

[PEG]

Got to be careful,doing your own calcs,the tiny variations in measuring a single strand,will multiply in error.

Fine for an estimate,but manufacturers tables are the best method,and the one anyone who is doing definitive investigations,will use.

You can try this yourself,on a decent size piece of SWA,with a quality vernier caliper. You will get near enough to what you know the stated CSA is,and that can be enough to know the standard guage.

 

[The Ghost]

It is true regards the variations, however as the cable sizes jump from 1.5 to 2.5 to 4.0 to 6.0 to 10.0 to 16.0 and so on, the minute variations do not confuse the answer as approximate closer to one of the defined sizes available and there should be very little chance of mistaking cable size accordingly. Used intelligently that is. So you may end up with and answer like 9.155mm² which you can confidently say is nominally 10mm² However I take your point @PEG

 

[telectrix]

easiest way: get diameter, then use pi r ^2

 

[FatAlan]

I've seldom seen these as I mostly do installation work, but does anyone know of any good calipers or gauge for measuring the csa of a cable?

Had a discussion a while back on conductor CSA as I wondered whether cable CSA was the actual real CSA or the diameter. I purchased a digital vernier calliper off amazon and using pi r squared confirmed it is the actual CSA. Happy days!

easiest way: get diameter, then use pi r ^2

 

[amlu]

i carry a box of bootlace ferrules on me, useful when terminating flex etc. 0.5mm -6mm.... doubles as a csa checker just try to put one on the wire ends see if it fits and size smaller one does not .