Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Ignitor wire

This is topic Ignitor wire in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 11-24-2010, 07:26 PM:

Lets say the ignitor lead going to the cathode had started to go bad (building up resistance and such). If you only had a slightly thinner gauge wire for the time being, could you double it up with the bad one to get buy for a while?

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 11-24-2010, 07:51 PM:

How about a heavy duty automotive starter cable that's near the same in length?

Posted by Jonathan Bodge (Member # 4072) on 11-24-2010, 08:22 PM:

I'd say sure, but why not replace the wire with what Jeremy says.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 11-24-2010, 09:09 PM:

What Richard suggests "should" work until he can
get a new cable, provided the insulation (if any)
can withstand the lamphouse heat.

I've been faced with the same situation and did
exactly what Jeremy suggested for a temporary fix.

In fact, the cable I found at my local auto parts
store even had the right size lugs on it to fit
the terminals in my lamphouse. It worked great
until I could get the 'factory approved' replacment.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-25-2010, 12:22 AM:

or, head to a wire/motor shop to find that nichrome wire of the same gauge and length and have them fit the right sized lugs on the end.

..just a thought - Monte

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 11-25-2010, 03:04 AM:

You don't want nichrome because of the resitance/heat coefficient
use a piece of braided battery cable
also paralelling with a bad one will have unequal current sharring

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 11-25-2010, 01:31 PM:

I actually found some new #4 dc cable and new lugs. I made a new cable and it's fine now. What Gordon said is what I was really wondering. The unequal current between the 2 cables.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 11-30-2010, 11:16 AM:

quote: Jim Cassedy
It worked great
until I could get the 'factory approved' replacment.

What "factory approved" means, is that it's the exact same cable you found at the automotive or electrical supply house, but with a 25% higher price tag.