They dont look or feel isolated, like ones inside a headphone cable

  • Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml
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    2 years ago

    They’re called enameled cables, they’ve got a thin layer of insulation which prevents them from rusting or shorting.

    • 4dpuzzle@beehaw.org
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      2 years ago

      To add, enameled wires are also used in motor windings and old CRT monitors (deflector windings). The easiest way to identify it is to scratch with a knife or burn a small portion of the wire to see if the enamel separates.

      • Big P@feddit.uk
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        2 years ago

        What does it look like when the enamal seperates vs a non-enameled wire?

        • 4dpuzzle@beehaw.org
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          2 years ago

          Slightly brighter and shinier. The enamel gives it a slightly darker matte finish. More importantly though, the peeled/burned enamel looks different from copper.

  • darkphotonstudio@beehaw.org
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    2 years ago

    I created an account just to answer this. They can short. We had a string of these, and it shorted and nearly caught the tinsel on fire. They weren’t man-handled, in fact we were extra-careful with them, because they were so thin and fragile-looking. These are dangerous. Do not use them.

    • daq@lemmy.sdf.org
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      2 years ago

      The power supplies feeding these are typically .5A at 5v so they can’t draw more than ~2.5w. Is that really enough to generate sufficient heat to start a fire? Maybe if they are wrapped around something incredibly flammable?

      • wahming@monyet.cc
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        2 years ago

        Is that really enough to generate sufficient heat to start a fire?

        In case of a short circuit, yes, more than sufficient

  • 0x4E4F@infosec.pub
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    2 years ago

    Yeah, those kinda puzzled me as well. They didn’t look like they’re varnished, but I suspect I could be wrong about that. After all, they do work, lol 😂.