Wire gauge/calipers for cable csa

[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 .