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[owenojo]

Just a bit curious here- one of the two cables coming into my house from outside ( each carries a separate line to different floors) is your standard older 3 pair white cable, but the conductors are silver, shiny and a bit brittle. Couple years back i had to shorten the cable across the room and relocate the socket due to its position being where a door is now and noticed when rewiring to the screw terminals on the master socket that it seemed more fragile than normal. Is this aluminium or steel, some sort of tinned copper? Was this used as it was cheaper? Would date from the early 90's when BT ran a new line for our fax - how time moves on.  only a couple metres from the outside box through the wall into an older nte box and doesn't cause any problem with ADSL etc

Cheers

Owen

[Tim69]

It's tinned copper, untinned or bare copper reacts badly with some kinds of insulation.  If still in doubt, cut off a small sample and scrape away the tin to expose the copper beneath or get the soldering iron out and check it takes solder

[Black Sheep]

Tim is right ….. it's tinned copper. You will find Ali cables in existence, but you won't find steel ….. just for info.

[roseway]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think aluminium is ever used for drop wires, is it?

[Black Sheep]

Not now, Eric, but was back in the day. 

[Black Sheep]

Also, I think the OP is on about the wire that connects from the drop wire to the socket (internal white 3-pair) ?? 

[roseway]

Not now, Eric, but was back in the day. 

Then I've learnt something, thank you.

[Black Sheep]

 

[owenojo]

Yep, curiosity satisfied - it was tinned copper, thanks

On a similar note, a while back the underground cable that emerges in my front garden and goes to the external junction box got severed by a builder that was re-pointing our wall - the cable was literally cemented into the garden wall by some previous occupant, suppose an accident waiting to happen! , it was repaired by Openreach who jointed in a length of modern cable, leaving a short stub of the original stuff in the wall which is not connected at either end. I cut a small piece off to have a look, quite surprised by the age of it - 1968, paper insulation it would seem. had no idea some of the cables were still this old.

[burakkucat]

That picture brings back memories! 

But, I have to say it, not paper insulation just a paper wrapper between the PVC insulated wires and the outer sheath.

[owenojo]

The insulation can be torn without tools, tears like paper! plasticised paper like material no?

[burakkucat]

Oooh . . . Not actually having handled such cable, just seen it in situ, I shall offer a bow and smile upon your description! 

[Tim69]

The insulation can be torn without tools, tears like paper! plasticised paper like material no?

 
 No it is not paper insulated but has an overall paper wrap. The insulation has just degraded. I would not worry, I have some in my installation at home and it works fine. Like much old cable it's fine if you leave it alone, but as soon as it is disturbed all sorts of faults manifest themselves.

[Ezzer]

Oh there's plenty of this stuff still around. The brown stuff like grease proof paper is wrapped around the conducting pairs under the outer most insualtion. Also as Burakkuat mentioned, there is paper insulated stuff out there, along with lead joints. Joint casings made from lead and melted and formed by the jointer. Never had to open one but have come across paper a few times.

[NewtronStar]

I guess its time for a History lesson why these wires still exist 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Post_Office