Discussion
Neil G60 said:
Copper core, carbon-string? Please do elaborate!
Old-fashioned HT leads - "copper core" - are just like ordinary wire but with really thick insulation. Modern HT leads don't have any actual metal in - inside the silicone insulation is a length of this sort of carbon string stuff. They degrade gradually and do not give meaningful results when you try and test them at low voltage; you get these weird bad running problems that magically disappear when you change the HT leads in desperation. Copper core ones OTOH last for ever.
The talk of interference from using copper core leads is exaggerated. All of the vehicles I've had for any length of time have had copper core leads, either due to being old or to being bikes. Nobody has ever complained. The cars were fitted with a house tape player converted to run off 12V, which didn't suffer from interference.
Right. Thanks for the responses. As always with car tweaking there seems to be much more to it than meets the eye. At the moment I have fitted some crappy silicone leads which no doubt are copper-cored and the radio is fine. It sounds like as long as there is enough shiedling, the interference shouldn't be too bad. Surely the likes of Magnecor and Nology wouldn't be too successful if all their products caused radio interference? Failing getting hold of the Nology's I'll make do with some Magnecors I think. I'm sure the 10mm ones are great but the 8.5mm KV85's are about the limit as to what I wish to spend. £80 gets me some 8.5's:
"KV85 COMPETITION CABLE
Primarily designed for racing engines using racing ignitions,turbocharging and supercharging.Entire jacket made from aerospace extreme heat-resistant silicone rubber.Exclusive Magnecor 2.5mm Metallic
Inductance Suppressed Conductor will suppress EMI indefinitely,allowing this
cable to be used on road vehicles with any ignition and LPG gas conversions.Can be fitted into most original lead holders."
Oooo racing engines. I'm sure I'll be fine!!
"KV85 COMPETITION CABLE
Primarily designed for racing engines using racing ignitions,turbocharging and supercharging.Entire jacket made from aerospace extreme heat-resistant silicone rubber.Exclusive Magnecor 2.5mm Metallic
Inductance Suppressed Conductor will suppress EMI indefinitely,allowing this
cable to be used on road vehicles with any ignition and LPG gas conversions.Can be fitted into most original lead holders."
Oooo racing engines. I'm sure I'll be fine!!
The blue 8.0mm Magnecor leads have the same spiral conductor as the red 8.5mm ones - the only difference is in the amount of insulation & therefore heat tolerance.
The set I got for the Scimitar a couple of months ago work very well, and are materially better made than any others I've come across - thay've got natty little numbers on, too.
Cheap silicone-insulated leads will have carbon string conductors, not copper ones.
The set I got for the Scimitar a couple of months ago work very well, and are materially better made than any others I've come across - thay've got natty little numbers on, too.
Cheap silicone-insulated leads will have carbon string conductors, not copper ones.
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