OK to squeeze copper wire into banana plug?

[Gemseeker]

Having never done any kind of electrical wiring before, I have a few questions. I've watched a bunch of how-to videos explaining how to strip wire and put banana plugs on the ends, but my wire isn't like the type I keep seeing on the videos and it's confusing the heck out of me.

It's 16 gauge Rocketfish speaker cable wire (they threw it in at half-price with my Energy Magnolia speakers). So instead of 2 copper wires, each wrapper in a red or black jacket, and those both wrapped in a third jacket together, mine is just a pair of copper wires each wrapped in a very thick, clear plastic insulation, joined together but easily pulled apart. When I tried to use the stripper I bought to remove the insulation, I keep tearing off more than half the wires, even when using a bigger gauge hole/notch on the stripper tool (14).

My second issue is that when I tried to thread the wire through the Sewell banana plugs I bought, the insulation is too thick to go completely through; I hit an inner rim about 3/4 of the way through. My question is: if I want an airtight connection, should I try to squeeze the insulated part further into the banana plug, or would that damage the copper?

I don't have any experience or desire to solder the connections-I have a thing about poisonous fumes in my home. Yet everybody here talks about how important airtight connections are. If I have to I'd rather just use electrical tape to seal it off, but why bother if I can make use to the thick, rather gummy insulation the wire is already wrapper in?

I'd also appreciate any other tips for a complete newbie when it comes to anything electrical-I never even took shop class in high school.

Thanks~

[Irvrobinson]

I highly recommend buying some inexpensive, professionally terminated speaker cables, like you see from Monoprice, Amazon, or wherever. Don't fiddle around with silly cables; do it right.

[jp_over]

- Stripping wire can be delicate; look here: How to Strip Wire (Without A Wire Stripper) '.. . >
- A tight connection (snug, ensuring not to damage threads) is necessary, airtight is absolutely not necessary. Also, you don’t want exposed bare wire as this could touch something it’s not supposed to and cause a short.>
- Soldering is nice, but not necessary. Electrical tape should not be required either if you have a decent pair of banana plugs.>
I’ve wired up many speakers in my time but bought these for a clean looking install. It might be worth a look:>
>
Amazon.com: Dayton Audio SCP-6 6 Feet Speaker Cable Pair with Bananas: Electronics

[Sheep]

Do what Right? 10 ga, 12 ga, 14 ga, 16 ga. It doesn't matter how big your wire is versus your banana plugs. As long as it has a solid connection and doesn't short out, you're golden. Don't waste extra time changing out perfectly okay wire just because it got smushed. I'm running 10 ga wire in plugs that hate it, and it sounds the same as some old 14 ga and 16 ga wire that fits better. Just make sure the wire ga is the right size for the length of the wire run versus the impedance and you're golden.

[Irvrobinson]

Do what Right? 10 ga, 12 ga, 14 ga, 16 ga. It doesn't matter how big your wire is versus your banana plugs. As long as it has a solid connection and doesn't short out, you're golden. Don't waste extra time changing out perfectly okay wire just because it got smushed. I'm running 10 ga wire in plugs that hate it, and it sounds the same as some old 14 ga and 16 ga wire that fits better. Just make sure the wire ga is the right size for the length of the wire run versus the impedance and you're golden.

Do the end-to-end cable right, with secure connections. The OP is having trouble stripping the wires and fitting them into banana plugs, and talked about taping the wire to the connector and in general making a pretty sloppy connection, not a solid one. For example, he can have these for a very reasonable price and not worry about it:

Amazon.com: C2G / Cables to Go 29176 10 feet/3.04 Meters Velocity 12 AWG Speaker Cable Blue: Electronics

Why fret when for $25 or so problem solved?

[jp_over]

Just had another cost efficient thought for the OP - ditch the banana plugs and wire directly to the AVR and speakers using the binding posts.

[Rickster71]

Now that I looked up a picture of your banana plugs, I understand.

Those can be wired two ways......don't put the wire in the end.
Use the big hole on the side and tighten down the set screw, then trim off and excess wire that comes out the other side.

[markw]

Sewell makes several types of Banana Plugs. They also offer this tutorial on how to install them. Perhaps this will help you.

FWIW, I just bought a 24 pack of the "deadbolt" style and installation couldn't be simpler and they appear to allow quite a thick wire to be used.

Which type did you buy?

As for stripping the wire, well, that's sort of an acquired art that comes with time, practice, and patience.

[fuzz092888]

Sewell makes several types of Banana Plugs. They also offer this tutorial on how to install them. Perhaps this will help you.

FWIW, I just bought a 24 pack of the "deadbolt" style and installation couldn't be simpler and they appear to allow quite a thick wire to be used.

Which type did you buy?

As for stripping the wire, well, that's sort of an acquired art that comes with time, practice, and patience.

I have to say, I've become severely disenchanted with Sewell banana plugs, specifically the silverback model. I've had all but two pair break in me, where the banana part pulls itself loose from the main cylinder. I'm not sure if I just got bad batch or what happened, but it was enough to switch all if them over to BJC locking banana plugs and I couldn't be happier.

Maybe I'm lazy but I just bought one of those strippers from RadioShack. Insert wire, squeeze, voila stripped wire

[markw]

Interesting... I hope the ones I bought don't suffer that fate. But, I don't intend to plug/unplug them with any regularity.

But, yea, those "screw-adjustable" wire cutters are great if they are gonna be used only for one gauge wire. Somehow, I've gotten used to using dikes (diagonal cutters) for that purpose.

...at least until the wife commanders them for cutting steel wires for her crafts and totally destroys the cutting edge. I could deal with that if she kept them, but she constantly loses them and takes the new ones I buy to replace the last pair she destroyed.