Over here in the northeast, we have cold weather, and cheap vinyl cords get
almost as stiff as metal tubing. Cords used outdoors, or left in a car can
be annoying.
We keep cords in a freezer (along with batteries) to preserve the juice
that's still left in them for the next use.

Low voltage accessory cords with excessive/oversize plastic insulation are
one aggravation, but thin stiff cords (even test leads) are what I was
referring to. Hard plastics don't belong on these types of cables, although
the formula may be cheaper to produce.
A new set of test leads that came with an older model of Tektronix TekMeter
LCD scopemeter consisting of 4 leads, 3 were soft, but the red one was
semi-rigid.

Vintage cables are often stiffer after 20-30 years, and I suppose that's to
be expected, but new cables should be relatively soft.

--
Cheers,
WB
..............


"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...

The rubber (RHW or RHH) cords seem to work best. Unfortunately, most
cheap plastic cords have an intergrated strain relief molded into the
plastic, making replacement with a different type of cord rather
tedious.

Good idea. I have a roll of 3 conductor 14AWG RHW for replacing power
tool cords and extension cords. I never thought of using it for
kitchen appliances.

Ummm... why would I put something electrical in the freezer? Never
mind, I don't want to know.

Yep. Same problem. There's a customer perception that a thicker cord
somehow signifies a high power or high current device. It's common
for laser printers and copiers to arrive with huge diameter cords,
that are mostly plastic, not copper. Compared to the common power
cord of half the diameter, the wire guages inside are identical. Of
course, the added plastic makes them rigid, inflexible, difficult to
manage, and impossible to coil.

With video and USB, the problem is not the plastic but the shielding.
There's no easy way to provide superior shielding and still have a
flexible cord. Braid is more flexible than foil, but foil has better
coverage. The exception is non-wicking braid, where the plastic
jacket is molded into the braid, which can be used to hammer nails.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558