Kinks in coiled wire

[Ken]

I tried unsuccessfully to unkink several telephone handset cords and
wound up replacing them inexpensively. A kink occurs at a place where
the coil chages sense -- from, e.g., clockwise to counterclockwise.

However, in the process I searched the web and found almost nothing on
this phenomenon. Also, studying the kinks did not reveal what is
really going on. For example, you can move the kink along the coil,
but the coils traversed become irregular. It would appear that whole
sections of the coil must change sense for a kink to occur.

One poster suggested immersing the coil in boiling hot water so that
the original memory of the plastic cover would return. That did not
work. Another said -- without more -- that the phenomenon was related
to one in vines called "tendril reversal."

Does anyone know of additional information on this subject?
Ken
(to reply via email
remove "zz" from address)

 

[Rich Grise]

On Sat, 21 May 2005 08:02:04 -0400, Ken wrote:

I tried unsuccessfully to unkink several telephone handset cords and
wound up replacing them inexpensively. A kink occurs at a place where
the coil chages sense -- from, e.g., clockwise to counterclockwise.

However, in the process I searched the web and found almost nothing on
this phenomenon. Also, studying the kinks did not reveal what is
really going on. For example, you can move the kink along the coil,
but the coils traversed become irregular. It would appear that whole
sections of the coil must change sense for a kink to occur.

One poster suggested immersing the coil in boiling hot water so that
the original memory of the plastic cover would return. That did not
work. Another said -- without more -- that the phenomenon was related
to one in vines called "tendril reversal."

Does anyone know of additional information on this subject?

Sure. Just take the "U" where it reverses sense, and patiently work
it down the backwards part of the loop until you untwist it. Let the
free end flop freely, because it has to twirl a whole revolution for
each backwards loop.

Alternatively, you could tie a heavy weight at one end of the kinky
cord - very heavy, so it stretches it out practically straight; suspend
it by the other end, and let it unwind itself practically completely.
Then twirl the weight in the direction that it's "supposed" to coil,
putting a really good set in the extended cord, and when you let it
relax, it will coil naturally.

What causes it is, picking up the phone with one hand, putting it
to your ear, halfway through the conversation switching to the other
ear, then hanging up with the other hand. Sometimes, people answer
by scooping up the handset, palm up - this puts a whole twist in the
wire, usually the opposite sense of the original cord.

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[John - kd5yi]

"Rich Grise" <richgrise@example.net> wrote in message
newsan.2005.05.21.20.33.21.959097@example.net...

On Sat, 21 May 2005 08:02:04 -0400, Ken wrote:

I tried unsuccessfully to unkink several telephone handset cords and
wound up replacing them inexpensively. A kink occurs at a place where
the coil chages sense -- from, e.g., clockwise to counterclockwise.

However, in the process I searched the web and found almost nothing on
this phenomenon. Also, studying the kinks did not reveal what is
really going on. For example, you can move the kink along the coil,
but the coils traversed become irregular. It would appear that whole
sections of the coil must change sense for a kink to occur.

One poster suggested immersing the coil in boiling hot water so that
the original memory of the plastic cover would return. That did not
work. Another said -- without more -- that the phenomenon was related
to one in vines called "tendril reversal."

Does anyone know of additional information on this subject?

Sure. Just take the "U" where it reverses sense, and patiently work
it down the backwards part of the loop until you untwist it. Let the
free end flop freely, because it has to twirl a whole revolution for
each backwards loop.

Alternatively, you could tie a heavy weight at one end of the kinky
cord - very heavy, so it stretches it out practically straight; suspend
it by the other end, and let it unwind itself practically completely.
Then twirl the weight in the direction that it's "supposed" to coil,
putting a really good set in the extended cord, and when you let it
relax, it will coil naturally.

What causes it is, picking up the phone with one hand, putting it
to your ear, halfway through the conversation switching to the other
ear, then hanging up with the other hand. Sometimes, people answer
by scooping up the handset, palm up - this puts a whole twist in the
wire, usually the opposite sense of the original cord.

Good Luck!
Rich

Too complicated for my feeble brain. I fixed the problem by getting
cordless phones.

I'm lazy.

John