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From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: rec.audio,sci.physics,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Mercury Filled Speaker Wire
Message-ID: <1997@kitty.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 11-Sep-87 18:42:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: kitty.1997
Posted: Fri Sep 11 18:42:22 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Sep-87 20:04:15 EDT
References: <3816@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> <3939@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <2115@ihuxv.ATT.COM>
Distribution: rec
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 41
Summary: Interesting "side-effect"; and a suggestion for a different conductor
Xref: mnetor rec.audio:3207 sci.physics:2146 sci.electronics:1275

In article <2115@ihuxv.ATT.COM>, rck@ihuxv.ATT.COM (R. C. Kukuk) writes:
> > >  I just made a set of 2m long 5mm in diameter mercury filled cables with
> > >  copper touch conductors and large lugs.
> > 
> > I can see the review by Anthony Cordesman now:
> > 
> > 	"This wire lends a liquid transparency to strings. The fluid quality
> > 	of horns has to be heard to be believed.  There is a silvery
> > 	quality to the brass, with no sign of the hard-edged, coppery
> > 	sound normally associated with speaker cable...
> 	However, when the cables are jarred, an echo chamber effect is
> 	heard as compression waves travel back and forth in the mercury ...

	Actually, you have touched upon a grain of truth.  Mercury-filled
tubing - expecially of the silicone rubber variety - makes a simple, but
effective position transducer.  As the cable is stretched, both the length
of the mercury column increases and its diameter decreases in the affected
area; this results in greater electrical resistance as the tubing is
stretched.  Knowing the elastic modulus of the tubing, its physical dimensions
and the weight of the mercury allow quantitative measurement of stress and
strain.
	Mercury-filled tubing has been used as a stress/position transducer
for a number of years, especially in bio-medical applications as a pneumograph
transducer (respiration measurement using chest expansion) and as a
plethysmograph transducer (limb expansion due to arterial pressure pulse).
	So, I would think that y'all "audiophiles" out there contemplating
the use of mercury-filled cable would, upon further contemplation, reject it
since it would obviously be susceptible to microphonics.

	Now, for a more practicable idea, consider the use of SODIUM-filled
cables, which have been available to the electric power industry for a number
of years.  Sizes go up to at least 500,000 circular mils, and I know for a
fact that the cable is available with an insulation rating of 15 kV for
direct-burial applications.
	Be the first on your block to have sodium-filled speaker cables!
They'll beat ol' Monster Cable any day...

<>  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York
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