Cloth Coaxial Cord

[allnumbedup]

I thought about using this black cloth cord I came by somehow for a recent phone project because the collar for the two wire binding is so nice but soon discovered this very long two connector cable was coaxial. This led me down a little bit of a rabit hole reading about how coxial cable was concieved in the 19th century but not used much until the 1930's. This is certainly a long cable---probably pretty old and used for radio signals I would imagine. (BTW: google AI describes my text as "a common experience for those who work with vintage technology")

[TelePlay]

That looks like a home made cable using flexible braided sleeving to encase whatever they put inside.

Search for braided sleeving on eBay and you'll get many hits. This stuff is also available from Grainger and other sources.

It comes in different colors, different diameters and two types of construction, split siding and solid siding (split siding is probably used for making harnesses where you want to pull a conductor out along the full length, usually auto harnesses but other uses as well).

Here's one link, of many on eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/387727005965

[countryman]

On an earlier occasion I found a spool of black rope in a thrift store with a nice braided sleeve and ?Kevlar? fibers inside. I made a number of cords using modern cable or single wire strands instead.

[SUnset2]

Probably intended for use as a shielded microphone cord.

[TelePlay]

Probably intended for use as a shielded microphone cord.

Does that copper braided shield inside the outer covering (seen on the unfinished end in your image) run the full length of the cord?

[allnumbedup]

The longer loop connector end has continuity with the central braided copper strands within the grey internal covering that may be the same covering seen on the exposed loop connector ends.  There is one green and multiple black cloth threads separate the center grey covering from the copper mesh. There is not insulation between the mesh and the outer cloth. The  shorter loop connector has continuity through its tab end to the point where the two connectors join at the shoulder of the main cable---there is wire inside the short length of connector end.  This end has no continuity through to the end of the copper exterior mesh wire or to the central strand of wire inside the grey center once it exposed inside the main cable as shown. So the cable behaves like a single channel that is reinforced and protected. It does not appear to be homemade as the layers do not separate easily at all.

[countryman]

Hm. The outer braided shield only makes sense when it is connected to "something", normally ground potential.
In this case a special outside insulation is not required, or the braided cloth will be sufficient as such. You might check the continuity of the copper shield throughout the length of the cord by pricking a test probe through the outer cloth.
I also think it is a microphone cord, or for a music instrument with magnetic pickup such as an electric guitar.

[allnumbedup]

there IS a short in the copper mesh about one foot from the shoulder. thanks for the pin tip