2-Conductor 20+ AWG outdoor stranded wire - does it exist?

I need some really thin/flimsy (as opposed to stiff) 2-conductor wire for outdoor use. I think ideally it would be somewhere around 24 AWG. It's only carrying power for a few feet from a AA battery.

I've searched and searched, called electrical supply stores, etc... I can't find anything!

Any suggestion?

Thank you!!

 

Phone wire? .

 

Thanks for the tip. I looked it up and it *might* work, but because it's solid, it looks like it would be too stiff. I prefer something that kind of hangs more than keep it's shape when bent. Does that make sense?

 

Try Cat 5 wire but be-careful because it comes in solid or stranded. I believe you want stranded wire but you probably already knew that

 

Speaker wire. 75-Ft. 20-Gauge Clear 2-Conductor Speaker Wire - Radioshack

 

@CircuitBreaker
Yeah, sorry I forgot to mention that. I do want stranded so that it's more flimsy. As far as Cat 5 (for exterior use), all I'm seeing are bundles of paired wire in a pretty hefty jacket. The inner wires themselves look good, but overall it is looking too bulky.
If you think I'm off base or not looking at the right thing, please let me know. But at any rate, thanks for the suggestion.

 

@ray2047
The speaker wire would be perfect *if* it had UV rated insulation. The problem I'm seeing with speaker wire is that the pvc casing will get brittle and deteriorate over time out in the elements. Thanks for the suggestion... or if you have any others, please let me know.

 

Why must it "hang"? Your original post didn't mention it was outdoors, so we have to reset. Although it is bulkier than you want, UV rated Cat5 would be your best bet. T-stat wire is solid, direct burial phone wire may work as well. Knowing what you want and why will help.

 

You could cannibalise some of the wire from ear buds. Those are really thin and quite flexible, and I assume have at least some UV resistance.

 

@Chandler
Thanks for your reply.Yes, actually in the title of the post it says "outdoor".
As far as the 'hanging' part, I'll be more specific...

Picture a lightweight chain (maybe about the thickness of a large'ish necklace chain) dangling downward from a hanger.
Hanging from the end of the chain is a fairly light child's toy.
The wire that I'm seeking will meander in & out through the chain links from one end to the other. My goal is to do this while keeping the natural shape and flexibility of the chain and minimize wire visibility as much as possible. There will be no weight on the wire, that will be taken care of by the chain.

And yeah, the kicker is that since it is for outdoor use, I need the casing to hold up to the elements... especially since, if I achive the thinness I'm hoping for, it will probably be fairly delicate.

 

@ibpooks
That is a great idea. That is exactly the kind of thing I am looking for... assuming it can hold up to the elements.
And the other thing is, I'm looking to buy this stuff in larger quantities. My kid thinks he wants to try selling these things he's making. So that's a great suggestion for a prototype, but ultimately, we'll need to know where to buy something like that.
But yeah, that's exactly the kind of wire I'm looking for... although I question its hardiness outdoors.
Maybe you just gave me some new ways to search for it though... or at a minimum, a better way to describe it.

 

The funny/sad part of this, is that I actually had earbuds on while sitting at the computer and reading this... and it never even occurred to me that it is almost exactly what I'm looking for. lol

 

Two conductor electric saver cord. It's very flexible and is 20AWG, I believe. Any first step with PVC "outdoor" rated wire is cold resistance. Many PVC cords stiffen when cold and could actually break. Put the earbuds in the freezer and try to bend them around.
Next step is UV resistance. And, you might find that working with "rope-lay" conductors is too difficult. Test leads (good ones) for DMM's ,etc, shavers, ear buds typically use the rope-lay construction. Terminations are done differently than pure copper.

 

@telecomguy
Thanks, that's very useful info! I hadn't thought of the cold being that big of a factor. Makes sense though.
Are you suggesting that the wire used for electric shavers is also UV & cold resistant? Or are you saying that it has good flexibility, but still have the problem with cold & sunlight?

 

Most shaver cord I see now is coiled. Super flexible and outdoor rated tend to be contrary. But, look at this below. Si rubber will impress you with its flexibility, especially in the 22AWG size.

#2615 Ultra-Flexible Silicone Rubber Wire UL 3132

 

According to my googling, silicone wire is also resistent to temperature extremes and UV light.I think we have a winner. Thank you so much!