Control and signal cable we buy
Control cable connects equipment controls, relays and signaling devices. Instrumentation cable carries signals between field instruments and control equipment. A reel of numbered conductors is not interchangeable with a reel of twisted, individually shielded pairs, even when their jackets look alike.
We buy all types of electrical wire and cable: new, unused, leftover or used, full reels, partial reels, boxed coils, cut lengths and mixed lots. This includes multi-conductor control cable, shielded pairs and shielded triads. Send photos of your cable and the available footage, and we will make an offer.
Record the conductor size exactly as printed on the tag. List 14, 12 and 10 AWG control conductors separately from smaller signal conductors. Instrumentation products can use smaller gauges, so never round a 16 or 18 AWG tag up to 14 AWG. Our 14, 12 and 10 AWG wire page covers that size group. Use the wire and cable categories to separate other material in the same lot.
Listings and constructions to keep separate
The listing describes the cable family. The conductor arrangement and shield description identify the product within that family. These verified examples do not mean every cable with the same letters has identical ratings.
| Cable family or construction | Common identifying details | What to record for an offer |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-conductor TC or TC-ER control cable | UL 1277 power and control tray cable; the cited Belden example has nine 14 AWG stranded bare copper conductors, XLPE insulation and a 600 V rating | Conductor count, gauge, insulation, jacket material and full type marking |
| TC-ER shielded-pair instrumentation cable | The cited 14 AWG product is rated 600 V and 90°C, with PVC/nylon insulation, individual pair shields and an overall shield | Pair count, conductor gauge and whether shields cover each pair, the whole cable, or both |
| PLTC/ITC instrumentation cable | The cited Southwire triad family is rated 300 V, with UL 13 PLTC and UL 2250 ITC listings, copper conductors and a PVC jacket | Both listings if present, voltage, triad count and manufacturer part number |
| Shielded triads | Three insulated conductors grouped together; products may have an overall shield or individual triad shields plus an overall shield | Triad count and the exact shield arrangement, not just total conductor count |
Copper may be bare or tinned. Tinning gives copper a silvery surface; it does not make it aluminum. An aluminum/polyester foil shield also does not identify the signal conductors as aluminum. We buy copper and aluminum surplus wire, but list aluminum power conductors separately from these copper control and instrumentation constructions.
Many control products are also tray cable. Separate VFD cable rather than calling every shielded industrial reel instrumentation cable.
Read the jacket print and reel tag together
Start with the manufacturer and part number. Match the jacket to the reel tag before relying on the tag's description. A reused reel can carry a label for a different cable.
Look for the type letters, such as TC-ER or PLTC/ITC, conductor gauge, conductor or pair count, voltage and temperature rating. Also record the UL listing mark or file number, jacket material, sunlight-resistance marking and any date or lot code. Include wet or dry temperature designations where printed.
The tag may show original footage, reel number, purchase description and manufacturing information. Keep original footage separate from footage remaining today. Sequential jacket marks can help establish remaining length when both ends are accessible, but the original tag may no longer describe a partial reel's length.
Pair count is different from conductor count. Four pairs contain eight insulated signal conductors, while four triads contain twelve. Drain wires are separate from those signal conductors. Numbered black-and-white conductors or black-white-red groups can help identify pairs and triads, but color alone is not proof of the listing. Our reel tag and jacket print guide explains how to record conflicting or incomplete markings.
Photos that identify a control-cable lot
Send real photos of your material, not a catalog image. For multi-pair cable, the part number and shield arrangement can distinguish two reels with the same gauge and voltage.
- Photograph the full lot with each reel or coil visible. Assign a simple lot number to each different product.
- Take a straight, readable photo of every reel tag, including part number, pair or conductor count and length.
- Capture the complete jacket type, gauge, voltage, temperature and listing fields. Take overlapping close-ups if one frame is not enough.
- Show accessible footage marks and record how you estimated the remaining length.
- Photograph existing exposed ends, including visible foil, drain wires and conductor groups. Do not cut open unused cable just to make a photo.
- Show broken reel flanges, crushed winding, jacket cuts, taped repairs or signs of water exposure rather than hiding them.
For matching reels, include an inventory line for each reel instead of one combined footage estimate. Send these details through the offer form, along with the Arizona pickup location and the name of the person selling the cable.
What affects the offer
Long continuous lengths and several reels of the same part number affect the offer. Readable tags, clear jacket print and an accurate shield description reduce uncertainty. Full reels, partial reels and short cut lengths are all welcome; footage and matching reels help us review the lot.
Missing labels matter especially with instrumentation cable. Overall shielding is not the same construction as individual pair shielding plus an overall shield. An accurate description helps us identify the cable and prepare an offer. Record manufacturer shield codes as printed; do not guess their meaning from a different brand's catalog.
Kinked cable, crushed sections, torn jackets and wet exposed ends affect the offer. Report Arizona sun exposure and storage history, even if the jacket says sunlight resistant. That marking does not prove the reel escaped physical damage. Manufacture date, remaining footage and current demand for the exact construction also affect our review.
Arizona projects that can leave unused reels
Semiconductor construction is a relevant setting for process-control and instrumentation cable. TSMC's Phoenix campus has an operating first fab and additional construction stages described on its Arizona page. Contractors can finish a package with cable left after routing changes, equipment revisions or unused ordered lengths. Keep controls inventory separate from power feeders when preparing a semiconductor project cable lot.
Solar and battery projects also have control and monitoring work alongside their power circuits. SRP announced completion of the Eleven Mile Solar System near Coolidge in Pinal County, combining solar generation and battery storage. For a solar or battery project closeout, distinguish control cable from PV wire and battery power cable.
These are examples of relevant industries, not identified surplus lots or customer relationships. We pick up anywhere in Arizona.
Mistakes to avoid before selling
Do not combine different pair counts under one inventory line. Do not list total conductor footage instead of continuous cable footage: a reel with multiple conductors still has one installed cable length. Keep cut lengths separate from full reels, and disclose splices or repairs.
Do not strip the jacket, remove shielding or discard the original tag to make the lot look simpler. Keep ends protected and preserve the information needed to identify the cable. If the tag and jacket disagree, send both rather than choosing the description that seems more valuable.
We confirm who is selling and keep simple paperwork with each purchase. An invoice, purchase order, job closeout document or company letter helps us record the sale. Include the name of the person releasing the material. For company-owned cable, that person can be an owner, project manager or another authorized seller.