radar detector power cable?

[Scoobydoo]

i have a bel radar detector and the power cable solder joints took a crap

the cable looks like a simple phone cable, is it? could i just use a spare phone cable, strip one end and tap the appropriate wires into a switched source to power the radar?

[JimJ]

Not quite, phone cable is 4 conductors and pretty small in size - what you want is a 2-conductor cable for DC power. Small-gauge speaker wire might be a better choice...but fixing cold solder joints is a piece of cake. Five minutes with a solder sucker and a cheapie iron and you're there.

Although, if you're really into this hobby, there's no excuse not to have a quality iron ;)