While tripping merrily through the mail, Jerry Osterle was overheard
 GG> I'm new here. Please excuse my stupid question, but we (in former
 GG> USSR) are measuring thickness of acoustic cables in square milimiters.
 GG> Can You explain relation between square milimiters and gauges?
 GG> What does it mean wire of 16 gauge, for example?
 JO> 
 JO> 1. Nope
 JO> 2. the smaller gauge wire the heaver it is. I don't know why it is
 JO> that way but it is.
 
You're going to make me dig out my wire gauge. :-).  I'm going to make 
you do the math, but here are some sample sizes of common gauge SOLID
wire in inches.  Stranded wire will be slightly different, but it will give
you a frame of reference.  1" = 254 mm, you can calculate the equivalent
from there.  (sizes listed are DIAMETER of wire)
ASWG     Diameter       Typical uses
Gauge     (inches)
0 ga.  = .325" dia.     High voltage wiring
8 ga.  = .128" dia.
10 ga. = .102" dia.     Heavy duty speaker cable  
12 ga. = .081" dia.    
14 ga. = .064" dia.	
16 ga. = .051" dia.     Lamp cord
18 ga. = .040" dia.     About as small as you'd want to go in a small home
	                 Stereo
20 ga. = .032" dia.
22 ga. = .025" dia.     Electronics / telephone wire
24 ga. = .020" dia.
 
28 ga. = .012" dia.     Computer wiring
30 ga. = .010" dia.
36 ga. = .005" dia.     Thickness of a piece of paper.
Hope this helps
Don
... :<) What does that wire do?    =8 * Origin: *YOPS ]I[* 3.1 GIG * RA/FD/FE RADist * Milwaukee, WI (1:154/750)