Wire Gauge for LED’s

[Michael JeenesParticipant @michaeljeenes66772]

Hi All

Having overcome my problem with Radar drives I now find that the wire provided for the mast and nav lights is far too thick/heavy to pass down the mast. There are 10 x 3mm LED's on the mast running in pairs through (black,black, red, gold) resistors (as per supplier's instructions). The mast dia could be enlarged a little but 1/2" dia would be ugly and way off scale. The model is MMM 'Portgarth'.

Q. What is the finest wire that I can use? (Power is from 12v 20ah)

Q. The wire on Grain of Wheat bulbs may do the trick but where can it be obtained?

MJ

[Michael JeenesParticipant @michaeljeenes66772]

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Do all the lights need to be controlled individually or do some of them share a supply?

I assume that you are using a common return for all of them with the resistors in the supply side.

The supply current and voltage won't matter, each LED will take as much as it needs which will be just a few milliamps.

Sources of very thin wire are multistrand alarm, computer or telephone wire although not quite so thin as Grain of Wheat wire.

For really thin wire you could use the enamelled type normally used for winding coils which is available in a variery of gauges – have a look at the Maplins website.

Colin

 

Edited By Colin Bishop, Website Editor on 08/06/2012 09:18:26

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

I have used multi-cored alarm cable. also available from Maplins. Strip off the white outer sheath and you have 4, 6 or 8 individually insulated and coloured wires of just the right gauge.

Dave M

[TelstarParticipant @telstar]

Hi Just a cautionary note when using thin wires for lighting etc. You MUST fuse this circuit separately with a small fuse. Remember some time ago 34swg copper wire was used as 5A fuse wire. So if a problem occured with the mast wireing you could end up with a melted mess. So as well as the main fuse, to supply the motors, fit a small (2A/3A) fuse to protect the thin wires

Cheers Tom

[Michael JeenesParticipant @michaeljeenes66772]

Thanks for the warning Tom. I will now incorporate a fuse.

[Ralph WilmotParticipant @ralphwilmot61142]

Hi,

I have used the fine wires stripped from an old redundant PC parallel disk cable.

The 80 way cable is the best one to use and you can strip 2 or as many wires off as required to run parallel which will fit down hollow masts with ease.

It is also fine enough to fit to external lights and can be glued down parallel to look neat and without too much showing.

This wire is nice fine single strand wire which solders nicely onto led's or bulbs and gives quite long lengths.

Ralph Wilmot

[Michael JeenesParticipant @michaeljeenes66772]

Hi Ralph.

This is a source that I have not yet considered, Thanks for your input. I am close to building the mast now and will look a how and where to obtain the cable.

mike

[mike farrellParticipant @mikefarrell21522]

Hi Michael, just read your request for your wire problem I noticed you bought your model from MMM so my advice is that u do what I done phone David at MMM and request a couple of meters of dual core wire which they have and is used very successfully by many hobbiests It is as thin as the led wires and so easy to soldier. ,it has a protective covering which you scrape away to soldier.Both wires are coated in different colours so so easy to use.Good uck in your search

[Michael JeenesParticipant @michaeljeenes66772]

Thank you Mike. I now have several options.

Mike J

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