What is the largest size wire you would recommend for installing decoders and associated lighting? I bought some wire assortment on Ebay and it is too big, I don't know what gage it is but ordered it because it came in all the colors used by NMRA decoder standards. I assumed it was the correct one. I have an option to buy the same colors in 26AWG from All Electronics at very reasonable prices ($1.50 for 25 feet) but don't know if it is OK. I have seen it mentioned in some posts or articles of using 30 AWG but that seems too small to work with. What would you recommend?
- Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
It depends on what you're doing with it, how much room you have, scale, cost, etc. Either would be OK. Digitrax's decoder wire as I recall is 30AWG, so that is preferred by most. The problem with 26 is it may be too thick and take up too much room? I have found that not all 30 gage is really the same either. Insulation thickness has varied sometimes by brand. Using stranded, flexible wire is important. It stays soldered better than a large single copper wire.
Richard
Number of strands often varies as well. I just bought a pack of the decoder wire that Digitrax sells, I usually don;t need much because I save all the pieces cut from earlier installs, but sometimes I need some extra, and by getting the actual decoder wire I have it in matching colors so as much as possible everythign matches the NMRA recommended wire color.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
For decoders, I use the #30 DCC color pack from Litchfield Station. About ten feet of each color.
Don't forget small shrink and Kapton tape. I have the NMRA DCC color shrink I found at a train show last year.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.