I have been reading up on wiring LED's for head and back lights on locomotives. However, I haven't seen anyone mention what gauge (AWG) wires to use for this task. I assume, from photos I've seen, that the guage looks to be about 26, 28, or even 30 AWG (?). I have some locos that I want to add LED's to, and would like to use the proper gauge wire for the job. Also, would stranded wire be advisable, considering that in most cases, the wires will have to be stowed inside the shell?
Thank you.
Al
I just use spare decoder wire, it;s about #30, small, and flexible (and it's stranded). I did buy a set of 10 colors so I can maintain color code, but usually I end up with enough left over when cutting the wires to length that I can use the leftovers for the next loco. Blue is always in shortest supply, since out of one blue wire you end up having to run a wire to both the front and rear of the loco. Since we're talking VERY low current here, less than 10ma per LED if you use a 1K resistor, ultra thin wire is just fine.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Wire suitable for decoders is all over the place. Got any broken network cables? Strip off the outer plastic layer and find a nice supply of wire great for decoder installation.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
LION uses 30ga or maybe even smaller. Him cuts up old parallel port printer cables and recovers the conductors from them. The older ones had 25 conductors maybe 24 ga. The newer specification delivers 25 pair or conductors at perhaps 30 ga. All are fine for LEDs.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
[/url]Magnet wire is usually the best choice. Much smaller diameter compared to what has been suggested and has a tough insulation. I use #40. Some use #36. Even #30 magnet wire has a smaller diameter as the insulation is so thin. Scrape of the insulation, carefully.
You can find it in old coils, relays, old twin coil turnout machines, etc.
Very good for marker lights which can be quite small and great with SMD LED's.
If space is really tight, SMD resistors are very useful. There has been quite a discussion recently about using SMD resistors for SMD, LED's.
You can see the discussions without logging in. Up to the left on the below page, click on Messages.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soundtraxx
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.
Another source of very small gauge flexible wire is ribbon cable. It is usually 28 gauge but can be obtained in thicker gauges. The individual wires are easy to peel off the ribbon. Some are all grey colour with every tenth conductor marked or they have ten different colours following the resistor colour code. A good source of ribbon cable is the connectors to the disc drives from junked computers.
..... Bob
Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here. (Captain Kirk)
I reject your reality and substitute my own. (Adam Savage)
Resistance is not futile--it is voltage divided by current.
I have used #36 and #38 polythermaleze magnet wire on surface mount 1.5 and 2mm leds when running wire through tiny holes in Pyle National lights. I close wind unconnected, coiled #40 around the light wires that are exposed outside the light. This makes the lamp cable look like it is in an armoured sheath when painted. Solid state leds draw such low currents that really fine wire works great.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
True. LION once took a piece of regular zip cord. Him stripped the insulation off, and selected a single strand of wire. These were strung from the light poles with "insulators" made of seed beads, and "transformers" made of the resistors. The lamps were leds and the old fashioned lamp shades were made of cup washers and modeling clay. The guy wires at either end of the line were connected to the power supply. And if somebody brushed into the wires, they would throw a prototypical arc.
cedarwoodronAll this talk of using old computer parts is getting me thinking- what if MR ran a well-researched article on using such items in wiring for models, for lighting, power delivery to remotoring, etc. ? Cedarwoodron
LION is quite certain that MR would run such a story... If someone was willing to write the story ☺