Wire for the TPR

[ChillOutDocDoc]

My TPR strobes are starting to take shape, but I was wondering what kind of wire is everybody using to hook them up?

My goal was to have them hook up like a standard string of lights, with a male and a female plug, one on each end. I was thinking of using 18ga lamp cord, but would have no way to solder that to the PCB as it is so tiny.

Any suggestions?

[dmoore]

Speak to the CAT!

[ChillOutDocDoc]

I was thinking cat5, but it's very fragile stuff, and doesn't quite carry the current i'm looking for... Ideally would like to have them in strands of 10-15 which could be as much as 5.25A since i'm using 1W led's

[dmoore]

I was thinking cat5, but it's very fragile stuff

Fragile?  Fragile is my 97 year old grand father....  They switched to CAT5 from leather in for production of CAT-o-NINE tails due to it's durability!  You could tow your car out of a ditch with the stuff!  And the colors!  You don't get that with plain old SPT2 brown, black or green cord. 

Wouldn't that assume constant draw?  But these are not constant?  What happens if 10 of them were wired together and then measurements of actual consumption and power drop per performed?

[AAH]

Cat 5 cable depends on whether it is patch cable or fixed wiring cable. The stuff that is for fixed wiring has only a single strand of copper per conductor and is quite fragile when it comes to being moved around/rolled up regularly. The multi-strand cat 5 is indeed fairly un-fragile.

[ɟɐsʇǝppʎ]

Ill be using 4 core security cable for my strobes

2.2 amp rated http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=W2341

or this if its not too thick

4.4 amp rated http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=W2364

But i wont be getting it from altronics as it can be sourced much cheaper from your local electrical wholesaler. This is the same cable I used for my RGB lights last year and it worked great.

[Steve22537]

I've used irrigation valve cable, comes in may colours and many multicore configurations and is designed for outdoor / underground use and its cheap. Reticulation and hardware shops stock it. On my strobes I was able to salvage some clear wire from a set of strings in brought from China (200M, 240v, 1200 LED's for $A14.00), the LEDs where crap but the cable was fine.

http://www.perthirrigation.com.au/listProduct/WIRE+AND+CABLE/LOW+VOLTAGE+CABLE

Steve

[DanoNJ]

I soldered the board with some single strand CAT5 wire about 3" long and plan on attaching that to old mini ican strings.  No trigger on my strobes so I only need a 2 wire set up.