Need wire help asap!!!!

[pboreham]

Hi all,

I'm trying to find wire in the UK and nowhere bloody does what I need! Of the 5 shops I've tried, nobody knows what "18 or 22 Gauge" wire is

So please - is it called anything else? Can I use speaker wire that I have found on Ebay (eBay Link)? Does anyone know where to get this in the UK? (tried B&Q and local Electrical shops).

Really need this for the weekend if poss!!!

Thanks, Paul.

[xmenxmen]

Try grabbing some of those wires that are used to wire doorbell.  Tons use them here.  Or do you have a computer, steal the cat 5 cable from it. 

If I can get ide cable wires to work perfectly, I am pretty sure that anything bigger than that will work just as well.

Yes, those speaker wires will work just fine, but I am not sure how much I like the color. 

[pboreham]

Cool, thanks for the help - doorbell wire I can get!

[polaris]

theres a guage guide here if it helps link

[SavannahLion]

theres a guage guide here if it helps link

I was wondering how to figure gauges out.

[Kangum]

cat 5 cable works awesome. everything is already nice and color coded in case there is a problem you can trace it in a snap. plus its all bound together neat and spiffy. makes my pacman table look clean.

the electrical section at the hardware store sells pretty much all gauge wire as well as cat 5 cable by the foot. cat 5 cable is most cost effective also imho when wiring a cab.

[pboreham]

Thanks for the help guys - managed to track down a store and ordered 2 reels of stranded 18 gauge for the morning.

Think I've got a load more than I needed, so will prob try and ebay it after - plus I only got 2 colours - is this going to be an issue as it was expensive!

Thanks 

[xmenxmen]

Color is really for those thing above your nose, the computer, button and switches don't care crap what color it is.  Personally I wouldn't spend too much on the wire, but that's just me.  Practically any type of stranded or solid wire do as it really don't need to carry much power or anything.  Yes, I have seen quite a few here use solid wires with complete success.

[skinny]

Hi,

I used phone wire for my controls as they have 16 wires in them. It makes it tidier and realliy easy to use.

Hope this helps.


Skinny.