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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: stephenp1983 on September 06, 2007, 08:48:07 pm

Title: Control panel wiring
Post by: stephenp1983 on September 06, 2007, 08:48:07 pm

Where is the best place to find large quanities of wire used for controls panels.  I would need enough to wire 4 joysticks in a cocktail.

Title: Re: Control panel wiring
Post by: mountain on September 06, 2007, 08:51:17 pm

Most car audio install shops will sell you 18 awg wire if ask them for it. My local shop had 1,000 ft spools in the back with a variety of colors to choose from.

Title: Re: Control panel wiring
Post by: Arcades R Fun on September 07, 2007, 09:33:17 am

Try Radio Shack if you have one near you. They sell 100 ft. rolls of 18-22 gauge solid wire in red or black. They go for about $5 a roll I think.

Title: Re: Control panel wiring
Post by: _) (V) (-) on September 07, 2007, 09:34:22 am

I'll do you one better, take that old parallel printer cable that you don't use anymore and chop the ends off of it. You'll end up with about a 5' shielded harness with 20+ sets of wires in it. Strip off about 2 feet of the outer insulation from one side for under the control panel and 6" from the other end for the encoder. Makes things nice and tidy when you are done.

Title: Re: Control panel wiring
Post by: xmenxmen on September 07, 2007, 10:42:36 am

Home Depot and Lowes sell plenty of 18awg.  The other option that I and others have used are the network cable (cat 3, 5, etc), they also work great. 

There's also alarm wires that mention here alot.

Title: Re: Control panel wiring
Post by: Katana Man on September 07, 2007, 12:24:56 pm

This is what I did:  I went to Powerwerx (http://www.powerwerx.com/product.asp?ProdID=2655&CtgID=1002) and ordered many spools in a few different colors and gauges. (I ended up with 4,500 ft.)   Buying in quantities of 500 ft or more will save you money in the long run.
(http://www.powerwerx.com/_images/products/wire_black_med.gif)(http://www.powerwerx.com/_images/products/wire_red_med.gif)(http://www.powerwerx.com/_images/products/wire_yellow_med.gif)(http://www.powerwerx.com/_images/products/wire_blue_med.gif)(http://www.powerwerx.com/_images/products/wire_redblack_med.gif)

Then I picked up a Gardner Bender Wire Spool Caddy WSP-100E on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150153639953). I'm pretty much set for a long time. Nice and organized too.
(http://www.gardnerbender.com/Products/Catalog/Conduit/images/Hand_Wire_Caddy.jpg)

Title: Re: Control panel wiring
Post by: stephenp1983 on September 07, 2007, 02:00:23 pm

Ok thanks for the suggestions.  Whats best to use 18 or 20 gage wire?  Also should I do stranded or solid for plugging into a ipac intereface?

Title: Re: Control panel wiring
Post by: Major Rock Hardy on September 07, 2007, 02:20:56 pm

http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_wiring.shtml

Title: Re: Control panel wiring
Post by: Katana Man on September 07, 2007, 03:10:02 pm

I think 20 gauge is a nice choice. I like stranded as well for added flexibility.  For my LED lighting, I'll be using 22 gauge.