wire

Hey all, i was just wondering what the best wire gauge is for doing mods.
And where the best place is to buy it.
Thanks
Scott

 

Don't know about anyone else but I use 30AWG for most everything unless I come across an issue. Something slightly thicker like 24/26/28AWG for power/ground unless it too is a problem - at least for PS2 modchips. For most applications 30AWG is peachy.

eBay or Amazon are my sources atm. I would KILL for a cheap source for 'kynar' 30AWG.

 

I use a combination of Kynar wire and multicore ribbon cable. I find it keeps things looking tidier and doesnt snap/break like thin single core kynar.

 

Personally I use a lot of different types, what's best depends on the application.

Just like Bad_Ad84, I tend to use ribbon cables when possible, and I also prefer stranded wire. However, as single core wire is easier to solder at tiny points in my opinion (or rather, it's easier to check that the solder went good), it has some applications too.

I can't help you with places to buy it, I got one of Sweden's biggest retailers on electronic components more or less next door, so I buy most of my stuff there, but I reckon at least some of those free shipping Hong Kong sites carries that kind of stuff if you want it as cheap as possible.

If you want it basically for free, old ethernet cables are a good source for single lead wires, there are both stranded and single core variants of those. The leads comes in different colors too, which can be very convenent. And for ribbon cable you can just butcher an old PATA cable, unless you need longer lengths. Newer 80 wire ones as good as always got single core leads, while the old 40 lead ones usually are stranded.

 

Hey thanks everyone. i was told 22 ga. by other people.
is it that big a diffrence 22 ga. or 30 ga.?

 

AWG22 is ~2,5 times thicker than AWG30.

Area wise, and through that electrically, the difference is even larger - AWG22 wire got ~6 times the cross section area of AWG30. It is however a matter of very small currents and short cables when modding consoles, so in most cases that won't have any significant impact. Just use whatever you like best, thinner wire is often easier to solder, but is harder to peel, (is removal of the insulation called that in English?) and breaks easier. For power supplying and grounding purposes it might be a good idea to go up a few dimensions from AWG30 though, to avoid too much voltage drop.

[edit] Wikipedia has a list over AWG sizes, you might find it useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge