Wiring for LEDs and Circuits
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Cloudwalker
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Wiring for LEDs and Circuits
What kind of wiring would you guys suggest for soldering up LEDs and circuits? I'm thinking copper speaker wire, as it's more flexible and less prone to breaking. Any thoughts?
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en'til Zog
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Hi Cloudwalker !
For wiring in a model - that won't be flexed a lot - I use Wire Wrap Wire. That's like 30 gauge kynar insulated teeeeemy wire which is good for low voltage and amperage, which you need for LEDs. And I wire up the LEDs and chips with a technique called "Wire Wrapping" which just takes thie Wire Wrap Wire and - well - WRAPS it arount pins and leads quite solidly. Soldeing is actually an option, not a necissity on pins that are rectangular or square. A "Modified" wrap tool first wraps a length of WWwire WITH insulation around the connection for 'grabbing' the connection, THEN wraps the bare wire for electrical contact.
Look for Wire and Wrap tools at (forgive me) Radio Shack. They actually have the wire and wrapping tool although the 'help' usually doesn't have a clue it's there. Get the tool - looks like a silver pen - and several colors of wire and have at it. Tool - $8 US or so, wire varies.
Information on how to use this stuff should be in the articles on the main site.
Now, for FLEXIBLE connections, that will actually be flexing a lot - use stranded wire like 'speaker wire' or 'turntable pickup wire' if you can ever find that antiquated stuff.
For wiring in a model - that won't be flexed a lot - I use Wire Wrap Wire. That's like 30 gauge kynar insulated teeeeemy wire which is good for low voltage and amperage, which you need for LEDs. And I wire up the LEDs and chips with a technique called "Wire Wrapping" which just takes thie Wire Wrap Wire and - well - WRAPS it arount pins and leads quite solidly. Soldeing is actually an option, not a necissity on pins that are rectangular or square. A "Modified" wrap tool first wraps a length of WWwire WITH insulation around the connection for 'grabbing' the connection, THEN wraps the bare wire for electrical contact.
Look for Wire and Wrap tools at (forgive me) Radio Shack. They actually have the wire and wrapping tool although the 'help' usually doesn't have a clue it's there. Get the tool - looks like a silver pen - and several colors of wire and have at it. Tool - $8 US or so, wire varies.
Information on how to use this stuff should be in the articles on the main site.
Now, for FLEXIBLE connections, that will actually be flexing a lot - use stranded wire like 'speaker wire' or 'turntable pickup wire' if you can ever find that antiquated stuff.
Last edited by en'til Zog on Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Wiring for LEDs and Circuits
For wiring of my LED's I have been using CAT5 cable.Cloudwalker wrote:What kind of wiring would you guys suggest for soldering up LEDs and circuits? I'm thinking copper speaker wire, as it's more flexible and less prone to breaking. Any thoughts?
-TONY
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Sparky
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What ever the wire you use, it should be a size you can fit in the model and something you can easily strip, it is the nicks that you make stripping the insulation that will cause breaks. Nothing like getting everything soldered up and glued in place, then seeing that some wire has broken right at the solder joint.
Also be ware of scrap, older wire, as oxidation can creep up under insulation. It is vary hard to solder to wire that has gone 'black with oxidation, and if it's stranded you won't even be able to sand most of it away.
Also be ware of scrap, older wire, as oxidation can creep up under insulation. It is vary hard to solder to wire that has gone 'black with oxidation, and if it's stranded you won't even be able to sand most of it away.
<a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/2_wheresaneatpart.jpg" target="_Sparky">Is this plastic thingy on the counter a neat part?</a> <a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/1_casting_inprogress.jpg" target="_Sparky">Let's cast it.</a>
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SGluedMyFingers
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I get telephone wire from radio shack. It's four tiny insulated wires wrapped in another insulated layer. Cut it open and you get four tiny wires perfect for LED wiring. All the wires are different colors too. It makes it a bit easier to keep up with multiple connections.
Very cheap by the foot and you get four for the price of one.
Very cheap by the foot and you get four for the price of one.
I use 30 gauge Kynar wire wrap wire. You can use a tool to wrap the wire around a resistor or large LED leg, then solder the connection for permanence. The wire wrap wire is pretty strong, and unless you plan on flexing the wire a great deal, it should last a very long time.
I use this tool - it wraps, unwraps and strips the 30 gauge Kynar WW wire... but cripes! I paid $15 for it at Radio Shack, years ago. Radio Shack has a much simpler tool now (for $7). It should work, but you have to be careful not to nick the wire when unstripping the end. That's what really kills WW connections.
Frank
I use this tool - it wraps, unwraps and strips the 30 gauge Kynar WW wire... but cripes! I paid $15 for it at Radio Shack, years ago. Radio Shack has a much simpler tool now (for $7). It should work, but you have to be careful not to nick the wire when unstripping the end. That's what really kills WW connections.
Frank