Stupid Question about wire.
Special_K
Posts: 162
I have been using the inner wire from cat 5 cable (Ethernet cable). It was fine when I was using it with breadboard robot projects. However I am now building a new robot not using a breadboard and I am finding the wire stiff and sometimes bending the wire will break the solder joint. I brought some wire from radio shack (I think it was) 40 feet of 22-gauge wire. It was even thicker and less forgiving. Does anyone know what gauge wire I should be using.
I have used some very nice none solid core wire from broken 9 volt battery connections but I do not know where to get this type of wire or what gauge it would be.
I have used some very nice none solid core wire from broken 9 volt battery connections but I do not know where to get this type of wire or what gauge it would be.
Comments
It's typically used in short patch cords that are expected to be plug/unplugged and bent often enough that normal solid core would break....however, who wants to pay ~$20 for a 6foot section of cable that you're going to hack apart. (and the packages don't usually tell you they're braided/solid core).
What you should really know is the amperage you're sending down the wire....that would really be the factor in the gauge of wire. I'd go for 26awg or something!
not sure
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Steve
"Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
Post Edited (Steve Joblin) : 12/31/2006 3:41:38 PM GMT
And use stranded wire whenever possible if using solder. My rule of thumb is, I use stranded wire on soldered projects, and solid wire only on breadboards - but if the wire is 1 inch or less, it is fine to use the more convenient solid wire on soldered projects, because the wire is not going to weigh enough to cause vibration. You don't have to secure the wire down with zip ties or glue if it is this short. Long wires should always be stranded so they can flex without breaking, and secured at all possible points.
If you don't use the Acetic Acid Free stuff, you may have problems with corrosion of some of the electrical connections, unless you can "fully cure" the adhesive in a high circulation environment.
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John R.
8 + 8 = 10
You can easily break wire wrap by pulling/stretching it so use it where it works best!
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Steve
"Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
First answer the power supple for the robot is going to be a 9V battery. After some more research I will be changing it to a NiCad or Li-ion whatever will give me the smallest size (trying to make this bot as small as possible.)
is this the type of wire you are talking about Steve
www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=22550
I looked all over the Jameco site and it looks like all of the wire-wrap wire that they sell is solid core. Do you have a link to some that is STRANDED
would this work
www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=126076
if not does anyone have a link to the the think stranded wire they are talking about.
As for hold. After the connections have been tested on the protoboard and all parts laid out I put some 5 min epoxy on the back. It makes it a pain if I have to try and go back but it holds everything in place.
Post Edited (Special_K) : 1/2/2007 12:36:49 AM GMT
I've since rebuilt the robot around a Radio Shack 4 AAA battery case with battery cover and switch. The robot is wider now but not as tall (it had been a big Li-ion battery) and runs just fine on rechargable Ni-MH AAA batteries. I can remove the batteries and charge them in a regular battery charger, and best of all, I can replace the batteries when they wear out, without losing the robot.
The lesson I learned was that it's much better to have your robot able to use commonly available AA, AAA or 9V batteries than a proprietary rechargeable, and to make the batteries accessible.
Also, I thought that I needed the 7.4 volt Li-ion in order to have enough voltage to go through a 7805 and downregulate it to 5V. Not necessarily. The Basic Stamp in the new AAA version of my robot runs quite happily on an unregulated 4.8 Ni-MH battery supply, and if you can use a lower voltage battery that means a smaller battery for the same current rating. 4 AAA's works because 4.8 volts is close enough to 5 volts to not matter, and a fully charged battery is slightly above rated voltage anyhow.
anyone have a part number or web link to a site... I really want the thickness and flexibility of the a standard 9v connector wire.
Post Edit: · Non sequitur
Post Edited (PJ Allen) : 1/3/2007 11:11:47 PM GMT
-Phil
to all that posted thanks for your help.... I am going to order the #24 gauge stranded from Jameco, but for right now the wrapping wire is working out very well.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103243&cp=&origkw=wire+wrapping+tool&kw=wire+wrapping+tool&parentPage=search
Model: 276-1570 Catalog #: 276-1570