Wire Quality/Supplier
garben
Long Island, NY
Hello.
Hello, I’m shopping around for hook-up wire for my digital model railroad layout and there seems to be a big discrepancy in pricing among different suppliers. I can get a roll of 20 awg tinned copper for $12 for 100' from one reputable supplier and another, very large well know supplier, I can only find it for over $50 for 100'.
Not really sure what I should be looking at spec wise?
It's a big discrepancy and I'm concerned about buying something too cheap and not any good, or expensive and being over kill.
Any thought welcomed.
Thank you.
Comments
There is not a great deal of difference in quality of the wire, though insulation properties may differ depending on whether it is insulated with thermoplastic or nylon. At OUR voltages, however, this is insignificant.
el Gato Gordo2016-11-27 13:29:48
Thanks! Appreciate the input. I would imagine the same hold true for the my buss wire, #16?
True. Just be sure to use two different colors, say red and black, for both the buss wire and the feeders. Makes it easier to keep track of polarity so you don't short it out. I always use black on the rail toward the perimeter (except on the zig-zag of a branch line) and red on the inside rail.