# Wire info



## AmtrackJim (May 28, 2015)

I need to purchase some 14ga stranded wire in various colors for my layout which is HO DC. When looking on Amazon they show a large amount of wire that is labeled copper clad aluminum. Never heard of this and was wondering what the difference is between this and regular copper stranded wire.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

AmtrackJim said:


> I need to purchase some 14ga stranded wire in various colors for my layout which is HO DC. When looking on Amazon they show a large amount of wire that is labeled copper clad aluminum. Never heard of this and was wondering what the difference is between this and regular copper stranded wire.


Might not be relevant to Model Railroading, but an interesting read....

https://www.belden.com/blog/digital-building/not-in-my-network-copper-clad-aluminum-is-a-recipe-for-failure


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I think you'd be better off buying 14 ga. stranded copper speaker wire from a stereo shop, Best Buy, or other retail location close by. Save the shipping. Copper is heavy.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

Try Jameco, aluminum wire can have problems at any joint, especially at high currents. You might also consider going with 16 gauge wire. Also consider using a Wago Luminare 
Disconnect as this lets you go into the connector with the DCC bus and out with the DCC bus and a connector to the rail feed - all in one connector the does not nick the wire like a suitcase connector. These are typically used to connect 12v lights to a 12v bus. 
https://www.amazon.com/Wago-873-902-LUMI-NUTS-Connector-Disconnect/dp/B003JV9N14
probably don't need a 100, but look around for smaller amounts - try Banggood also.


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

Wagos are great!
You can pick them up at home depot, several in a pack.
You could also use thwn 14 or 12 gauge stranded. I have access to alot of it, so thats what I used but solid

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## emmetd (Aug 1, 2012)

home depo or lowes sells 14 and 16 ga wire in 25 foot rolls for about 5.00 each.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Get pure copper. Given all the effort it takes to install, don't cut corners with aluminum, even copper clad.


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

Most houses have aluminum wire feeding thier panels and never experience issues.
That said, I agree with Lee...
Use copper for your wiring, I prefer solid but am sure stranded would be just as fine.

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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Trentonmakes said:


> Most houses have aluminum wire feeding thier panels and never experience issues...


That's because it's a large gauge wire. Bends are not tight and the wire doesn't move after installation.


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

Agreed,...except for some of the bends. Lol

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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Trentonmakes said:


> Agreed,...except for some of the bends. Lol
> 
> Sent from my LG-K550 using Tapatalk


Right. But bending 4/0 wire is not likely to cause breakage. It's substantial stuff.

What they're talking about are small gauges used in data cables where the wire is easily bent and breakage can be common.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Aluminum wiring is banned in houses up here.....


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

Old_Hobo said:


> Aluminum wiring is banned in houses up here.....


Even for the service drops?

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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Trentonmakes said:


> Even for the service drops?...


It's banned for branch wiring (internal wiring).


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

Yupp, that's what I figured.
I believe its still legal here in the states, but noone uses it. Only on service drops as its much cheaper and just as good, or at least no issues as compared to copper.

Back on topic...

I am running 14g solid to feed the track and 18g solid thermostat wire for accessories

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## Kadotus (Oct 28, 2016)

CCA is bad for small gauge wiring. It's only good for the person that sold it to you. 

At the joint where you make your connection from a wire to something else, if the copper cladding gets damaged (which it will since it is infinitely thin) you will expose the aluminum underneath which immediately oxidizes, changing your conductor into an insulator.

I see it in telecom wiring, causing connection problems. I've seen it on automotive electrical "repairs", causing problems. Unless you are using a massive wire (like the 4/0 highvoltage mentioned) or an oxygen-free environment, I would stay far, far away from CCA.


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## Gwent Rail (Jan 24, 2018)

I must be missing something here, but why would anyone want to use other than multi-stranded plastic coated wire on a layout?


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

Gwent Rail said:


> I must be missing something here, but why would anyone want to use other than multi-stranded plastic coated wire on a layout?


I just prefer solid over stranded. Plus I have easy access to the solid wire over stranded. You cant beat the cost of free.

Stranded is and would be fine on any layout.

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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

When I was still building my 727 simulator I found a surplus roll of Teflon insulated 20ga wire used by Boeing to wire their aircraft and various Boeing made panel modules.

I got a roll cheap on e-Bay of 1000'. It's aerospace-grade with the toughest jacket I've ever seen on small gauge wire. For it's gauge, it is very stiff and does not easily bend or kink. I don't know how this wire has been treated but it has properties not found in a roll of common stranded electrical wire found at retail.

I also had another builder donate about 20 100' rolls of plain insulated stranded hook-up wire that I'll be using.

You can't beat that aerospace-grade stuff though.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Trentonmakes said:


> I just prefer solid over stranded. Plus I have easy access to the solid wire over stranded. You cant beat the cost of free.
> 
> Stranded is and would be fine on any layout.
> 
> Sent from my LG-K550 using Tapatalk


I pay for it and I still prefer solid.


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Trentonmakes said:


> Yupp, that's what I figured.
> I believe its still legal here in the states, but noone uses it. Only on service drops as its much cheaper and just as good, or at least no issues as compared to copper...


Not allowed in the states either. Aluminum came into vogue in the 1960's when copper prices were on the rise. However, problems soon arose. Now there is no aluminum allowed inside the house but outside is okay. Today main feeder lines use a product called STABILOY. It's made from mostly aluminum with some other metals thrown in (iron, copper, and a few others).


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## AmtrackJim (May 28, 2015)

It seems that I will be using 14 ga stranded copper. My next question is what do most think on what to use on making connections to a bus wire on DC- solder, suitcase or something else? I saw the one post for Wago Luminare but have never heard about them. My track drops are 20 ga.


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## Waddy (Dec 18, 2014)

Electrons run along the outer surface of the wire; stranded wire of the same gauge has more surface area than solid wire. 

Aluminum is much lighter than copper and costs less. That makes it a good choice for the electrical grid. But it will rust (oxidize) when exposed, lose it's conductivity and heat up. So bare aluminum ends are covered with goo (at your service entrance input connection) to keep the wire protected. Copper also "rusts" but does not lose it's conductivity. That makes copper a better choice for home internal wiring.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Waddy said:


> Electrons run along the outer surface of the wire; stranded wire of the same gauge has more surface area than solid wire.


The last thing I am is an electrical expert, but one thing that has stuck with me since I last studied it is that solid wire has less resistance than stranded, so I don't think that matters.

If one were clearly superior to another, everyone would use it exclusively. Me, I like solid wire because it stays where I put it, and I find it easier to solder. It's going to be inappropriate in many applications where it needs to be flexible (like on rolling stock), but where I have a choice, I go solid.


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## Waddy (Dec 18, 2014)

CTValleyRR said:


> The last thing I am is an electrical expert, but one thing that has stuck with me since I last studied it is that solid wire has less resistance than stranded, so I don't think that matters.
> 
> If one were clearly superior to another, everyone would use it exclusively. Me, I like solid wire because it stays where I put it, and I find it easier to solder. It's going to be inappropriate in many applications where it needs to be flexible (like on rolling stock), but where I have a choice, I go solid.


When it needs to be flexible, nothing beats stranded silicone coated wire.


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## Patrick1544 (Apr 27, 2013)

I shop wire on eBay, myself. Never had a problem.


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Waddy said:


> Electrons run along the outer surface of the wire; stranded wire of the same gauge has more surface area than solid wire...


You're talking about skin effect. To say "outer surface" is a bit misleading. Skin effect is the tendency of AC to become distributed _*within *_a conductor such that the current density is largest near the surface of a conductor. The current flows at a level called the skin depth. At 60 Hz, skin depth is about 8.5 mm (or about 1/3 of an inch), which is the size of 0 gauge wire. So, suffice it to say at the gauges we use in model railroading, the entire thickness of wire carries current.


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