Question about wiring homemade launch controller.

[General Martinus]

What type of wire should I use? I'm using a portable battery jumper for the power source. Any insight on what type of wire to use? I've heard of using lamp wire but that seems very thick and overkill. Radio Shack offered "Project Wire" but I din't want to take their word for it when they didn't seem too sure.

 

[luke strawwalker]

What type of wire should I use? I'm using a portable battery jumper for the power source. Any insight on what type of wire to use? I've heard of using lamp wire but that seems very thick and overkill. Radio Shack offered "Project Wire" but I din't want to take their word for it when they didn't seem too sure.

The thicker the wire, the less resistance... lamp cord might SEEM excessive, but if you're building your own controller, might as well make it capable of launching anything you might want to fly-- NOW, AND in the future! Clusters require plenty of power available and low resistance, which lamp cord can carry. Smaller wire probably won't be any cheaper (on the contrary, probably MORE EXPENSIVE... and it won't carry as much power!)

You can get lamp cord in pretty good size rolls from the dollar store, for, you guessed it, a dollar... Couple rolls of that will have you fixed up quick.

If you REALLY want smaller wire, you'll probably have to go to Radio Shack or one of the big indoor lumberyards or hardware stores that carry bulk wire to find it... I wouldn't go with that lightweight small crap that Estes uses-- that dinky bell wire can't carry much current...

Later and good luck! OL JR

PS. What *I* do is, I install lamp cord leadouts from the controller to the jumper battery pack using battery charger clamps to hook up to the pack, and then another leadout for the ignition leads, about a foot or two long, equipped with a female plug-in end (cord repair parts from the lumberyard). THEN I plug a regular outdoor extension cord (40 feet) into that, and have another lamp cord with a MALE plug-in end that plugs into the extension cord, about 3 feet long, with the last foot or so of the wires split apart from each other, stripped, and small copper microclips soldered on. You can just cut the cord off an old toaster, VCR, clock, whatever to get this cord, or you can make it if you don't have any old stuff laying around to donate its power cord...

Works like a champ! OL JR

 

[General Martinus]

Thanks a lot. I didn't know lamp cord was so cheap I might as well go with it since it'll be a good sized unit.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Thanks a lot. I didn't know lamp cord was so cheap I might as well go with it since it'll be a good sized unit.

Well, I've SEEN it at those prices... maybe only ten feet in a roll, but you can solder it together to make any length you want...

It's cheap enough in bulk rolls from the indoor lumberyards if you don't want to mess with splicing...

(Soldering is the best connections if you DO have to connect up stuff).

Good luck with your project! OL JR

 

[General Martinus]

Do you think the thicker wire on the estes E Engine launcher would work? Looks about the same gauge, just looking at what I got here, sorry to be a pest.

 

[blackjack2564]

If your talking about the run from controller to pad...... then use a simple outdoor extension cord.

100ft is under 10 bucks. Need more...add another one.
What our club controllers use. Just install the receptacle plug on your controller and another short 10-25ft lead with alligator clips for pad end, that plugs in.

You won't find a cheaper, better solution.

 

[troj]

If your talking about the run from controller to pad...... then use a simple outdoor extension cord.

100ft is under 10 bucks. Need more...add another one.
What our club controllers use. Just install the receptacle plug on your controller and another short 10-25ft lead with alligator clips for pad end, that plugs in.

You won't find a cheaper, better solution.

Agree, completely.

-Kevin

 

[Micromeister]

Most any "hook up" wire from Radio shack (18ga and larger) should handle just about any individual controller internal wiring situation. I perfer 16ga. Stranded copper over solid but either is fine for the internal controller wiring. As for the external extension leads UP to 30feet 18/2 lamp cord is more then sufficent for individual launcher leads and work well with 1-1/8" smooth jaw igniter clips. If your going further then 30ft 16/2 lamp cord is a great choice. Lowes & Home Depot in our area sell both with white or brown pvc jacket "Zip-cord" by the foot. I prefer White jacket as it shows up much better laying on the grass then brown or clear jacket.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Do you think the thicker wire on the estes E Engine launcher would work? Looks about the same gauge, just looking at what I got here, sorry to be a pest.

Yeah, it'd work, BUT... It's a smaller guage, and therefore won't carry as much current as the heavier lamp cord... more resistance...

But it's your controller, so it's up to you what you use... if compactness and using what you got is more important that maximum current carrying capability/lowest resistance, then yeah, use the stuff... at least it's heavier guage than the dinky stuff they use on their smaller controllers...

Later and good luck! OL JR

 

[General Martinus]

Ended up just going to wal mart and radio shack. Got a soldering iron, lamp cord, a pilot/missile switch, momentary switch... the works... If I'm gonna do it might as well do it right and make it beefy.