Wire

[pfhoeycfi]

I have my electrical diagram 98% complete with wire sizes etc. I'll have the turbo aerovee with MGL EFIS & Radio...still undecided on transponder & ADSB. My wings are already wired for Orions and a single duckwork landing light.

I'm ready to purchase wire and I'm curious about wire color, single vs multi conductor and marking.

Is there any advantage to using different colors or just sticking with, say, just 2.

...running individual conductors vs multi conductor wire?

What is the best (easiest) type of wire marking system?

My background is automatic temp control systems...we pull miles of 18 - 22 but we keep it extremely simple. That is what I'm inclined to do. But I'd like to know what has worked or not worked for Sonex wiring.

Peter

[Rynoth]

The only places I ran multi-conductor wire is for avionics components like headphone jacks, since they originate and terminate in the same locations (back of the radio.) For most every other connection, the positive is run from a bus/fuse block or contactor, and the negative is to a grounding block in a different location, so single-conductor wire made the most sense. I just used white TEFZEL wire, with proper labeling color doesn't matter.

I used 20AWG for light loads (avionics components, magneto grounds, relay control), 18AWG for medium loads (12V socket/USB charger, master contactor control), 12AWG for heavier loads (connecting busses, starter button), 10AWG for my alternator circuit and 6AWG for the starter circuit. I used fuses appropriate to the capacity of each wire size and haven't blown a fuse yet.

The only harm in going oversized on wire is weight and cost (and space to some degree.) By far the majority of my runs are 18 or 20 AWG and all would have been fine by just pulling all 18AWG, but I saved a little weight and money by running 20AWG where appropriate.

Label your wires at both ends! I used a small-font printed slip of paper slid under clear heat-shrink a few inches from each end of the wire for my labeling.

[NWade]

I see you’ve already wired your wings; but for posterity in case others view this thread in the future:

One other place to consider multi-conductor wires (besides your headset wiring) is if you install wingtip lights (especially LED units). Running a single multi-conductor wire through snap-bushings in the ribs (and/or through tubing installed through snap bushings) is way easier than trying to pull multiple wires through the wings individually!

—Noel
Sonex #1339
Schleicher ASG-29

[pfhoeycfi]

Ryan...great advice, I'll do it like that.

Noel...I ran individual conductors in tubing held by snap bushings. I wish I had run a multi without the tubing...just the snap bushings.

Thanks,

Peter

[pfhoeycfi]

I'm running single conductor tefzel wire FWF... there isn't much of course and I'm wondering what other builders are doing to protect the wire, if anything. I'm using the orange silicone tape on hard points such as where I might secure wire to the engine mount. Is it suggested to use any type of wrap, insulation or conduit for the tefzel or can it be run and secured safely without additional covering fwf? I'm using the wire sold by BandC.
Peter