Wire Gauge, AWG or SWG

[Pipistrelli]

Does anyone readily have to hand the equivalent sizes in the gauges of wire we all seem to be using? ie #24, #26 &#28, but in AWG and SWG (standard wire gauge for UK) forms?

Although when I use #26 wire I always use the wire that comes with the kits, but recently I bought a largish spool of #24 gauge in the UK and I think this is actually thicker wire than the GB #24.

I suspect my local purchase is SWG, rather than AWG, has anyone else taken this into account, or is the difference in wire gauge for these applications minimal?

[swatson144]

Is this what you were looking for? :wink:

http://www.hmwire.com/pdf%20files/StandardWireGauges.pdf

[Pipistrelli]

That will do nicely, Ta!

It looks like the AWG sizes are very slightly smaller than the SWG sizes.

I have been using SWG #24 which is right between AWG #22 & #23. I must save that wire for the hottest motors only.

Does anyone have a theory about performance differences with these wire sizes?

For example, with the same number of turns, will there be a pro-rata performance increase, if i used SWG #24 rather than AWG #24, this is an increase in diameter 17%, so will current draw and performance increase in a relationship of the product of that size increase?

[spoke2570]

As far as I can understand the increase in diameter will lower the motor's internal resitance helping its efficiency. The biggest thing that it does is increase the amount of current that the motor can handle. If you wrap a motor wit x turns and stick whaterver prop on it it will want basicly the same amperage at 7.4v supplied with virtually any guage wire. If the wire is too small the current gets used up in heat (too much juice not a big enough pipe) and the motor makes more heat than power. This is very evident when the motor efficiency goes down. 50 watts in gets 25 watts out to the prop and 25 watts to heat so the motor is 50% efficient. A bigger wire may handle the higher current better and get more watts to power and less to heat.

See thread "Current per phase?" under Motor Theory topic.

pete