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Wire Gauge Selection Guide
The size of the wire you should use for a project depends on the amperage draw of the particular accessory. In general, you should select wire that is made up of many smaller strands rather than larger strands. The thinner stranded wire will have less resistance and be able to carry more current. Likewise, do not use solid core wire. The following table is an excellent starting point when choosing the appropriate wire gauge:

Circuit Amps
12VDC		 Wire Length
3 ft. 5 ft. 7 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 20 ft. 25 ft.
0-5 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
6 18 18 18 18 18 18 16
7 18 18 18 18 18 18 16
8 18 18 18 18 18 16 16
10 18 18 18 18 16 16 16
11 18 18 18 18 16 16 14
12 18 18 18 18 16 16 14
15 18 18 18 18 14 14 12
18 18 18 16 16 14 14 12
20 18 18 16 16 14 12 10
22 18 18 16 16 14 12 10
24 18 18 16 16 12 12 10
30 18 16 16 14 10 10 8
40 18 16 14 12 10 10 8
50 16 14 12 12 10 10 8
100 12 12 10 10 6 6 4
150 10 10 8 8 4 4 2
200 10 8 8 6 4 4 2

NOTE: These values are only a starting point suggestion and may change for you particular application. Selecting a wire gauge that is too small is dangerous and a fire hazard. ALWAYS install an appropriately sized inline fuse or circuit breaker with every electrical accessory you install.


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