deans ultra wire, or "wet noodle"wire

[macfjej]

i want to make the best connections i can for my brushless setup, is there really that much of a differeance between ultra wire and wet noodle wire, i know ultra has a strand count of 660, and wet noodle has a strand count of 1660, but i guess what i am saying is after a certain number of strands, do more really make a differeance?

[Dafni]

I used the wet noodle on my first RCs, but since I get my stuf from Mike, I'll always get the ultra wire. Haven't felt a difference, really.

[maxxdude1234]

wet noodle I believe is made of higher quality (purer) copper, someone might correct me? Wet noodle is a lot more flexible as well.

I would just like to add that before someone says that because the strands are smaller, there is less waste space (ie. more copper in the wire) they are incorrect. Overall a wire with 660 strands will have the same cross sectional area as a wire with 1660. Can explain why if you want - just a bit of simple maths...

[BrianG]

Originally posted by maxxdude1234
wet noodle I believe is made of higher quality (purer) copper, someone might correct me? Wet noodle is a lot more flexible as well.

I would just like to add that before someone says that because the strands are smaller, there is less waste space (ie. more copper in the wire) they are incorrect. Overall a wire with 660 strands will have the same cross sectional area as a wire with 1660. Can explain why if you want - just a bit of simple maths...

Actually, since there are less strands but the same guage, isn't each individual wire bigger diameter? That would mean there is more space between each cross-section of the less standed wire right? That's one of the reasons why most hi-power speaker coils use edge-wound wires.


I realize any differences will be quite small to be just about negligible, but I'm just curious. :)

[Dafni]

If those guys who race use the Ultra wire, it's good enough for me.

Even the Ultra is nice and flexible.

[maxxdude1234]

Originally posted by BrianG
Actually, since there are less strands but the same guage, isn't each individual wire bigger diameter? That would mean there is more space between each cross-section of the less standed wire right? That's one of the reasons why most hi-power speaker coils use edge-wound wires.


I realize any differences will be quite small to be just about negligible, but I'm just curious. :)

If you imagine the cross section of each one of the strands in the wire, they each have their own little square of which the take up 52%. ie, if you draw a square and then a circle within the square (touching the sides of the square), the circle takes up 52% of the square. It doesn't matter how big or small the squares are, its always 52%.

Another example is putting balls in a box. You can put lots of little ping pong balls in it, or one big beach ball in it, and the volume of waste space will still be the same.

[rchippie]

Either of these wires will be great. I always use 12g wire is possible.

[Nick]

Originally posted by maxxdude1234
If you imagine the cross section of each one of the strands in the wire, they each have their own little square of which the take up 52%. ie, if you draw a square and then a circle within the square (touching the sides of the square), the circle takes up 52% of the square. It doesn't matter how big or small the squares are, its always 52%.

Another example is putting balls in a box. You can put lots of little ping pong balls in it, or one big beach ball in it, and the volume of waste space will still be the same.

I would of thought more strands = more resistance.

[maxxdude1234]

Originally posted by Nick
I would of thought more strands = more resistance.

A larger cross section of wire will result in a lower resistance:

Resistance = Resistivity x Length / Cross-sectional area.

A bigger area means less resistance, and a longer wire means more resistance. Resistivity is a constant relative to the material used (copper, silver, gold etc....)

[BrianG]

maxxdude, your PP ball/beach ball scenario works out for circles placed neatly on top of each other creating 4-pointed "star" spaces, but what about if they were placed in a "triangle" formation - meaning one wire in the "valley" of two others? I imagine this is how most wiring is made simply to pack more in there.

I think the only reason for more strands is simply for a more flexible wire. Larger conductors don't bend as well due to the larger cross-section: the inside edge of a bent wire has to compress and the other edge has to expand. This effect is less in more and smaller diameter conductor wire.

Another advantage, albeit small, of using smaller strands of wire instead of less but larger strands, especially for the motor wires, is the reduction of "skin effect". This is where the current in a wire at an AC frequency tends to travel along the outer edge of a conductor. More conductors means more surface. PWM is a form of AC. OK, I might be stretching and probably doesn't apply here, but I'm trying! :)

[maxxdude1234]

Originally posted by BrianG
maxxdude, your PP ball/beach ball scenario works out for circles placed neatly on top of each other creating 4-pointed "star" spaces, but what about if they were placed in a "triangle" formation - meaning one wire in the "valley" of two others? I imagine this is how most wiring is made simply to pack more in there.

It makes no difference. It doesn't matter what pattern the wire is in. All you are doing by changing the size of strands is changing the scale. In other words 1/2 is the same as 1000000/2000000, just on a different scale.

Anyways, if you want the ultimate in low resistance, single core wire is the way to go!

[macfjej]

Originally posted by maxxdude1234
It makes no difference. It doesn't matter what pattern the wire is in. All you are doing by changing the size of strands is changing the scale. In other words 1/2 is the same as 1000000/2000000, just on a different scale.

Anyways, if you want the ultimate in low resistance, single core wire is the way to go!

true,, for the wire length, but the higher strand count makes a better sodder connection, and i doubt a single core would make a very good sodder connection, but i also doubt 1,000 extra strands makes a huge differerance either, thanks for the input guys :)