Strobe Wire for LED Retrofit

Jtsou

Member
Nov 6, 2011
281
NC
Anyone know what gauge normal strobe wire is?

Doing a retrofit... the wire isn't marked. 3 conductor maybe 16-18 guage?
 

C17LVFD

Member
May 21, 2010
1,537
Harrisburg, PA
In my experience most has been 18g unless your getting knock off strobes. Pretty sure both Whelen and FS cable was 18g.
Thanks,
Seth
 

NoLimitSquads

Member
Feb 11, 2021
330
Minnesota
Anyone know what gauge normal strobe wire is?

Doing a retrofit... the wire isn't marked. 3 conductor maybe 16-18 guage?
There really isn’t a “normal” strobe size. Ive come across 16, and 18, but most is 18. Grab a piece of 18g and a piece of 16g and compare closely. What kind of LEDs are you installing? How many amps will they draw? How long will the wires be?
 

Jtsou

Member
Nov 6, 2011
281
NC
Feniex Wide Lux some 7x3, some 9x7. 1.25amp draw for each. 25ft max. 18 would work but the OCD in me says I'm probably going to run new wire and strip out the strobe wire.
 

Bobcat753

Member
Mar 9, 2014
327
Mass
If it’s on an older piece of apparatus then I’d probably change it out and run 2 wire. The strobes run at some high currents and the current wire could be towards the end of its life.
 

shues

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
10,276
NW Indiana
If it’s on an older piece of apparatus then I’d probably change it out and run 2 wire. The strobes run at some high currents and the current wire could be towards the end of its life.

I believe you may have confused current with voltage. Strobes operate at relatively high voltage, and thus at very low current.
 

firebuff17

Member
Mar 28, 2011
774
CT
I believe he is using current as a term of time, not current as in amp draw (in the end of his sentence). I know it’s confusing. I had to read it a couple of times.

But I can agree with both statements.
 

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