Type of hook-up wire.

[supernaut]

When making effects pedals what type of wire should I use to go between the board, switch and jacks? I have light duty stuff that'll handle 1amp. Is this okay?

[Auke Haarsma]

that' s more than enough.

[supernaut]

Awesome, thanks for that. Out of interest though, how many amps usually flows through an effects pedal?

[Auke Haarsma]

depends on the type but for analog stuff it is 90% below 50mA.

Fuzz/distorionts around 10-15mA

Modulation (chorus, delay) up to 50mA.

Digital stuff has higher mA requirements most of the time.

[SISKO]

Correct, but thats for the power section.
I dont think that there are large mAs currents through the input or the output jack

[Auke Haarsma]

ah, completely overlooked that

[Derringer]

I've really been liking this stuff

http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=85

"A military grade of stranded #24, PVC insulation, but the strands are partly bonded so that the wire routes easily."


I used to have lots of intermittent problems with my early builds and it was because the wire I was using was too big. I was using the smallest stuff that I could find at radio shack but that wire was putting too much stress on the solder joints and was causing problems. Your definition of "light duty stuff" may be different from ours.

[supernaut]

It's called light duty by Dick Smith Electronics. The actual diameter is .12mm.

[R O Tiree]

I use 7/0.2 wire - 7 strands, each 0.2mm. I use different colour insulation for different functions:

Red +9V
Black 0V
Purple - Input
Grey - Output

Pots:
Blue for the tag nearest 0V (or "wet" signal if in a blend circuit - water is blue, innit?)
Yellow for "hot" (or "dry" - desert sand is yellow )
Green for the wiper (blue+yellow=green)

This means de-bugging is very easy and I always know what is what and never get my wires crossed, as it were.