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Inst GND Bus and 18 AWG wire

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rvg8tor

Joined: 06 Apr 2009
Posts: 50
Location: Olympia, WA

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:31 pm Post subject: Inst GND Bus and 18 AWG wire

I bought the AEC Instrument ground bus, which is a Dsub 37 pin connector.  In looking at my instrument panel items the radios have 18 AWG wires for the power and grounds.



The Dsub standard density pins only take up to a 20 AWG wires, so how to deal with the 18 AWG wires.  should I solder a Y of 20AWG to the 18 AWG wire to go into the ground bus or should I just run the wires all the way to the forest of tabs on the firewall.  One fella on another site said this would work but you can't guarantee the flow of power would evenly split down the "Y".  The radio is on a 10 amp breaker to protect the 18 AWG wire but how does this work if you slit to smaller wires, to share the load so to speak.



It is a metal airplane, the kit instructions have you bolt studs to the cross member behind the firewall, I have the ground tab bolted there but insulated from the airframe, there are five 20 AWG wires that run to the forest of tabs.  I must say having this ground bus right where the instrument are is kind of nice.



I assume it would be bad grounding practice to just bolt these 18 AWG wires to the cross beam behind the panel?



Thanks for any help.

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_________________
Mike "Nemo" Elliott
RV-8A QB (Engine)
www.mykitlog.com/rvg8tor

nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 5:27 am Post subject: Inst GND Bus and 18 AWG wire

At 11:31 PM 2/1/2011, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  



I bought the AEC Instrument ground bus, which is a Dsub 37 pin 

connector.  In looking at my instrument panel items the radios have 

18 AWG wires for the power and grounds.


	




 	  Quote: 	
		  The Dsub standard density pins only take up to a 20 AWG wires, so 

how to deal with the 18 AWG wires.  should I solder a Y of 20AWG to 

the 18 AWG wire to go into the ground bus or should I just run the 

wires all the way to the forest of tabs on the firewall.  One fella 

on another site said this would work but you can't guarantee the 

flow of power would evenly split down the "Y".  The radio is on a 10 

amp breaker to protect the 18 AWG wire but how does this work if you 

slit to smaller wires, to share the load so to speak.


	


    Peel out enough strands from the end of the 18AWG

    wire to allow remaining strands to fit into the

    20AWG pin.

 	  Quote: 	
		  I assume it would be bad grounding practice to just bolt these 18 

AWG wires to the cross beam behind the panel?


	


     No, but neither is is bat practice to trim

     the wire down until it fits the pin.



   Bob . . .

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