Originally Posted by
koenbro
Wire recommendation needed.
.....
Initially I wanted to use door bell wire (2 separate conductors) but it's so thin that I am concerned its resistance is too high over the length of the bike. Both lights use alternating current. Can I use the bike frame instead of one the wires and then just rely on one conductor (it wouldn't technically be called ground, but same idea)? I need something wiht low resistance and a sturdy insulation, taht I could hopefully thread through the fork.
you can look up the resistance for any wire gauge....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge
for instance, 22 gauge wire has a resistance of 16 milli-ohms per foot. This is 0.016 ohms per foot, so if you had 10 feet of wiring, the resistance would be 0.16 ohms.
For comparison, the old incandescent dynamo bulbs were nominally 12 ohms, which is 75 times as much as 10 feet of 22 gauge wire. This shows that the resistance of 22 gauge wire is insignificant compared to the incandescent bulbs.
Personally, I use 22 ga wire, but more for the mechanical robustness than for the low resistance.
Steve in Peoria