Flexible silicone wire: wiring that doesn't break when you close the shell

On an IPS screen mod, a battery conversion or a recap, it's almost always the wire that causes trouble: too stiff, it rips the copper pad off when you reassemble; too thick, it stops the shell from closing. This kit provides silicone wire with a tinned stranded copper core, flexible and easy to tin, available from 30 AWG for fine signals to 20 AWG for power, in five colours to identify each connection.

What it does

• Silicone insulation: it doesn't melt or shrink back as soon as the iron tip brushes it, unlike the PVC on cheap wire.
• Stranded, tinned core: the wire bends without breaking and takes solder immediately, without extra flux.
• Five colours per box: ground, power and signals are easy to tell apart at a glance when you open the console again months later.
• Six gauges to choose from: 30, 28, 26, 24, 22 and 20 AWG, and several lengths per spool depending on the variant chosen.

What it doesn't do

• It isn't a ribbon cable or a ready-to-plug harness: no connectors, no wire pre-cut to the right length for a given mod. Everything has to be measured, stripped and soldered.
• It isn't Kynar-type self-stripping enamelled wire: each end has to be stripped.
• The ratings stated by the manufacturer (600 V, −60 °C to +200 °C) have not been certified by us and do not make this wire suitable for mains wiring: it is intended for low-voltage DC.
• 30 AWG isn't suitable for a screen or battery power line: for power, go up to 24 AWG or thicker.
• No tools, heat-shrink tubing or solder are supplied.

Compatibility

Generic hook-up wire: it suits any low-voltage work on a retro console, handheld or home — IPS screen mod, speaker replacement, USB-C battery conversion, capacitor refurbishment, broken trace repair, arcade stick or controller wiring. There's no “incompatible” motherboard revision. However, it isn't wire for 230 V, nor for high-power automotive wiring, nor for replacing a flexible ribbon cable (flex): a ribbon cable can't be replaced with round wire.

Skill level required

Soldering is essential, with solder, on a pad or a component. 30 and 28 AWG call for a fine tip and an experienced hand; 24 to 20 AWG are easy to work with. You'll need a wire stripper suited to small gauges, heat-shrink tubing and a temperature-controlled iron. If you've never soldered on a console motherboard, practise on a scrap board first.

In the box

• 5 spools of silicone wire, one per colour.
• 1 dispenser box holding the spools.
• The gauge (AWG) and length per spool depend on the variant chosen; the colour assortment matches the box number indicated.

Read before ordering: Workshop & modding

Delivery in 10 to 18 days · ships within 3 to 5 days · 2-year legal guarantee · 14-day returns.