Below are the manufacturers suggested wire sizes for various sizes of loops for each of the Univox amplifiers. Wire size (gauge) is the standard American Wire Gauge—AWG. Numbers in brackets are the metric sizes in mm2.
Univox PLS-100
| Loop Area (sq. ft.) | Single Loop AWG (mm2) |
Double Loop AWG (mm2) |
| 800 – 1830 | 12 (3.0) | not recommended |
| 540 – 800 | 14 (1.5) | 14 (1.5) |
| 375 – 540 | 16 (1.0) | 16 (1.0) |
| less than 375 | 18 (0.8) | 18 (0.8) |
Univox PLS-300
| Loop Area (sq. ft.) | Single Loop AWG (mm2) |
Double Loop AWG (mm2) |
| 2150 – 3230 | 12 (3.0) | not recommended |
| 1610 – 2150 | 12 (3.0) | 12 (3.0) |
| 750 – 1610 | not recommended | 12 (2.5) |
| less than 750 | not recommended | 14 (1.5) |
Univox PLS-700
| Loop Area (sq. ft.) | Single Loop AWG (mm2) |
Double Loop AWG (mm2) |
| 3230 – 7000 | 10 (5.0) | not recommended |
| 1610 – 3230 | 10 (4.0) | 12 (2.5) |
| 750 – 1610 | not recommended | 12 (2.5) |
| 215 – 750 | not recommended | 12 (2.5) |
Univox PLS-900
| Loop Area (sq. ft.) | Single Loop AWG (mm2) |
Double Loop AWG (mm2) |
| 3230 – 7000 | 10 (5.0) | not recommended |
| 1610 – 3230 | 10 (4.0) | 12 (2.5) |
| 750 – 1610 | not recommended | 12 (2.5) |
| 215 – 750 | not recommended | 12 (2.5) |
This page says 10 – 12 gauge and this page (http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/contacta-loop-wire/) says 22 gauge. Which is it?
Hi Rich:
The small loop drivers use 22 gauge wire like the HLD-3 and the CLS-1.
The large commercial loop drivers use heavier wire because they carry more current.
So which loop driver are you referring to? The newer commercial drivers use lighter wire than 10 and 12 gauge as they are more efficient. They may use 16 or 18 gauge.
The wire size also depends on the length of the wire as you want to maintain roughly 1 ohm of resistance in the wire. So it is not a simple answer. It depends on the driver and the length of the wire.
Cordially,
Neil