What Gauge Wire Should I Use w/ a Honeywell L5200?

The gauge wire you should use with a Honeywell L5200 is 18-gauge, 2-conductor wire. However, 16-gauge and 22-gauge wire can also be used for wiring as well. The real important thing here is that the connections are secure. For DIY installers, the Honeywell LT Cable is a great option.

The Honeywell L5200 includes a built-in 345 MHz wireless receiver for supporting Honeywell 5800 Series Wireless Sensors. As a result, most of the accessories for an L5200 System will usually be set up wirelessly. The only real wiring that is used with the L5200 is for connecting its plug-in transformer. The transformer to use with the L5200 is the Honeywell 300-04705 9VDC, 2.5A Transformer, and it comes included with the system. However, wiring will need to be obtained separately.

The recommended wire to use is 18-gauge, 2-conductor wire. The gauge refers to the wire thickness. The lower the gauge, the thicker the wire. By using an 18-gauge wire, you can achieve a maximum wire run distance of 26 feet. The 2-conductor portion of the name refers to the two inner wires that are housed inside the main cord. We recommend using 2-conductor wire because two connections need to be made to the transformer and the panel board for power. While 3 or 4 conductor wire can also be used, that type of cable will leave some unconnected inner wire.

If you are a DIY installer, then the easiest option to get an L5200 System up and running is with a Honeywell LT-Cable. This cable comes pre-prepared, and it eliminates the need for stripping any wires. The connections can be easily made with both the L5200 Panel and the plug-in transformer. The two ends then meet through a simple male-female barrel connection. The one downside to this cable is that it cannot be obtained in most hardware stores, and it will usually need to be ordered online. Alarm Grid sells the LT-Cable on its website.

Please note that as a DC-powered system, proper polarity will need to be followed when wiring a Honeywell L5200 LYNX Touch System. The red wire should go to positive (+), and the black wire should go to negative (-).