Nilight 100FT 18AWG Copper Clad Aluminum Wire 18/2 Gauge Red Black CCA Electrical Cable 2 Conductor Parallel 12V/24V DC Flexible Extension Cords for Car Audio Radio Speaker Amplifier

A practical pair of 18-gauge leads for low-voltage projects

I’ve been running the Nilight 18AWG CCA wire through a handful of everyday tasks—12V LED lighting on a vehicle, accessory wiring to relays, and a small 24V bench-light setup—and it has settled into that sweet spot of “good enough for most jobs” without trying to be more than it is. If you work with 12–24V DC circuits and want a flexible, easy-to-handle red/black pair on spools, this is a straightforward, cost-effective option.

What you get and how it’s built

The kit is two separate 100-foot spools: one red, one black. That alone simplifies polarity management and keeps harnesses tidy. The PVC jacket feels supple and resilient, not plasticky or brittle, and it handles tight bends around corners and under trim panels without taking a set. Printing on the jacket is clear and consistent; the numbering is helpful when you’re tracing runs or documenting a harness.

The conductors are copper-clad aluminum (CCA), not pure copper. That’s the key design choice here. CCA keeps weight and cost down and remains flexible, but it does carry a higher resistance than equivalent bare copper. For low-current, short-run applications, that trade-off is usually acceptable. For high-current or very long runs, you’ll need to size up the gauge or step up to oxygen-free copper.

Both spools sit well on a rod and dispense smoothly. The wind is tight and even, the ends are easy to secure, and I didn’t run into kinks or bird’s nests during pulls.

In use: stripping, routing, and terminating

The jacket strips cleanly with a standard gauge notch on my ratcheting stripper, and the strands don’t smear or break when you twist them. Because the conductor core isn’t pure copper, soldering takes a bit more heat and patience than I’d apply to tinned copper leads. For most terminations I crimped with heat-shrink butt connectors or used insulated spade terminals; both held firmly and passed a tug test. Where I landed the wire into a set-screw terminal block, adding ferrules kept the strands from splaying and made for a neater finish.

Routing through a truck cabin, I appreciated the jacket’s flexibility and abrasion resistance. It slid through loom easily and didn’t scuff when pulled along existing harnesses. For underbody LED lighting, I used adhesive-lined heat-shrink at all splices and added split loom. After a few weeks of rain and road spray, no signs of moisture creep or oxidation are visible at the joints.

Electrical performance and what to expect from CCA

The big question with any CCA wire is voltage drop. In my tests, I ran a 12V LED load at roughly 3A over about 10 feet one-way (20-foot loop). The drop I saw at the load was a hair under half a volt. That lands right where I’d expect for 18AWG CCA and is perfectly fine for LEDs and low-power accessories.

A few practical guidelines from those tests:
- Keep individual 18AWG CCA runs to modest current (ideally under 5A) if you want to minimize drop, especially at 12V.
- If you’re pushing higher current or longer distances, move up a gauge (16AWG or 14AWG) or choose copper conductors.
- For speakers, 18AWG is fine for short runs and typical 8Ω loads; if you’re powering low-impedance speakers over longer distances, step up to thicker cable.

This isn’t a knock on the Nilight wire—CCA simply has higher resistance than copper. Used within its lane, it performs predictably.

Where it shines

• Vehicle accessories and lighting: Trigger leads to relays, interior lights, bed and tailgate LEDs, small air solenoids, and light-duty add-ons are all a natural fit. The red/black split makes polarity checks quick.
• Benchtop and hobby power: For 5V/12V/24V breadboards, LED strips, small pumps, fans, and controllers, it’s easy to cut, strip, and swap as projects evolve.
• Speaker wiring for casual setups: For short runs in a garage or cab, it’s flexible and tidy. I wouldn’t use it for high-power amps or long hi-fi runs, but it’s perfectly serviceable for modest systems.

Where I’d think twice

• High-current automotive loads: Starters, winches, high-output amplifiers, and large inverters demand thicker, pure copper conductors with appropriate insulation.
• Long low-voltage runs: Landscape lighting or lengthy 12V strips can expose CCA’s higher resistance. Choose a heavier gauge or copper to hold brightness at the end of the line.
• Permanent in-wall residential wiring: I didn’t see UL/CSA markings on the jacket. I wouldn’t run this inside walls or use it for AC mains. Stick to rated, listed cable for building wiring.

Durability and environmental considerations

The PVC jacket has held up to bends, light abrasion, and typical vehicle interior temperatures without nicking or cracking. I kept it away from exhaust and engine-bay hotspots; while the jacket feels robust, it’s not intended for high-temperature zones. In damp or salty environments, sealing the ends with adhesive-lined heat-shrink and using quality, plated terminals goes a long way. CCA’s copper cladding helps with oxidation, but good termination practices matter more than the core material when longevity is the goal.

Value and sizing strategy

Two 100-foot spools at this price point is compelling. For someone building or maintaining a DC accessory ecosystem—trucks, trailers, UTVs, or shop benches—having separate red and black on hand beats buying a single parallel zip cord and peeling it. I also like that I can run them separately in a harness to minimize crosstalk or route around tight cavities.

That said, the best value comes from choosing the right jobs for this wire. If you know you’ll frequently be above 5–7A or you’re running 12V over 20–30 feet, buying heavier-gauge copper once may save you rewiring later. If most of your work is under a few amps and a few yards, this Nilight pair is cost-effective and easy to live with.

Tips for clean installs

• Pre-label your runs: The printed jacket helps, but adding heat-shrink labels at endpoints keeps troubleshooting simple.
• Use ferrules for terminal blocks: They produce a reliable connection and prevent strand creep.
• Plan your loop length: Remember that out-and-back adds up; voltage drop calculations should use total loop length.
• Protect splices: Adhesive-lined heat-shrink over quality crimps is your friend in vehicles and damp spaces.
• Test under load: Measure voltage at the device, not just at the source, to catch drop early.

The bottom line

Nilight’s 18AWG CCA wire is exactly what I want for everyday low-voltage wiring: flexible jacket, clear polarity, tidy spools, and predictable performance within the limits of CCA. It won’t replace pure copper for high-current or long-distance runs, and it’s not a substitute for listed building cable. But for accessory circuits, LED lighting, small DC loads, and quick bench projects, it’s been a dependable, hassle-free staple.

Recommendation: I recommend this wire for low-voltage DC projects with modest current demands where flexibility, clarity, and cost matter. It’s a smart buy for automotive accessories, LEDs, and hobby power, provided you respect the limits of 18AWG CCA and size up or switch to copper when your amperage or distance calls for it.