Reddit reviews Southwire 64169622 5 Conductor 18/5 Thermostat Wire, 18-Gauge Solid Copper Class 2 Power-Limited Circuit Cable, 50-Feet, Brown

I installed an Ecobee in my place a couple of months ago and just saved the old thermostat, faceplate, and hardware so that I can reinstall it when I move out. As /u/StewieGriffin26 mentioned, check your wiring situation, because older thermostats may not have a wire carrying power from your HVAC control board to the thermostat, which newer thermostats require. If there's an unused spare wire in your existing cable bundle that's long enough, you can use it to run power from the HVAC control board to your thermostat. Otherwise you may need to install a new thermostat cable with enough wires to run an additional power wire, unless Nest has a power extender kit option similar to Ecobee, or some other workaround to avoid running new cable.

Awesome! That helps a lot. Could I use [this] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0069F4HHC/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_g2RDwbF02MBT9) to connect two cut strips? I'm going to micro center today to see if they have any wiring there.

Sorry to bug you, but one more question. If I'm to run a C wire, should I just replace the original wiring with a 5 wire bundle? I ask because the wires are not labeled, so I don't know which is R and which is W up at the thermostat. Was thinking this: https://www.amazon.com/Southwire-64169622-Conductor-Thermostat-Power-Limited/dp/B0069F4HHC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1549010519&sr=8-5&keywords=thermostat+wire

I concur with this. If you are talking portable and not a 110AC deal, put a 12v car or motorcycle battery at your launch station with power routed to each launch pad. You can go with a microcontroller if you want but I think it would be overkill and I would prefer physical switches in any event. Big buttons to mash. You can get some 18-5 or 18-7 thermostat wire:

https://www.amazon.com/Southwire-64169622-Conductor-Thermostat-Power-Limited/dp/B0069F4HHC

(here is some 14-5 if you're really worried about the gauge)

https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/14-5-soow-portable-cord-600v-ul-csa.html



If using a 5 conductor as an example, you ought to be able to take power to the buttons on one wire of the five through a master kill switch, then use fire buttons on the other four that return the individual launch pads to ground. One cable from launch control to launch station.