I've found on this forum that one can get good answers to a lot of questions. I've also found that a lot of people do well with one technique that another finds awful. Trtack clealing, track fastening, and sub-roadbed are just some of the areas where there are 20 correct answers.
What about fastening the feeder wires to the buss wire? Strip and solder, or use a suitcase clip?
Why?
Gene
Gene,
Yes, this is going to be another hot topic.
I solder when there is very little chance of having to make changes and use 'crimp' connections where there is a good chance for changes. I have also soldered 'crimp' connections and had very little problems.
If you can solder properly, it takes time to learn, you generaly get a good solid connection. I myself have problems quite often getting a good 'crimp' connection, but then I use a low cost crimp tool. When I have had access to a 'professional' crimp tool I generaly get better connections the first time.
All of our club's trains show layouts use 'crimp' connections, quite often makeing them as we need them.
Nathan
SteamGene,
I'd have to tell you to solder. It makes a very positive connection with no chance of corrosion or oxidation affecting the conductivity of the wire, which could lead to signal degredation on large DCC layouts. I HATE suitcase connectors and cringe everytime I crawl under the dash of a car to see an alarm, stereo, or remote start hacked into a vehicle using them. While I agree they are easy(?) to use, cutting a feed wire and stripping the bus somewhere else to make a connection isn't that hard. Soldering is a very easy thing to learn with some wire and a roll of solder, my Dad taught me when I was 10. I have a very ggod pair of crimp connectors for work (they are expensive to buy) and use them a lot in areas subject to vibration/flex but i solder all critical circuits no matter where they are.
Just my opinion, brad
Mechanical connections are prone to corrosion and
inadequate physical contact. Either of these can create
trouble shooting nightmares.
Soldering, if done correctly, provides a permanent
trouble free mechanical and electrical connection.
The following tips should help.
The wires to be soldered should be as clean as
practical for the solder to flow.
The wires should be joined together to provide a
good mechanical connection. Do not rely on a
blob of solder to hold things together.
Hold the soldering iron against the connection
and test the temperature by applying rosin core
(not acid) solder sparingly to the junction between
the iron and splice. When the solder starts to flow
add only enough extra solder to completely fill the
contact areas between the wires.
Important â€" Do not move the connection while the
solder is cooling. Movement can crystallize the solder
and compromise the conductivity.
All that remains is to insulate the connection to
prevent unwanted shorts. Tape, shrink tubing (plan
ahead) or brush on thick liquid all work.
I hope this helps.
Solder is best… if your soldering skills are up to doing it right.
If your soldering skills are questionable, then use the proper size "suitcase clip." (a.k.a. suitcase connector.) If you are trying to buy and the person helping does not recognize what you want then ask for Self-Stripping Electrical Tap Connector. Tap connectors come in different sizes depending on the wire gauge being connected. Be sure to get correct size.
When using tap connectors, if you can, use them with solid wire not stranded.
The AWG of the bus and the feeders is as important as the type of connection. Be sure to match the feeder’s AWG to its length.
I have to agree with Brad and others - solder is the way to go. If your soldering skills are not up to par, spend some time and practice until they are. Over all, you will spend less time learning to solder properly than trouble shooting non-soldered joints.
My soldering skills are not great. My club uses suitcase connectors. One formal electrical chairman noted "If suitcase connectors are good enough for the Space Shuttle, they ought to be good enough for CB&W."
This is why I'm asking.
Gene
I noticed that he is the "former electrical chairman" I doubt that there is a suitcase connector anywhere in NASA They do not provide a weather proof seal and if the small fold over clip holding the thing shut should come undone the wires can come out and ...................
I forgot to mention that when soldering the feeder to the bus, strip about a 1/4 inch of insulation off the bus, then strip about 1 inch from the feeder. Twist the feeder around the bus good and tight and then solder. It is a very good joint and you don't need 3 hands to hold the two wires, a soldering iron and the solder.
brad
Brad,
I comment only on what I know. I will pass on things sent to me. I know several members of the club who know far more about electronics than I do who hold the "former chair" in awe.
As I said, my question may well set off a storm.
Gene
Dear All,
I was never happy with my soldering ability, but I found out that my problem was using the wrong materials and equipment. When I built the two display laypouts, I bought correct solder and flux from Micro Mark. I now have no problems, and even actually enjoy soldering!
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Gene,
Most of the folks I know who have built new layouts or modified wiring of a layout in the last five years have used the suitcase connector. All have been in model railroading for decades and have excellent soldering skills. None have had a problem due to the connectors to date. All the layouts are in air conditioned rooms.
This type of connector makes needed wiring changes very easy and convenient when working in small space.
..... and what do you do when you become proficient?
Move on to Etched Brass/Nickel Silver Kits for some really unique items on your layout.
A "Suitcase Connector" is what is known as an IDC or Insulation Displacement Connector, which principle is used for all ribbon connectors used in computers and other electronic equipment and has been proven to be reliable over many years. Although the suitcase is a simple form of this type there is no reason for it to be any less reliable, provided it is from a reputable manufacturer. I believe that 3M were the originator of this type of connector. NASA may not use the suitcase type but I am sure they must have many connectors using the IDC principle.
Dave
What is the consensus for layouts that need to be knocked-down for transporting viz. to exhibitions?
Is the Bus to still be continuous wiring?
Are the connections between the boards to be soldered. or are there acceptable connectors for the job?
You might check the N-Trak web site, they have several good items on wiring 'portable' layouts. The new connector they are now using could even handle large scale trains.
Nathan
I normally solder my connections, for all of the above reasons. In situations where things my need to be moved or redesigned in the future, I use Screw terminal connectors available at Radio Shack in different groupings. I always use spade connctors on the wire to these.
Howard
If it ain't steam, it ain't
I originally did not comment on this since I don't use DCC or any wiring scheme that involves a feeder bus. My new layout plans include the use of computerized block control which has a seperate power supply to a throttle card for each group of eight blocks. Wires go right from the card to the track.
On to the topic of wiring for movable layouts. I am currently rebuilding my partially completed layout into sections that will be movable later. The original construction was built right into the builting and was in no way movable.
Just like much of my other wiring, I will use terminal strips at each joint between benchwork sections. I solder most connects but generally avoid the tee or tap connection this threat started about.
I prewire switch motors with leads that go to a terminal strip as well. I make drawings and asign wire numbers so that it can all be traced and worked on latter.
My limited knowledge of DCC has me puzzled some what. Is it not now common practice to devide the layout into zones with boosters and protection circuits? After doing that how much "bus" wiring is there? how many connections to the track are necessary in each booster zone?
In my DC wiring I don't use common rail and I don't rely on switch points to act as electrical connections or electrical switches and I prefer insulated rail joiners to just cuting gaps. I use Atlas turnouts mostly and power all the frogs. I keep wiring decentralized into seperate sub systems, with or without the computerized block control.
I solder most of my rail joints so multiple feeders per block are seldom needed.
Sheldon
Sheldon,
In answer to your DCC question, it is possible to wire the whole layout as one big block. However current thought is to divide the layout, not into "blocks" but into "districts." My plans currently are to have South River Yard as one district, westbound to Sugar Grove one district, east bound to Gordonsville one district, and staging one district. I don't think I will need a booster, but if I do, that should be fairly easy to wire.
Having weighed the pros and cons, I think I'm going to go with the suitcase fasteners. I know more have spoken out for soldering, but I also know that people tend to retain the way they first learned it. Quite a few of the soldering guys began doing this before the suitcase clip, I think.
Thanks for the input, everybody.
Gene
Gene,
I think the connectors will be just fine. In the electrical business where I first saw them 20 years ago, we called them by their brand name, Scotch-locs. I have never used them in layout wiring, but have used thousands to rewire fluorescent light fictures for use with energy saving lamps (not bulbs). They always worked great.
sheldon
I believe these were called "scotchlocks" by 3M. It's a shortcut to wiring the right way. That's fine if you don't need or not concerned about a bullet proof connection.
The effectiveness of a scotchlock is subject to the intallation technique, the insulation, vibration, stress, exposure to the enviorment and time. On the other hand; you can crimp, solder and heat shrink once and forget about it. :)
As long as you understand and accept murphy's law, some might be content with twisting the wires together and taping them off. ;)
Sheldon,
Without getting into the various ways to wire for DCC, this PDF link http://www.tonystrains.com/download/MRR-PowerDist.pdf (http://www.tonystrains.com/download/MRR-PowerDist.pdf) should help as it shows a technique of wiring that makes use of power districts. This is not the only way to make use of power districts when wiring for DCC.
Hunt,
Thank you, that's what I thought. I am sure that is exactly what all the guys in DCC that I know are doing. They are all Digitrax/Tony's followers.
I believe they are all using the circuit breakers to feed thier power districts as show on that dwg.
It would seem to me that the more of that you do, the less "feeder buss" situation you actually have/need, much the same as my decentralized approach to DC. My wiring style comes from years of desgining power distribution for buildings and control systems for process machinery.
Again thanks, that confirms what I thought was the case.
Sheldon
Soldering is fine-if it is done correctly. Notice I said correctly, not "right". You can solder correctly and it still might not be right; it all depends upon you and the time and effort you put into prep and forethought (planning).
My first choice of weapons is a crimp connection, and I will tell you why:
Solder joints can become fractured in a number of ways, and then the interior of that fracture can oxidize, possibly creating a high-resistance junction; which, under the right circumstances can drive you nuts!
Suitcase connectors, although I use thes also, can become loose. Nothing is going to be consistently perfect; but for my satisfaction, I will use a crimp or a screw terminal. THe others are still good options in my mind; it all depends on what you like and are willing to go with.
RIch
Clarification and additional information
Mechanical connectors can work well only when they are designed for
the specific wire sizes and types used. (Stranded, solid and insulation)
Tapping a #22ga feeder into a #12ga buss would not work reliably with
a connector designed for #12ga wire only.
Another major factor in the successful soldering procedure is the
soldering iron. First of all the tip must be clean and tinned. A plated tip
can be cleaned on a wet sponge and coated sparingly with solder and
the excess cleaned off on the sponge leaving a shiny surface. This will
ensure good heat transfer during the soldering process.
An added benefit for those of us with Scottish heritage is the lower cost
of soldering.
Chucknlead,
We both had it spelled wrong, it's "Scotchloks". And uses correctly they are as much the "right way" as anything.
Nelson is correct, they come in a wide selection of sizes for different size wire and selecting the correct one for your job is important.
Sheldon
I used suitcase connectors on my last layout and in 7 years they worked perfectly. I just ran the bus wiring around the layout and then dropped the feeders down and used the connectors to hook everything up. Very fast and worked perfectly. I'll never solder feeders again. - Nevin
r.cprmier : How correct you are, between correct & right.
I while ago I helped a friend take the dash out of a Neon to reheat the dry solder joints on the instrument panel connectors. I subsequently find that this is a fault in manufacture with that car, and becomes apparent at about 80,000 miles - gradually killing all the readings on the panel.
As you say, "You can solder correctly and it still might not be right" - even for the big boys in industry!
I use terminal blocks. Guess that's the electrician in me.
Craig : There is a really nice strip terminal block type available in the UK: two versions 220v at 5 amps, and 220v at 15 amps.
I have not seen them in the US. I am sure they would be a hit if they were available.
Craig;
There is a "European" type connection strip available via "Demar Electronics" . This is the type of terminal strip into which you insert the conductor under the pressure connector portion and screw it down, as opposed to a "wraparound" type termination. Both are good if done correctly; I asm partial to the European type. Much neater to work with.
OK, time to paint a wall-and I don't mean a backdrop either.
RIch