Do you prefer ring or spade connectors when wiring common bus bars and/or dual terminal strips?
Modeling an HO gauge freelance version of the Union Pacific Oregon Short Line and the Utah Railway around 1957 in a world where Pirates from the Great Salt Lake founded Ogden, UT.
- Photo album of layout construction -
I use spade because It is a pain to have to completely remove the screw to make or break the connection. I also have some QC push on connectors but All Electronics does not carry those terminal strips anymore. The do still have the connecors.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Phoebe Vet I use spade because It is a pain to have to completely remove the screw to make or break the connection.
I use spade because It is a pain to have to completely remove the screw to make or break the connection.
I guess thats a good point. I was thinking ring, cause if the screw came loose, a spade could slip off and you'd loose connection so a ring might be a little more reliable?
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
And label EVERYTHING.
'European connectors'? Does that mean they don't shave?
European Connectors are those white nylon connectors with the screw terminals completly recessed to eliminate casual shorts.
LION finds these connectors and stuff far to expensive for the railroad of the LION. Him uses copper colored nails from Runnings (Farm and Fleet) but any decent bigbox hardware store should have them.
LION prints on a sheet of paper what each binding post is supposed to represent, and then inserts the nails and solders to them. As a bonus, screw drivers give me hand cramps, soldering irons do not.
Wiring Diagram is included in the LION's Operations and Maintenance Manual
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Phoebe VetI use spade because It is a pain to have to completely remove the screw to make or break the connection.
Me too.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Call me Mr Overkill then, I use crimp on ring connectors, crimped with the proper crimp tool, not a pair of pliers. Then I SOLDER them - apply heat at the ring end, feed solder through the back and fill it up.
Usually when you buy the tool it comes with a small assortment of ends. I still have all the spade ones.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Randy:
I don't solder, but I certainly wouldn't call it overkill, or denigrate anyone who does. Solder, in addition to connecting, makes the connection air tight and protects it from corrosion.
The thought of using plyers as a crimp tool has never even occurred to me. The proper tool is certainly not expensive and I have had at least one since the middle '60s.
I use the ring connectors on the 120v AC in, where the black term. bar and fuses are...all the rest is stranded wire with the end tinned before inserting into Euro connector term. All toggle wires are mechanically fixed on the toggles and then soldered. The toggle posts are so small, that I had to use a solid 18ga. wire and then connect the others and soldered. You can't see it in the pic'. but everything is numbered, with the little blue stick-on numbers that they used to supply in the Atlas controllers, perfect fit for the toggles. As small as the toggles are, they still are rated at 6amp's.
The other two panels are newer and they have rotary switches for the blocks, they just did not make rotary switches small enough 30yrs ago. LOL
Take Care!
Frank
riogrande5761 I guess thats a good point. I was thinking ring, cause if the screw came loose, a spade could slip off and you'd loose connection so a ring might be a little more reliable?
Jim,
Yeah, that's generally the difference. I use ring terminals for auto apps, because of vibration/movement potential.
Under the layout, not quite so much vibration. However, if a panel is where the wiring could get bumped maybe still a good idea, but a PITA working them overhead, so you probably don't really want ring terminals everywhere down there. I use spade on the terminal strips on the older part of the layout.
For the newer wiring since circa 2000, I use wire nuts, which I find reliable, flexible, and cheap.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I use the European blocks for my Tortoise connection, cut to 6 terminals. I also solder the wire to a short (1/2" long) strip of brass (1/8" x .03") and then wrap the wire end with shrink tube. I do this because the small gage wires (#24 to 30) have broken off when the screw is tightened. Just my insurance on the connection. It only takes an extra minute.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
LION suggests that you do not solder to tie points that are above your head, such as under the table.
LIONS do not crawl under tables. All wiring is on the fascia. Right out in front where I can work on it.
Hello All,
Insulated spade connectors with tinned wire ends crimped with a Klein crimping tool.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Ring connectors on toggle switches, spades on terminal strips; all are crimped and soldered.
Grinnell
I use ring connectors only and after crimping them on I solder them. No spades for me.
I use spade terminals and crimp them. It has been my experience that failed crimps are the result of using the wrong sized connector for the wire size being used. When I don't have the right connector for the wire, of course soldering is the work around.
I simply refuse to use suitcase connectors.
All my wiring connections are in a channel behind the fascia keeping the work at eye level.
NO, I've never had crosstalk between the wires. I use CAT5 for occupancy detection wiring and throttle networks. The fascia is fastened over the tray by machine screws.
Joe
I use push on connectors when ever possible. That is what's used on real EMD locomotives on the controls systems. With that actual experience...they are extremely reliable and easy to troubleshoot.
Mark H
Modeling in HO...Reading and Conrail together in an alternate history.
I guess you could say I use ring connectors. I bend the end of my solid wire into a complete circle and drop it over the stud, with a washer between it and the nut that torques the whole pile (up to six wires per stud.)
For stranded wire I bend the ring, then dip it in flux and flood it with solder.
As for the Lion's comment on keeping the electricals along the fascia line, second the motion!
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - inexpensively)