Need some correct names and sources for the following items:
1. The wire used to daisy chain the controller plug in stations (bulk not premade)
2. The connectors for that wire
3. The tool to fasten the connectors to the wire
4. Led color and size for headlights and resistor size
5. Decoder connection wire
Thank you
ndbprr5. Decoder connection wire
I'm happy with this:
https://tinyurl.com/s7m4sl8
and for more colors:
https://tinyurl.com/rsmu7dn
Diditrax sells a nine-wire by ten feet selection as well but the Amazon stuff is a bit less expensive:
https://tonystrains.com/product/digitrax-decoder-wire-assortment
ndbprr3. The tool to fasten the connectors to the wire
I have an Ideal RJ12 crimping tool but I don't see the exact one but it is very close to this Klein model:
https://tinyurl.com/rux9nr2
Are you talking Digitrax? Here are instructions for Loconet.
http://www.digitrax.com/tsd/KB825/making-loconet-cables/
RJ12 connectors: 6P6C Six positions, Six conductors
https://tinyurl.com/uk6y6tq
6 conductor flat wire:
https://tinyurl.com/u74eegy
Sometimes it is cheaper to buy made up phone extension cable and cut to the length you need and attach a plug when needed.
Good Luck, Ed
1, 2 & 3 It may or may not vary by manufacturer of the DCC system. I'm sure Randy knows, but I don't. We just had a thread on NCE. The tool would be a crimper, but they are often specific to the number of wires in the cable.
4 Warm white 3mm led, 1000 ohm resistors, work for my period the transition era.
5 Decoder connection wire generally 30 ga, available in packs of the appropriate colors from Litchfield Station or Tony's Trains.
Sources depending on what you need for cable and tool, you may be able to buy it from Home Depot or Digikey or Mouser Electronics on the web. Yes I have bought cheaply from Ebay China sources, but given what I have read recently on involuntary organ donation, I can no longer justify doing so.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
are you asking about the rj-12 cable connecting one UTP to another? if so, 4 conductor flat cable is easier to attach connector to.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
While we're on the subject of fine high-frequency wire, here is a handy PDF table of Litz wire that may be a useful resource.
The wire used for NCE and Digitrax is often referred to as RJ12 but that isn't an actual specification - it's really RJ11 6p6c (6 pins, 6 conductor). NCE only uses 4 of the wires, but trying to put 4 wire cable in a 6 pin connector is asking for trouble because it's easy to offset it, and then things won't work. There are no issues having all 6 wires in the plugs for NCE.
Here are the ends:
https://www.monoprice.Here's com/product?p_id=7270
Here's the cable (though you cna go elsewhere and get less than 1000 foot spools)
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=956
Here isa good crimp tool. Don't skimp on the crimp tool. This one strips and uses a ratcheting action to ensure a good crimp
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-7-1-2-in-Ratcheting-Modular-Crimper-and-Stripper-VDV226011SEN/202038310
Since I hard wire most of my decoders, I often have plenty of cutoff wire sections, but I picked up this to have extra:
https://yankeedabbler.com/ho-scale-dig-dcdrwire-decoder-wire-acc-decoderwire-9-conductor-?gclid=CjwKCAiA9JbwBRAAEiwAnWa4Q9irJt0ivQIMo7_wIGN_1fmzitXm6c-6fG2l-ZExDWHicPG9aqimKBoCvBQQAvD_BwE
For headlights I use golden white LEDs for first gen diesels. A variety of sizes depending on the loco. Mostly the 3mm size, but for some the 5mm size fits in place of the original incandescent bulb. I don't need ditch lights or anything for my era so I have no need of tiny surface mount LEDs, yet. I usually get the miniatronics ones (but the resistors they come with are too low, use 1K minimum). You can get much cheaper ones on eBay, but try a few, there's a lot less control over light color and quality with the cheap Chinese 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.