I was just reading the "twisted bus wire" debate and it got me thinking.
I just completed wiring a Digitrax DB150 command station, three DS64 stationary decoders, two UP5 universal panels, and 12 switchmaster switch machines. All soldered, color coded, shrink tubed, etc. Now here is the question: Can I bundle my loconet cables with my bus wire(s)? I'm sort of a Type A zip tie fanatic. My concern is interference. My DB150 is on the way back from Digitrax due to an unknown hiccup so I have no way to tell while I wait, hence the post.
TIA
PS - And only two drops of hot solder on my arm!
San Dimas Southern slideshow
Short distances like right around your DS-64s is probably OK, but I wouldn't run the loconet and the buss together around the layout. I'd keep them a foot or so apart.
It's called "inductive coupling"
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Thank you. I don't forsee an issue, but if there is, and physical limitations won't allow separation, is there a product that one could route the wires through to provide shielding.
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
They're flat.
I should have the CS back shortly and I'll try it out. The layout is only 6 x 9 so the bus wire is maybe 10' at most.
Loconet uses 6 conductor telephone wire. It is not shielded.
Small layout you will probably be OK. Twisting one or both wouldn't hurt, but don't twist them together, twist them separately.
Aluminum electrical conduit would shield it but with a max run of 10 feet I wouldn't worry about it. Just don't bundle them together, run them as far apart as is practical and you should be fine.
If you were wiring a giant club layout my advise would probably be different.
For goodness sake, tye wrap them and let us know if you ever have real, legit problems with the wiring!
As you can see from the picture below, I use 1x2 on their side on the front Facia to make a wiring channel around the front of my layout. All wires go directly from the track/building/signal to the edge then are bundled together inside the channel for about 40' in on one side and about 35' on the other side of the U. I do alot of computer automation, with 29 train detectors, (24 current 5 photo) and have never had a problem I could root cause to the wiring situation. Signalling and house wiring will double the wire content within the next 12 months. All of the signal wire is Cat5e and I use 20, 22 and 24 for feeders to various things. Typical feeder length is ~ 24 inches.
FYI as I hate gremlines, I do troubleshoot all issues to root cause. And I am transparent, so when or if I ever have a problem with wiring cross talk, I'll certailly make it known.
FYI, The wiring channel idea came from Scale Rails last year. Parts of my layout have a lot of wire in that channel. You can see my zip wire 14gauge DCC bus along the bottom. No attempt is made to separate the wires, but I do, occassionally try to keep them reasonably untangled. The hardboard facia makes it tidy and easy to access by removing the screws.
joe-daddy wrote: For goodness sake, tye wrap them and let us know if you ever have real, legit problems with the wiring!
I agree.. If you'r in the "splitting hairs is fun" camp, keep it all seperate with conduit and RF boxes. If not, don't worry and bundle.
I remember reading were the developpers working on Ethernet or Token ring were running it thru a chicken wire fence to see if they could create problems in high speed trafic.
Their is so much error checking and data retries built-in to DCC that I would'nt worry about bundeling.
Margaritaman wrote:Thank you. I don't forsee an issue, but if there is, and physical limitations won't allow separation, is there a product that one could route the wires through to provide shielding.
Yes, you can use a product called "sealtite". It is metal flex conduit covered with plastic. Obviously, don't let them sell you the all plastic type. A better but less pretty solution is "greenfield" flex conduit. It looks like armored cable (AC or BX trade names). Comes in 3/8 diameter and up.
Ground one end and you're shielded.
Note: There is a very tiny possibility that very specific lengths of conduit grounded on one end can act like a radio receiver/transmitter antenna. (Adjust length to tune).
There is also an extremely small but nonzero chance, that through a process known as "tunneling," the entire cable may spontaneously disappear from its present location and reappear at some random place in the universe, including your neighbor's domicile. Neither the manufacturer nor I will be responsible for any damage or inconvenience that may result from these or similar occurances.
Karl
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net