Here is how I do it.
The LED leads and resistor leads get a 180 degree bend. I use a pliers to bend the LED lead, but the resistor lead bends much easier. Loop them through each other, giving a mechanical bond. Makes soldering a bit easier as well, don't have to chase them around. Make sure to put the shrink tubing on before soldering. Solder it up, test, then slide the shrink tube over and seal it up. Wires get twisted similar to a Western Union splice, or at a minimum looped together, depending on the room and wire length available.
If you forget the shrink tube, sometimes the liquid electrical tape works OK as well. Takes a bit to fully dry, though.
Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com
Fo what it's worth when I was learning to solder resistors it was suggested that I tin the wire and the resistor lead, then slide on the shrink wrap, and then put the two tined section togther in parralel and touch them with the soldering iron. The two grabbed each other making a solid joint.
Happy Railroading
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
Rich,
Here is were to find the standards: http://www.nmra.org/standards/DCC/standards_rps/RP-9.1.1%20200801.pdf
And Yes, Bachmann units don't seem to follow any standard. You will have to trace them out, or ring them out ,on Bachman units
retsignalmtr When splicing wire together the best way is to use the western union splice. First slide a piece of shrink tubing over one end of the wire. Wrap the wires together in a continious wrap (not a pigtail) and then solder. Slide the shrink tubing over the splice and apply heat to shrink the tubing around the splice. When splicing wires of the same color you must be sure the wires you are splicing to are going to the correct position required be the decoder.
When splicing wire together the best way is to use the western union splice. First slide a piece of shrink tubing over one end of the wire. Wrap the wires together in a continious wrap (not a pigtail) and then solder. Slide the shrink tubing over the splice and apply heat to shrink the tubing around the splice. When splicing wires of the same color you must be sure the wires you are splicing to are going to the correct position required be the decoder.
Be carefull of the orange and red wires. Some brands can look almost the same depending on your light source.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
mfm37 richg1998: What is your source? The reason I ask is that I know Bachmann does not use standard DCC colors. Rich NMRA DCC wire color code
richg1998: What is your source? The reason I ask is that I know Bachmann does not use standard DCC colors. Rich
What is your source? The reason I ask is that I know Bachmann does not use standard DCC colors.
NMRA DCC wire color code
I already know that. I have Spectrums DCC ready and some with on board Tsunami and Bachmann does not use standard colors. I have seen the question from others on this issue with Bachmann wiring.
richg1998 What is your source? The reason I ask is that I know Bachmann does not use standard DCC colors. Rich
Solder it is. As noted earlier use a small piece of shrink wrap. The solder joint shouldn't be more than 1/8 inch of exposure if possible. The smaller the shrink tube the better.
Springfield PA
Solder. Get some small diameter shrink tube and put that over the wire before twisting and soldering, so you'll have a good way to insualte the joint. Decoder wires are too small to be doing things like wrapping the exposed end with electrical tape.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Better to know where the wires go and do. Not all manufactures use the standard colors. Standard colors are- Red- right rail power-, Black- left rail power, Orange- motor positive, Gray- motor negative, Blue -12v positive common for lighting, White- function wire for front light, and Yellow- function wire for rear light. Best way to connect, Solder and then use heat shrink to insulate.
Better to know where the wires go and do. Not all manufactures use the standard colors.
Standard colors are- Red- right rail power-, Black- left rail power, Orange- motor positive, Gray- motor negative, Blue -12v positive common for lighting, White- function wire for front light, and Yellow- function wire for rear light.
Best way to connect, Solder and then use heat shrink to insulate.
I have solder spliced the wires with a piece of shrink tube over the splice. I have bought a pack of shrink tube the color of the DCC wires.
Some installs I use a small piece of Vero PC board as a splice. Sometimes I put the LED resistor on the board.
Mount the board in place with a dab of Walther' Goo. I just use my imagination in different installs. Whatever works. It may not always look “professional” but the loco shell covers it up.
Solder
How do you connect the dcc wire to another wire of the same color? i need to wire up a dcc decoder to a source without any 8 pin or 9 pin harnesses. do you just expose the wires and twist them together matching up color? Does it hurt anything to just solder the matching wires together?