Has anybody had any bad experiences using these?
Where can I find them appropriate for connecting my 22AWG feeders to my 12AWG bus?
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.
You'll find a range of opinions on these. Stick to genuine Scotchlock IDCs for best results, sized and installed properly.
I know there are 14 to 22 gauge ones, not sure if they cover 12 to 22 gauge. I supplied some links to the Scotchlock catalog/docs here: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/232511.aspx
One solution is finding something that fits the 12 gauge, then step down to 22 gauge after you run a short length of "transition" wire from the bus.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
mlehmanI know there are 14 to 22 gauge ones, not sure if they cover 12 to 22 gauge. I supplied some links to the Scotchlock catalog/docs here: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/232511.aspx
I try to do at least minimal googling before asking a question in the forums. I found the catalog at the 3M site and the 14 to 22 connector. No 12 to 22. With the popularity of the 12AWG bus, I was hopong somebody else may have found an alternate source.
Carl,
AFAIK, not yet. When I did my drops off the bus, I used 16 gauge brown lamp cord soldered to the bus. From that, it's an easy step down to the rest.
This was with my old DC 2-cab system, so I had MANY more drops than you would if you're wiring a DCC system from scratch, once for each block. It actually made installing circuit breakers for the DCC power districts more complicated, but I eventually used some jumpers and rearranging to reconfigure the bus to feed what are currently 5 power districts (I'll be adding and splitting to get more in the future when the budget allows). If you're just getting to this point with your wiring, you only need one drop per circuit breaker -- which in my case would have been dozens less drops!
So in that perspective, soldering doesn't seem so daunting a task -- if I had it to do over. Still, soldering is an overhead task where you don't want to get hot solder in your eye. I can see why folks want to use IDCs.
Far as I know, all the cheap knockoff ones exactly copied the 3M range. This is part of the reason I don't bother with IDCs - every feeder drop would need 2 of them, one from the main bus wire size to an intermediate, and then one fromt he intermediate to the feeder. I can pretty nearly strip the bus and end of the feeder, wrap th feeder around the bare section of bus, and solder it as fast as cutting a short peice of intermediate waire and crimping on two IDCs
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
You can get Scotchloks that have two different wire gauges, from heavy wire (12 - 10 AWG) on the run to an 18-22AWG tap.
They also make taps with a male tab connection. Several different ranges of gauges available too.
I (and many friends's layouts in our area) have used the connectors sold by Napa Auto Parts stores. After almost 6 years they have held up well and longer for the aforementioned friends.
They're two parts. the blue crimped on connector and the T fitting that goes on the feeder (usually red).
I was concerned about not using 3M connectors but after posting here (somewhere around '08) I got lots of reassurances from guys who dragged these through the mud and water under their trucks for years without a failure..... if they ever "go" I'll solder as a repair but so far so good.
My only concern was that the family bath/shower is next door so keep a humidity reading device in the train room, and shut the train room door during showering as the connectors aren't sealed as well as a solder joint would be but things are behaving fine.
Jim
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
LION tried suitcases. TSA came and tore them all apart to see what was inside of them.
LION sticks to bare bus and solder. Him mount bus on fascia, no dripping solder on fine fur of handsome LION.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS