My bad, thought it was solid. I rarely use stranded as it moves around too much for me. Tired of using tweezers and weights to hold stranded for soldering.
Type of insulation has a big effect. I no longer use the shiney hard (PVD) type insulation. It seems to have memory when you bend it.
Terry
TBat55 Strip the end longer than normal , tin the end, and spiral wrap it around the insulation. The insulation will give it strength. The spiral assures contact.
Strip the end longer than normal , tin the end, and spiral wrap it around the insulation. The insulation will give it strength. The spiral assures contact.
TBat55 Strip the end longer than normal , tin the end, and spiral wrap it around the
Strip the end longer than normal , tin the end, and spiral wrap it around the
Hi Terry,
That is a very clever idea and I will try it. Thanx for sharing.
Mike
MikeyChrisDo you use plastic or metal DIN rails? If metal, how do you cut them?
I use metal and I'm fortunate here, too, that I have access to a nice bench-top abrasive cut-off wheel. I cut a few dozen random lengths and size them as necessary. They're pretty soft metal so a good hacksaw and fine blade would work. Sawzall or saber saw would work too.
The terminal blocks are a bit bulky but they do the job very well. I sent you a PM with some options for you...
Ed
gmpullman Actually I use DIN rail terminal blocks...
Actually I use DIN rail terminal blocks...
Hi Ed,
I looked into using DIN rails, not only for mounting terminal blocks but also for mounting power supplies. I like the system, but it was too expensive for me. If I was able to salvage parts as you did, I may have gone that route.
gmpullman Seems to me 14 ga. solid from romex might be a little over-kill. You can still get 18 or 20 ga. "bell" wire or thermostat wire which would be sufficient.
Seems to me 14 ga. solid from romex might be a little over-kill. You can still get 18 or 20 ga. "bell" wire or thermostat wire which would be sufficient.
My only reasons for using 14 AWG Romex were:
1) I have some on hand
2) It fits the Euro terminal blocks better than smaller (18 - 22 AWG) size wire due to the fact that Euro blocks do not have the pressure plate to evenly apply pressure to the wire - so larger wire fits better.
Do you use plastic or metal DIN rails? If metal, how do you cut them?
Thanx,
Actually I use DIN rail terminal blocks. I salvage a bunch of electronic gear where I work and I grab these things every chance I get. They will grab a stranded 26 ga. wire with ease and I can jumper several together if I need common or multiple connections on the same electrical leg.
Similar to these:
http://www.omega.com/pptst/AVK.html
http://www.galco.com/shop/Screw-Clamps-Terminal-Blocks
I see what you mean about the euro-style strips not having the wire protector. Seems odd that the option wouldn't be there.
rrinker I'm talking about telephone/network cables, not audio connections. RJ11 4 pin, RJ12 (not 'officially' an RJ type) 6 pin, RJ45 8 pin. You could use 66 blocks for intermediate teminations.
I'm talking about telephone/network cables, not audio connections. RJ11 4 pin, RJ12 (not 'officially' an RJ type) 6 pin, RJ45 8 pin.
You could use 66 blocks for intermediate teminations.
Hi Randy,
Oops, I obviously did NOT come to the obvious conclusion here. Sorry about that. I was thinking the wrong way. flat cables terminated in RJ connectors would be a nice solution, but I have already purchased other parts. I am now thinking about soldering a short length of Romex 14 AWG to the small wire, and securing that in the Euro terminal blocks.
One of the really great things about this hobby is all the different (often elegant, sometimes crude but very effective) solutions fellow modelers come up with.
gmpullman Something to keep in mind when looking at terminal strips is that all are NOT created equal. The top design has little inserts... Sometimes a little extra cost will save you much aggravation and time...
Something to keep in mind when looking at terminal strips is that all are NOT created equal. The top design has little inserts...
Sometimes a little extra cost will save you much aggravation and time...
Yes, there are strips made with the flat pressure plates you mention, and I would prefer those types (I have used them before). However, I have yet to find a Euro-style terminal block that uses them. Most of the terminal blocks that have those pressure plates are solder-tail (meant to be mounted on a printed circuit board). If you know of a source of Euro-style blocks with pressure plates, please advise.
Thanx for the reply.
MikeyChris farrellaa I have several areas that I used a short (1/2-3/4") piece of brass strip, about 1/8" wide and .020-.030" thick , for my wire ends. I solder the 26 ga wire to one end of the strip and then slip some shrink tube over the wire and brass, leaving about 1/4" exposed on the end. This makes a good solid connection for the terminal strip screw (you can really tell when it is clamped down) and the wire is held solid with the shrink tube. It takes a little extra work but well worth it. Hi Bob, Thanx for the idea. As always, you have some unique solutions! I may play with variations of this, like maybe soldering the small wire to brass rod, or ??? Mike
farrellaa I have several areas that I used a short (1/2-3/4") piece of brass strip, about 1/8" wide and .020-.030" thick , for my wire ends. I solder the 26 ga wire to one end of the strip and then slip some shrink tube over the wire and brass, leaving about 1/4" exposed on the end. This makes a good solid connection for the terminal strip screw (you can really tell when it is clamped down) and the wire is held solid with the shrink tube. It takes a little extra work but well worth it.
I have several areas that I used a short (1/2-3/4") piece of brass strip, about 1/8" wide and .020-.030" thick , for my wire ends. I solder the 26 ga wire to one end of the strip and then slip some shrink tube over the wire and brass, leaving about 1/4" exposed on the end. This makes a good solid connection for the terminal strip screw (you can really tell when it is clamped down) and the wire is held solid with the shrink tube. It takes a little extra work but well worth it.
Hi Bob,
Thanx for the idea. As always, you have some unique solutions! I may play with variations of this, like maybe soldering the small wire to brass rod, or ???
Mike,
Whatever you have on hand! I happen to have a few packs of the brass bar stock and it works very well. I even made a distribution strip with some scrap copper flashing (.030"), just made some slits along one edge to keep heat from melting the next wire connection. Got to be creative sometimes!
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
MikeyChrisI will be installing signals on my layout using 26 AWG stranded wire between the circuit boards and Euro style terminal strips.
Something to keep in mind when looking at terminal strips is that all are NOT created equal.
The top design has little inserts that allow the wire to be clamped rather than squished directly under the screw. I closed one slightly on the far right. The blue strips are on a signal board from Logic-Rail, an SA-1 I think.
The lower one was a bargain from All Electronics and you can see where I turned in the screw a little that this would just tear up stranded wire when you snug it down. It would be OK for tinned, solid or a Molex pin.
Regards, Ed
[quote user="Enzoamps"]
Folding over and tinning is usually my first option. If you are in the industry, one occurs to me. Crimp male Molex 06 series pins on the wire ends and then put the pins into the barrier strip holes.
Did someone say they needed a Terminator?
MikeyChrisI would have thought using 1920 vintage wiring would have been difficult. I had a 1940's era oscilloscope once, and all the insuation had cracked off the wiring! Obviously your wire is in better shape.
The 1930 and 1940s discovered rubber and used it as an insulation, it did not work out so well. The 1920s product was much better made, but probably far more expensive in 1940 dollars, and more difficult to use.
Signals System of LION:
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
MikeyChris Hey Randy, Thanx for the reply. rrinker How many connections do you need? Phone jacks are available in 4, 6, and 8 pin connections. For a simple steady state like an LED signal driver, you can use cheap flat telephone wire as the cable, and use jacks for the termination. I will have at least 26 signals, and the circuit boards have 8 pin male SIP headers. I bought some prefab 8 pin female connectors with 12" of 26AWG wire already crimped to the pins. I bought 12 Euro style 12 position terminal blocks at a good price, and was hoping to use them because I like having all wiring terminate at blocks to facilitate troubleshooting/modifications. That said, I have a use for the 4 pin connectors if they are suitable for use as DC walk-around throttle ports. I have only seen 4 pin phone plugs/sockets available as mini (Sony headset type). Are they available "full size"? WHat about the 6 and 8 pin? In my work I hadn't run across these critters. Can you give me a manufacturer's name or link? Thanx, Mike
Hey Randy,
rrinker How many connections do you need? Phone jacks are available in 4, 6, and 8 pin connections. For a simple steady state like an LED signal driver, you can use cheap flat telephone wire as the cable, and use jacks for the termination.
How many connections do you need? Phone jacks are available in 4, 6, and 8 pin connections. For a simple steady state like an LED signal driver, you can use cheap flat telephone wire as the cable, and use jacks for the termination.
I will have at least 26 signals, and the circuit boards have 8 pin male SIP headers. I bought some prefab 8 pin female connectors with 12" of 26AWG wire already crimped to the pins. I bought 12 Euro style 12 position terminal blocks at a good price, and was hoping to use them because I like having all wiring terminate at blocks to facilitate troubleshooting/modifications. That said, I have a use for the 4 pin connectors if they are suitable for use as DC walk-around throttle ports. I have only seen 4 pin phone plugs/sockets available as mini (Sony headset type). Are they available "full size"? WHat about the 6 and 8 pin? In my work I hadn't run across these critters. Can you give me a manufacturer's name or link?
Kinda stinks your boards have 8 pin SIP connections. Most signal boards use 10 pin DIP connections, so you use them with 10 conductor ribbon cable - look at the Digitrax SE8C and their signal mast base kits, or RR-CirKits products - most everything he makes uses 10 pin ribbon cables to interconnect.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I have signals on several N scale T-Trak modules. I use 7 amp euro style barrier strips to connect the wires (20 AWG stranded) from the strips to the relay boards and I do splice a short piece of 20 AWG wire on the ends of the 32 AWG signal wires. I use flat 6 wire telephone wires to connect the signal controls from module to module which is 26 AWG. I do double or triple the end of the wire and solder it so the barrier strip will hold the wire in.
Hello Lion,
As always, I find your reply interesting, practical and economical.
BroadwayLion Forget the eurostrips, they are far too expensive anyway, LION has more that 500 conductors, each with two ends, so things like that are not going to happen. Here is solution of LION:
Forget the eurostrips, they are far too expensive anyway, LION has more that 500 conductors, each with two ends, so things like that are not going to happen.
Here is solution of LION:
Since I had already purchased the terminal blocks, that issue is moot. However, I am labeling all connections and wires, much like you have. Many years of having to troubleshoot broadcast systems has taught me the value of good docs.
I would have thought using 1920 vintage wiring would have been difficult. I had a 1940's era oscilloscope once, and all the insuation had cracked off the wiring! Obviously your wire is in better shape.
Hi Tom,
tstage Between the two I might lean toward Option B. Once soldered, you could then slide the insulation over the 26ga wire to 1) cover the soldered joint, and 2) provide a modicum of strain-relief at the joint. (Heat-shrink would work for that, as well.)
Between the two I might lean toward Option B. Once soldered, you could then slide the insulation over the 26ga wire to 1) cover the soldered joint, and 2) provide a modicum of strain-relief at the joint. (Heat-shrink would work for that, as well.)
After thinking about it, I think I would just as soon use AWG 20 and not introduce another failure point. As you can tell, I'm on the fence with this and it will take some time for me to decide.
Keeping track of all of these wires could not be eaiser. Just look them up by cable and pin number in the Operations Manual...
Speaking of cheap... These wires came from a 1920s vintage pipe organ, Six bundles of 11 conductors to a cable, and since I needed them in bundles of 10, it worked out perfectly. No plastic or rubber on these cables, just wax and string, paper and more wax and string, and more string paper and wax. How cool is that?
Between the two I might lean toward Option B. Once soldered, you could then slide the insulation over the 26ga wire to 1) cover the soldered joint, and 2) provide a modicum of strain-relief at the joint. (Heat-shrink would work for that, as well.) That said, I like Randy's suggestion.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I've used method A many times with no problems.
Folding the stripped ends back on themselves (as many times as is needed) and applying some solder sounds to me the easiest and most economical solution.
Wayne
I feel a bit silly asking this question as I feel I should know the answer (I spent over 45 years as an electronics tech/engineer). However, I have not come up with a suitable solution, so I thought I would ask you guys.
I will be installing signals on my layout using 26 AWG stranded wire between the circuit boards and Euro style terminal strips. I chose this wire size based on convenience (flexible, small size) circuit requirements (current less than 50 ma, usually less than 20 ma) and cost (less copper = less $$). However, as I get closer to implementing the build I am realizing this small AWG wire is not going to fit the Euro style terminal strips very well. The smallest size terminal strips I could find are rated at 3 amps and they can accomodate 20 AWG through 12 AWG wire.
The only solution I can come up with is to:
A) - triple or quadruple the stripped end of the wore and tin it so it will better fit the terminal blocks, or
B) - solder larger AWG wire to the ends of the smaller wire where the wires terminate at the terminal blocks.
Of course there also is the option of wiring everything with 20 AWG wire, but that is my last choice since I have already purchased the smaller wire and usaing 20 AWG wirte poses its own set of issues.
So, I was hoping someone out there has already faced this situation and has a brilliant solution! Thanx.