DC Terminal block or bus bar

[LukeBarber]

I am building a clean & tidy electronics enclosure to house all the circuit boards and accessories. There are various components that require 5, 12, or 24 volts DC. So I am looking around for smaller DC rated terminal power for 18-26 gauge wire distribution blocks, with screw terminals and two rails power (for positive and ground) so I can screw-in my wires and run them from the blocks. The blocks would need to handle at least 10 power terminals positive and ground, up to 24 volts.

I've seen some stuff by ABB but the pricing seems too high.

Can anyone give me some advice, and / or have work with some nice blocks that do the job within reasonable price?

[zstripe]

I use these in link, 24-12 AWG. Radio Shack used to carry them also. There are also many others who have similar ones. I like them because You can cut them into different groups of two,four etc. There are mounting holes molded in, for that purpose. Can be cut with a razor saw very easily. You just strip about a 1/4 of wire stick it in the hole and tighten screw that is in the top hole.

http://www.alliedelec.com/altech-corp-he1wpr-12/70077187/?mkwid=saquBu4cD&pcrid=30980760979&gclid=CjwKEAjw5_vHBRCBtt2NqqCDjiESJABD5rCJOd2WxNMLxmrkH8k9F7ifr7P3cCf9DybJRatq46qJPBoCxX_w_wcB

If You would like to look on-line for some...type in European Terminal Barrier Strips.

Take Care! 

Frank

[mfm37]

You can purchase individual neutral/ground bus bars at the Big Box store or your local electrical supply house. These are the ones that are used in service panels like the one you have in your home. They come in a variety of sizes.

Here's an example:

https://www.superbreakers.net/ground-bars.html

[BigDaddy]

Terminal strips from China are pretty cheap on ebay.  You can wire your own jumpers so a 10 position strip has 5 positive and 5 negative positions.

Just curious what needs 24 volts for model railroading?

[rrinker]

 Old fashioned war surplus rotary relays for switch machines? They were big in the late 40's/early 50's as perhaps the ultimate switch motor, much less fiddly than the twin coil types and no pivot point to shear off under the constant back and forth snap action.

                           --Randy

 

[gmpullman]

Luke is talking about gripping 26 ga. wire. Any of the service-entrance rated neutral/grounding bars are not going to grab wire that small.

I dislike the "Eurostyle" barrier strips which have a similar construction where the screw shank mashes into the wire and makes a mess of the smaller gauge stranded wire.

The upper row here has a little tab inside to help prevent the screw from mangling the wire. The lower ones are the common "Eurostyle" and you can see how the screw engages the wire directly. Might be OK with solid wire maybe 24 ga. and over.

 

Lately I've been using these push-to-release clamp type terminals:

Two gang and three gang are common. Model Power makes a 12 gang. They're perfect for frog wiring since you can easily swap the rail A- or B- if you happen to have them reversed. Middle terminal can go to the frog. They will grip very fine wire, maybe down to 30 ga. Sometimes I fold the wire end over itself to help the gripping action.

You can find these on Ebay for a few cents each from Asia, or Amazon has them a little higher priced:

https://www.amazon.com/VIPMOON-Connectors-Electrical-Connector-Connecting/dp/B01JRDHVKM/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1493171110&sr=1-3&keywords=press+wire+terminals

The DIN rail type from ABB you linked to, Luke, are nice but keep in mind they do take up a lot of room. If you send me a PM with your address I can send you a bunch that I have salvaged from work. Some are brand new. They are made by Weidmüller. SAK 2.5mm.

http://www.weidmuller.com/us/products/connectivity/terminal-blocks/screw-connection---w-series

 

 

Good Luck, Ed

[SETH NEUMANN]

mfm37

You can purchase individual neutral/ground bus bars at the Big Box store or your local electrical supply house. These are the ones that are used in service panels like the one you have in your home. They come in a variety of sizes.

Here's an example:

https://www.superbreakers.net/ground-bars.html

 

these are more suitable for 14-10 Ga and I think theoriginal poster was looking for something smaller.  Model Railroad Control Systems offers 7 position bus bars at very competitive prices http://www.modelrailroadcontrolsystems.com/7-position-bus-bar/

 

RS used to make basing strips that covered their 8 position Jones blocks, but they seem to be liquidiating, at least here in Northern California.

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

BigDaddy

Terminal strips from China are pretty cheap on ebay.  You can wire your own jumpers so a 10 position strip has 5 positive and 5 negative positions.

Just curious what needs 24 volts for model railroading?

 

My DC layout uses 24 volts to power ice cube control relays that operate signals, redundant turnout contols, push button cab assignment controls, and more......

Sheldon

[RR_Mel]

You might give a look at LED-Switch, they have a good assortment of terminal blocks and bus bars as well as switches and LEDs.

 

http://www.led-switch.com/terminal_blocks.htm

 

I went with their bus bars and Euro connectors, I haven’t had a problem with the screws dinging the wires. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a separate bus bar for each voltage, 1½ volts, 4½ volts, 5 volts, 8½ volts, 12 volts DC and 18 volts AC for turnout motors.  I use seperate bus bars for DC and AC common/ground.

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[ROBERT PETRICK]

I just bought 12-position terminal strips on Amazon dot com. A five-pack was $7.99 no tax, free shipping. That works out to about $1.60 each. A lot cheaper than the big-box stores. Delivered to my front porch two days later.

Robert