More LED wiring advice needed

[BigCityFreight]

I need some advice  on the best way to wire several LED streetlights to a pair of bus wires from my power source. After my initial question, folks on the board here have convinced me that wiring in parallel is the way to go.

For my DCC track connections, I used bell wire running from the tracks to my 14 gauge bus wires connected via suitcase connectors and everything has worked great for years. I was considering a similar set up for the lights, but the leads from the LED streetlights are really, really small wire – like the thickness of a hair. I will need to add wire to the ends of the LED leads to get them either to the bus wires or a terminal strip.

Should I use my bell wire (which I have plenty of) to lengthen the LED leads, or should I use something smaller (larger gauge)? And would using a terminal strip be a better way to go than connecting via suitcase connectors, or does it really matter?

Also, when soldering really tiny wire, does it make it easier if you twist the end of the tiny wire around the larger one? The tiny wire is hard for me to even see, let alone solder!

[RR_Mel]

I use micro connectors so that I can easily remove my street lights.  When I’m working around a street light I remove it so it doesn’t get dinged or cause me to ding what I’m working on.

 

This shows a Walthers street light that plugs in.

 

 

I installed a male micro connector on the end of a brass tube on all of my streetlights and a female in a K&S brass tube to make them removable.

 

 

I soldered a pair of #28 gauge stranded wire 6” to 12” long to the brass base with a two pin micro connector that plugs into the streetlight feeder. 

 

The connector on the end of the wires isn’t really needed but I have a thing for micro connectors and use them on everything.  The micro connectors are super cheap off eBay when bought as 40 & 80 pin header strips, 2¢ per pin.

 

The link below is about the micro connectors.

 

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/2014/04/april-4-2014-micro-connectors.html

 

 

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.

 

 

[BroadwayLion]

LION uses Nails for binding posts. Terminal strips cost lots of money, and given my fingers, it is much easier to solder than to turn a screw.

This circuit panel controls six tortoise machines, the logic circuits for the machines, and track power to the terminal tracks and also blocks operation of the mainline No. 2 Track if the turnout is thrown against it. All interlocking signals are controled from the tortoise inputs.

You are talking about LEDs. Bell wire is far too stiff to really use neatly on a layout. LION prefers printer cables. Take an old parallel port printer cable, cut it open and you will heve either 25 of 50 conductors depending on how old the cable is. That is PURRFECT for all layout wiring other than the third rail. (Track power)

For longer runs the LION buys 25 pair cat 3 cable. Google that and you will find a vendor.

I have checked with many vendors of wire, and found it cheaper to buy cat-5 cable then to buy the wires separately.

 

ROAR

 

 

[RR_Mel]

Elias

 

You need to look into ribbon cable for multi conductor wiring.  I recently bought a 100’ roll of 16 conductor #28 zip for $18.85 delivered off eBay.  Great for signal wiring, single to 8 pair.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

[floridaflyer]

The wire you have would work. twisting the smaller wire would also help. As mentioned above other smaller wires are available   I would use terminal strips rather than have a bunch of connectors coming off your power bus, but either method would work.

[BigCityFreight]

floridaflyer

The wire you have would work. twisting the smaller wire would also help. As mentioned above other smaller wires are available   I would use terminal strips rather than have a bunch of connectors coming off your power bus, but either method would work.

 

And for a terminal strip -- do I need one for anode and different one for cathode? Does the power bus then get run separately to each strip, so one wire to the anode strip and one to the cathode strip? I haven't used a strip before.

[BigDaddy]

The terminal strips I used....imagine two parallel rows of 10 connections, are connected top top bottom not left to right.

If you want to have one incoming line (+) to the top, you can buy or make jumpers that connect top 1 to 2 to 3 and so forth all the way to the 10th.  All bottom rows will be powered the same (+). 

You can also divide up the jumpers and the inputs so (+) connects to Top 1, and jumpers thru to Top 5 and (-) connects to Top 10 and jumpers to Top 6. 5x5

 

[BroadwayLion]

RR_Mel

Elias You need to look into ribbon cable for multi conductor wiring. I recently bought a 100’ roll of 16 conductor #28 zip for $18.85 delivered off eBay. Great for signal wiring, single to 8 pair.

Seeing as LION has over 200 conductors running from his relay room out to the layout, him will stick with the 25 pair cat 3 cable.

 

Of course LION started with about 100 feet of organ cable, intended to connect the keyboard to the organ pipes. The man who bought the organ just cut the cables and left them behind.

This cable had six 'ropes' of 11 conductors each. All are white, and the insulation is made up of waxed strings. You could just push it aside with your fingers.

Wrapped in greased paper and bound in strings.

LION had to connect a 'rope' to the terminals in the relay room, and then had to be tested out on the railway end of the cable to connect the correct conductor.

Well what the heck, they were free.

One cable per manuel on the keyboard, eleven conductors per octive, one 'rope' with 12 conductors for the common.

ROAR