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Wiring questions

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  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Charlotte, NC
  • 6,099 posts
Posted by Phoebe Vet on Monday, January 14, 2013 3:35 PM

tomikawaTT

Solder a heavier wire to the lamp lead, then connect it to the bus at a terminal board or something similar.  

My opinion about suitcase connectors is well-documented, so I won't repeat it here.

ALL of my electricals are connected to stud-and-nut terminals on terminal blocks adjacent to the control or device (actually, at both ends)  Clear labeling (and thorough documentation) will make life easier when it becomes necessary to troubleshoot or replace something that has failed.

Failures WILL happen.  Murphy is alive and well.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with electricals as bulletproof as I can make them)

I second that motion.

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: Pittsburgh Pa
  • 397 posts
Posted by dominic c on Monday, January 14, 2013 3:28 PM

you guys know your stuff 

thanks

  • Member since
    May 2006
  • From: N.E. Lancashire (off Jnt. 12, M65.
  • 215 posts
Posted by john.pickles87 on Monday, January 14, 2013 2:17 PM

Hi Joe,

As above soldering once mastered makes for better than mechanical fixing for continuity and easier fault finding

For street and building lighting I run 2 or 3 pairs of 2mm tracks of adhesive backed copper tape ½in apart between the lighting locations and solder resisters here and there so there's no uniform brightness in buildings. 

A low powered iron is a must with these fine wires.  I also have SPST switches between the pairs of tape and transformers, only a couple of suggestions.

Be in touch.

pick.

?
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
  • 12,914 posts
Posted by tomikawaTT on Monday, January 14, 2013 2:11 PM

Solder a heavier wire to the lamp lead, then connect it to the bus at a terminal board or something similar.  

My opinion about suitcase connectors is well-documented, so I won't repeat it here.

ALL of my electricals are connected to stud-and-nut terminals on terminal blocks adjacent to the control or device (actually, at both ends)  Clear labeling (and thorough documentation) will make life easier when it becomes necessary to troubleshoot or replace something that has failed.

Failures WILL happen.  Murphy is alive and well.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with electricals as bulletproof as I can make them)

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: North Dakota
  • 9,592 posts
Posted by BroadwayLion on Monday, January 14, 2013 2:09 PM

LION uses uninsulated buses, they are mounted on nails and go all around the layout. Him can solder anything to them anywhere he likes.

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

  • Member since
    September 2010
  • 547 posts
Posted by eaglescout on Monday, January 14, 2013 1:25 PM

Why not just solder them?

  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: Pittsburgh Pa
  • 397 posts
Wiring questions
Posted by dominic c on Monday, January 14, 2013 1:23 PM

I'm wiring lights on the layout. I'm using an 18 gauge bus. My problem is with the Walthers and miniatronics lights. They are so thin that I'm having problems splicing them to the bus.  I have the smallest tap splices I can find. They are 3m red 22/18 splicers. My only alternative is to connect larger wire to the light wire then splice to the bus. That will be time consuming. Is there a smaller tap splice out there or another way? Let me know

Joe C

Pittsburgh

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