I will use No.14 then which will be color coded. That's a very nice picture. I have a DB150 and that same Magna Force power. I just bought the same terminal strip.
Based on the videos of your layout, #14 should be sufficient. Run #14 from the BDL168 outputs to near the track it will be monitoring, and then use multiple sets of smaller feeders to connect the track to this bus wire. #14 will be fine between the PM42 outputs and the BDL168 inputs.
Using ring or spade terminals will get a solid connection to the screws on the breakout boards with overtightening or having stray bits of wires hanging out to cause shorts. Rings require the screw to be removed to attach, but then even if the screw comes loose, the wire stays attached (although making a rather poor connection - but the wire won't come off and rub against somewhere it shouldn;t and burn something out). Like I said, I crimp mine on then solder them as well - they definetly are reliable that way. I use my high power soldering gun for that, heat the terminal and wire at the ring end, and feed solder in the back. Result, solidly attached terminals that won;t pull out like just crimped on ones sometimes can. You can get an idea of the neatness afforded by the terminals instead of just plain wire in this pic of my DB150's connections:
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thanks for the advice. What exact gauge do you recommend for the track power bus rail A and B? I ordered 24 gauge 4 color coded wires for easy reference of the DS 1-16 sections within the zones of the BDL168. All my zone wires whatever gauge you recommend, A and D will be color coded gray for easy reference.
#24 is fine for the power supplies for the PM42 and BDL168, and track feeder drops, but it is NOT sufficient for the track power buses.
That's what I thought! Thanks for the info. I rather speed this project up already and do as you mentioned.
alloboard Do I have to make spade connector wires suitable for 24 gauge wires? Won't I need a crimping tool to connect my wires to the spade connectors for terminal strips?
Do I have to make spade connector wires suitable for 24 gauge wires? Won't I need a crimping tool to connect my wires to the spade connectors for terminal strips?
LOL, I don't have RX4's yet. I'm using terminal strips to splice and share the power and ground cables for my two PM42's Instead of buying another 18V power supply. In the Digitrax manual it does not specify what gauge wires are needed. On page 9 of the Digitrax BDL168 manual it says: "For example, a 12AWG zone connection to the booster should be less than 10 feet for best performance." Remember that I'm using the breakout boards from LWH3. The LWH3 manuals for PM42 and BDL168 says that a 12 AWG to 26 AWG solid or stranded wire may be used. I've already ordered 24 gauge wires for this entire project. Did you take a look at my map and video's for reference?
Where are ther 24 guage wires? The wires from the RX4's should not be in any way cut, they should all be leading to the 10 pin connector that just plugs in to the BDL168, no additional connections needed.
To connect between your breakout board from the PM42 to the BDL168 for the track power, you want much more than #24 wire. To put spade or ring terminals on the wire, you will need a crimp tool, those are cheap. ANd you need the correct terminals to match the size ire youa re using - they insualted ones are color oded. The cromp tools typically come ith a small assortment of a couple of each type, and then you cna buy packs of just the size you need. I crimp AND solder mine.
I just looked at the diagram at the BDL168 manual. I now understand and will use that as an example. I thing I now how to use terminal strips now. Thanks for your help.
The RX4's need to go in a location relative to the BDL168 as diagrammed in the Digitrax manuals for them. They are very sensitive to stray currents so the directions must be followed precisely. There ar eno physical wire attachments to the RX4 - the cable plugs in to the BDL168 and the wire(s) from the BDL168 pass through the hole in the RD4 that will transpond those blocks.
8 position terminal strip.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103229&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032231
3 position terminal strip:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=18083106&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032231
8 position jumper:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103227
You can cut the jumper down for less positions. The half round slots go under the screws on onw side of the terminal strip.
According to my map, where would you suggest for me to put the Digitrax RX4's? I assume the turnouts? I have decided to use terminal strips to splice the ground (common) power, and the rail A and B wires, but I don't know how to correctly wire terminal strips that will splice one wire into two more wires "i.e. 6 position terminal strip for rail A and B, 3 position for ground, and 3 position for the ground (common) wire." Could you help me out please?
This is the link to my previous thread and the pictures and videos of my layout: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/209714.aspx?sort=ASC&pi314=1
As for now, everything in my layout is wires and working correctly.
Yes, thanks. I'll do better.
Good man, alloboard.
Hopefully, we can all work through this together.
Rich
Alton Junction
Yes I will try and do better. Now I see where I go wrong. I will provide a closure and keep you guys updated. I blame myself for my bad social skills, like they would tease me about it where I work, thus never too late to change that and prove them wrong. Trains, science,and technology are are among the few things in my life that makes me jubilant. I will provide more info for you guys within the next day or two on this forum and other threads one by one day by day.
alloboard I apologize for all the misunderstanding.
I apologize for all the misunderstanding.
alloboard, it's not a misunderstanding.
It is a lack of understanding...................
..........................on our part, about what you are trying to accomplish.
If you would take the time to describe your layout, perhaps provide a track plan, and describe in some detail the number of power districts that you plan, we could all provide more meaningful help and advice to you.
The problem with this thread and the other related threads that you have recently posted is that you have not followed up with us on our advice, our questions, our comments.
You take the correct approach in asking questions on this forum in the first place, but once a question has been posed, any interested members of the forum who take the time to read and follow your thread deserve to have some closure. These threads either end abruptly or fade away into oblivion without resolution.
Keep us informed as to your progress as a result of this thread and the other related threads.
I apologize for all the misunderstanding. I get the whole mechanism now. Thanks to the members of this forum.
Now I understand. Just wanted to cross check. When you mentioned mechanical ways of choice "including bus bars, terminal strips, wire nuts," That's when I got it. Thanks for your help anyway.
Phoebe Vet I tend to agree with you, Rich.
I tend to agree with you, Rich.
As I mentioned earlier in this thread, the OP is not making it any easier to help him with his infrequent and disingenuous replies.
There have been a lot of carefully considered and intelligent replies by other members that have been contributed on this thread, yet we get no sense that the OP is paying attention to, or acting upon, this advice.
How frustrating !
http://www.digitrax.com/static/apps/products/detection-signaling/bdl168/documents/BDL168.pdf
Page 18 has a diagram showing how to wire the BDL168 to a PM42
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Since I have an NCE wireless command station on my layout, I am unfamiliar with all of the circuitry that the OP is talking about. My only Digitrax circuitry, other than some Digitrax mobile decoders, is a series of Digitrax AR-1 auto-reversers on various sections of my layout.
The OP has never posted a layout diagram so, to my knowledge, we have no idea how large or small the layout actually is, what type of track configuration the OP has, how many power districts the layout is divided into, or to what extent, if any, the OP has basic wiring knowledge.
I have a hard time believing that any home layout requires the complex arrangement of circuitry that the OP is contemplating for his layout.
We probably would be better off not even replying to these threads because we seem to make no progress and we are probably putting the OP in jeopardy if he doesn't know what he is doing.
That said, is there anybody out there, with a clear understanding of the various Digitrax components that the OP is talking about, who can draw a clear diagram showing the OP how to wire these multiple components together so we can put this matter to rest?
mfm37 You need a wire connected to each rail A terminal of your PM42's and BDL168's and any other board that has a rail A connection. You will also need a wire connected to the Rail A terminal of your DB150. Now take all of the free ends of those wires , strip the insulation off of each one, twist the bare wires together. Now the tough part. Go and buy the biggest wire nut you can find in the hardware store and tighten it on the twisted wire ends. Repeat the above for Rail B wires. Repeat again for the Ground wires. BTW, it's alright to buy all three wire nuts at the same time to save the extra trips to the hardware store. That's it for me. Please don't burn your house down. Martin Myers
You need a wire connected to each rail A terminal of your PM42's and BDL168's and any other board that has a rail A connection. You will also need a wire connected to the Rail A terminal of your DB150. Now take all of the free ends of those wires , strip the insulation off of each one, twist the bare wires together. Now the tough part. Go and buy the biggest wire nut you can find in the hardware store and tighten it on the twisted wire ends. Repeat the above for Rail B wires. Repeat again for the Ground wires. BTW, it's alright to buy all three wire nuts at the same time to save the extra trips to the hardware store.
That's it for me. Please don't burn your house down.
Martin Myers
That is not true. The BDL168 input must be wired to the OUTPUT of the PM42. Detection circuits MUST be the last thing before the track connection. All power to the detection section of the track MUST go through the BDL168. Your description wires all devices in parallel.
I thought four would be enough for now, but I already need more.
I will.
In other words to break this paragraph into one simple word, is to get a terminal strip to splice the rail A and B comming out of a Digitrax DB150 booster into four Rail A and B wires for two BDL168's.
I believe,, someone is related, to someone else, we once knew!!
Cheers,
Frank