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I am wiring up my layout before I get my Digitrax Super Chief Xtra and I needed your expertise on something.
I have a 12ga braided bus, and I'm planning on using 18ga feeders. Is this too much power? Is that even possible if it comes out of the 5a super chief booster?
I am running HO scale, I have loops on a 8'x13' square with the operation center in the middle of the loop, so at any point the absolute furthest the bus is away from the booster is 20' max.
I do have 20ga wire if the 18ga is too big, but I was planning on using the 20ga for accessories/turnouts, etc.
My Super Chief control box (DCS100) is in the middle of my "U" design layout. I came out of it with solid #12 wire, connected them to a wiring block* and then took a solid #12 wire right and left for the buss line. I used a #20 bell wire* to run the feeders - about every 5' of track.
* My wiring blocks were basically like a 'neutral bus bar' block in an electric panel
* The bell wire is two solid copper wires (one red, one white) in a brown insulated wrap
A bigger wire will not result in "too much" power. The amount of power out can never be greater than the power put in. I think it is overkill but that doesn't hurt anything, other than maybe making it harder to solder the feeds onto it.
Our club at one time had a couple of 10 gauge buses. My heavens those were a mess to work with. Thankfully they finally went the way of the dinosaur and replace with reasonable 14 ga wire.
Likewise the bigger the feeds the harder they can be to solder to the track and be more conspicuous to the eyes.
You have more metal than you need to run a secure and sound model railway. For most applications, a 25' run of 14 gauge wire suffices for the bus, and anywhere from 1-36" works for 22 gauge feeders. However, most people advising others about how to wire their layouts always say that if you have anything else handy (read "paid for and in hand), then by all means use it. Just don't go down a gauge thinner or you have to run shorter wires.
You have more metal than you need to run a secure and sound model railway. For most applications, a 25' run of 14 gauge wire suffices for the bus, and anywhere from 1-36" works for 22 gauge feeders. However, most people advising others about how to wire their layouts always say that if you have anything else handy (read "paid for and in hand), then by all means use it. Just don't go down a gauge thinner or you have to run shorter wires.
As you said, what you have on hand. I have 20ga and 18ga on hand (and color coded) At any point in my layout, I won't have anymore than a 22" feeder running from the bus, so that sounds like it will work.
On a side note:
Anyone have experience with European Terminal blocks? example
They seem to run at less cost to consumer than the regular terminal blocks.
You have more metal than you need to run a secure and sound model railway. For most applications, a 25' run of 14 gauge wire suffices for the bus, and anywhere from 1-36" works for 22 gauge feeders. However, most people advising others about how to wire their layouts always say that if you have anything else handy (read "paid for and in hand), then by all means use it. Just don't go down a gauge thinner or you have to run shorter wires.
I use the European Connectors on my layout and they have been performing very well. I use them for turnout motor power, track feeds and lighting.
Once nice feature is that you can cut them into smaller sections and avoid using the full terminal.
I installed one last month for a group of 22 gauge track feeders that I connected to a DCC bus feeder. This saved me a lot of time and wiring since the four or five track feeders were inserted into the bottom circular connector and the single bus feeder(s) into the top two circular connectors. In this case the track feeders "fed" a small yard and all the points where I solder the feeders to the rails were close.
I twisted the 22 gauge feeder wires together and soldered them before inserting them into the European Connector terminal(s).
I use "suitcase" connectors to attach feeders to the main busline.
Working for the phone company for 32 years I always considered standard "bell wire" as in Bell Telephone System wire, to be solid 24 awg. Although 26 awg and 22 awg were also commonly used.
