I’d be interested to know what exact kinds of problems you’ve had with suitcase connectors. After having viewed discussions on this subject on several other threads, I’m strongly considering using them for my bus/feeder connections when I do my layout. I know one argument against them is at least a theoretical concern over connection failure at a higher rate than soldered connections over time, but as I plan on soldering every section of flextrack, this would be less of a concern to me. It seems to me the advantages of avoiding cumbersome positioning when trying to solder underneath the layout(as in getting burned!) would outweight this concern.
Over the years ive broken a few of these apart during fault finding expiditions. Im not talking model railroads here but rather atuomotive where 12 volt and similar currents are used. Alot of These faults have been attributed to people fitting the scotchlock conector, either fitting a stereo, alarm, extra lights, etc etc.
These ‘handy’ little devices are ok when they are new but over time ive found that an oxide coating from the atmosphere builds up on the small slotted blade inside and forms a white non conductive powdery surface. On throwing the thing in the nettles, and hard wiriing this normaly sorts any problems.
These things are ok for a quick fix or temporary job but i wouldnt rely on them long term, their abit of a bodge IMO.
This discussion appears every few months on the forum.
I’ll not use IDCs because over time they can become problematic - I’ve seen it on other non-model railroading applications. But some rather prominent and well-respected members of the forum (like Joe Fugate) use them extendively and have not had a problem.
On the other hand, many claim that feeders on every (or nearly every) section of track are required because rail joiners begin having problems with conductivity (unless they’re soldered) over time. I’ve never had that happen over years and years of use.
Who is right? All of us. I do what works for me; others do what works for them. Maybe not real helpful, but certainly true.
Can’t speak for Jeffery, but these are the problems (in addition to faulty installation and high-humidity corrosion) that I’ve encountered:
failure due to vibration. One club I belonged to was (too) close to both a heavily traveled interstate and a main line railroad. More than a few suitcase connectors popped off after several months of virtually constant quivering.
Induced failure of the (solid) “bus” wire, caused by the nick put into it by the connector plus vibration and movement.
Note that I said that my wiring runs from rail (soldered from above track level) to terminal strips adjacent to, and readily accessible from, the aisleways. I do my connecting while seated in a chair, with the work at diaphragm level. Since I snag hanging wires (fed down from the top) with a miniature boat hook, there’s never a reason to have to try to solder, suitcase fasten or otherwise mess with wiring from under the table, or even to get more than one arm under the table. (The same does not hold true for securing joists to L girders, or risers to joists and/or roadbed - but that is an entirely different can of worms.)
To answer the other obvious question, I install both manual throws and switch mach
Here is what I’ll say about all this, but then leave it to everyone to have their own opinion.
If they are falling off due to vibration, they were never on right in the first place. If the wire is breaking they are either getting handled an awful lot, weren’t the right connector for the wire (or vice-versa), or again, they were not installed correctly. The corrosion thing I might buy in a really bad environment.
But here is the thing. Every ethernet cable, ribbon cable, phone cable (in the last 20 years, anyway), etc., etc. is an IDC. They work the same way. Little forks displace the insulation and grap the wire. They don’t fail, at least not on a regular basis, if the right wire is used with the right connector. (Joe Fugate even gets away with the wrong wire, by using a little extra care.
Obviously, I haven’t seen the failures referred to here, and I am NOT questioning the accuracy of the statements, but my money is on over 90% of the failures tracing back to faulty installation in the first place. If you take care, and do it right (it is a two step process, the metal with the forks crimped into place and then the suitcase closed, I’ll bet the ones that fall apart are done in one operation, or are not fully seated to begin with), they should last in any normal model railroad environment, the only exception possibly being a highly corrosive (say near salt water) one.
I looked at these type connectors at Walmart today( I think they were called “Tap Loc”.) They were about $5.40 for a package of 6.
So that’s 90cents a piece, but if you can put 4 wires in one of them, that figures out to 22.5 cents for each use. Not bad if you want to move them later on, plus if they don’t come apart during use, lots of headaches saved from not having to crawl under a layout, plus no soldering or desoldering.
Sometimes quality costs a little more.
By the way, they were located in the automotive dept with the electrical stuff.