HO - DCC I am collecting all the information I can on wiring the Tortoises (about 12 of them) to the switch panels. RS has the so called heavy duty DPDT switches (10A) I think with the large padels on them that I like. They are also cheaper than the micro DPDT. Are these ok to use on the switch panels to control the Tortoises? Also what is the heaviest wire I can run from the toggles to the Tortoises? I like using the heavest wire I can use.
Can I also run a Bus from the DC Power pac to each switch panel and then have feeders off that to power each toggle? and what size wire should I use for the bus and what size feeder wires?
Hope I am not boring anyone! I am sure this question has been asked many times!
Thanks for your help! DON (River Rat Juction RR)
Hi Don,
First, go to www.allectronics.com to buy the mini toggles. You won’t be happy with the ones with the large flat padels you’re talking about because they will be bumped and will break. The mini toggles work great and are really inexpensive if you go to the link I’ve provided.
Now, to answer your questions about wiring to a panel…I think it will take me all night to explain in words. If you’d like, you can email me and I’ll be glad to reply with my phone number. I’m retired and having been a teacher in the past, you will find it much easier for me to explain verbally while you write down a diagram of exactly what you need to do. My layout has been wired for over 2 years and works perfectly. I also wired red and green LED’s into the panel so that when a turnout is thrown off the mainline, the red LED provides that indication. When thrown back to the main, the greed LED is indicated.
Anyway, don’t hesitate to call on me. I got most of my instruction from the kind gentleman who owns the company that makes Tortoise machines. He spent around an hour on the phone with me one day and I learned all I needed to both wire the Tortoises and LED’s but also DC wiring.
10 amps is overkill.
Your engines use an .5a average. 3 amp toggle switches will do the job. How many engines will be pulling how many amperes at one time? Tortoise and stall motor’s use a tiny fraction of that.
I like the idea of a buss for accessories - say 16 - 18 guage with 24 guage feeder’s is more than enough. What really pulls the power today is ILLUMINATION. lighting of buildings. My dimly lit 15 stall Roundhouse pulls 5 amps.
DCC recommend’s 12 - 14 guage buss’ to offset possible PCM signal loss and voltage reduction over distances. Even then, the feeder’s can be 20 guage.
Thanks for the help Mondo. Look forward to chatting with you!
DON