Installation question. I want to run #18awg from the PSfour to a terminal block Then out to the layout with #12 awg. #18 run about 6 to 10" same with the PSrev is this OK?
ALSO soldering to these units anything special other than tin and touch with a 25 watt?
Take Care
Should be fine, the short runs of #18 won’t hurt anything. Soldering is the same as anything else - key is not to linger too long on the circuit board or it will delaminate the trace from the backing. Not too likely with a 25 watt iron, you should be able to get a solid connection quickly. Trim the excess wire after soldering, the joint should look like a shiny little tent around the full circle of the hole in the board. If there are even any through-hole components ont he board, look at one of those joints for an example.
–Randy
Thanks as always Randy
I recently mounted a PS4 and PS Rev in a similar fashion. On the PS4 though I used Radio Shack 2 position PC board terminals (part number 276-1388) and soldered them to the PS4. I couldn’t do it to the PS Rev because the holes ae too far apart. Here’s a picture of them mounted to the back on my control panel.
If you need any more, you can get the same terminals from Mouser, about half the price of the ones at Radio Shack. For a small quantity it’s just as easy to go to RS, but if you need any quantity it’s more economical to use Mouser. I use the same type of terminals on the back of my control panels since the feeds to the Tortoises are just small gauge wire. Empire Northern sells Tortoises with these terminals already installed - I dunno hw that works, if he drills new holes or if Circuitron makes them that way, since a ‘normal’ Tortoise has the holes staggared so they won;t work with those type of terminals.
When I get to that point I will probably just use short wires to barrier strip terminals for the input and track power, but load up the ‘jumper’ conenctions with the small screw terminals to connect the remote LED and manual reset switches.
–Randy