someone must know the correct name for what I’m looking for.
I’d like something to cleanly tie multiple common connections to (e.g. DCC A and B). Something like in the image on the left/top below. I currently use a barrier strip (right/bottom image) with a solid copper wire tieing multiple terminals together.
what would they be called and any recomendations?
The single row ones are bus bars. You’ll find them if you also add “screw terminal” to the search, since there are many kinds of bus bars.
There are also single pieces for the barrier strips that go under all the screws on one side to make them into bus bars, so you don’t have to loop wire around each terminal. Although there is a handy way to take advantage of that - if you are feeding in one main wire and want to break out multiple connections, take the incoming wire and strip a LOT of it - then wrap that around the screws on down the line, so it serves double duty as the input wire and the bus connection tying all the terminals together.
–Randy
I got my terminal strips from All Electronics. At the bottom of the page you will see jumpers that can be used to connect adjacent sections into a bus arrangement.
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/category/755/terminal-strips/1.html
On my grandson’s layout I recall using some easy, but more pricey, two-polarity connection bus blocks, not sure, maybe from MTH.
The illustrations are (top) a screw terminal bus bar and (bottom) a barrier strip - so-called since there is a ‘wall’ between adjacent terminals. All barrier strips are terminal strips, but those without the raised separators aren’t barrier strips.
I cheat. I make my own terminal blocks (multiple rows of termini, each insulated from all others unless otherwise provided for) by drilling appropriately-spaced holes in thick plastic and installing studs - 8-32 machine screws. If several terminal studs are planned as a bus bar, the connection can be made on the back side of the plastic. I replace the mandatory washer with a drilled strip of sheet copper under the screwheads. On the front side, each stud is secured with a washer and nut, then individual wires (or loop connectors on wires) are wrapped around, separated by washers, and secured with a single nut on top of the pile. I have installed as many as five (#22 solid) wires on a single stud, but three or fewer is better.
The best part? For the price of one barrier strip and an hour with drill and screwdriver I can assemble a block with 40 or more terminal studs. For someone modeling on a tight budget (and using a control system that is wiring intensive) that is significant.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with electricals as bulletproof as I can make them)
I like the ones offered by Bill Moldovan at LEDSwitch.com
http://www.led-switch.com/terminal_blocks.htm
Scroll toward the bottom for the “shorting” buss-bar type. They’re pretty heavy (good for buss wiring) and his prices and service are excellent.
Good place to shop for LEDs, too.
Regards, Ed
There is another type of terminal strip jumper if you don’t feel like running the feed wire around all the terminals:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00UBWKRUU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00
They can be cut to length.
Ignore the price, its in $Cdn.
Make sure you get the right spacing for the blocks you are using.
Dave
I have about a dozen of these on my layout. Highly recommended.
i have a tight space. I’d like to mount it on the thin side of a 1x4. So i’m not interested in something with 2 rows.
it may be easiest to just drill tap a few 4-40 holes in a piece of aluminum.
I like the household outlet setup where you can push a 14 gauge wire into a slot on the back of the outlet as opposed to wrapping bare wire around a screw. I wonder if they have something like that for a terminal block.
Rich
Only if they are the screw clamp type - i HATE the ones that are push in only. There are others where you push the wire int he hole and then tighjten the screw on the side to clamp it in. I dunno, I guess I just don’t trust things that have automatic clamps that I can’t control… Be doing a lot of them again as, just like my old house 12 years ago, the outlets in this house are starting to fail, so I will replace them all. Plus all the new ones when I redo the basement to make way for the layout.
–Randy
They do…
http://www.idealind.com/prodDetail.do?prodId=in-sure&div=0&l1=push-in
I have used them for rewiring fluorescent ballasts and they’re great for solid wire. They say you can use them for stranded but I wouldn’t, it’s just not easy to push in a stranded wire unless its tinned.
I’m with Randy on those no-good push-in wiring devices. My house was wired with them and I had several fail. I get the commercial grade backwire devices that actually clamps the wire as you tighten the screw. Slightly more $ but well worth it, IMHO.
Ed
There are things to be said for push-in connections, and for things that nick the wire - but the mods wouldn’t like me if I used any of them here!
Maybe my aircraft maintenance background influences my thinking, but I seriously distrust anything that isn’t either a solder joint or securely anchored by a threaded fastener. On the other hand, my end-of-the-railway module was wired, my way, 40 years ago, and hasn’t had any electrical problems since…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Total cost, about a penny.
ROAR