DCC wiring for portable layout

[21C123]

Hi all

 

I am in the planning stages of a new portable layout.

 

The layout will be continuous run, O gauge with 3 straight boards on the long sides and 3 curved boards at each end. I will be using my NCE 5 amp procab controller, probably used wired rather than the radio link.

 

The plan is to have the controller base station on one of the long sides, wiring in each direction but not connected at the ends.

 

I can think of two options for the power bus:

 

1. link each board with plugs and sockets, 

2. have a separate bus wire with plugs off it into each board.

 

I have two questions, is the separate bus wire a good idea ? To me it gets around relying on multiple plug and socket connections to supply power but does need splices in the cable to attach plug leads. 

 

What  sort of plug and socket type would be best for a portable layout ? I’m currently leaning toward the DC power type but have no experience here.

 

thanks for any suggestions 

 

Roger

 

 

 

[dasatcopthorne]

My Power Bus runs from end to end with joints using 3.5mm stereo jack plugs and sockets but the Empower idea is also good IMHO.

 

The Power Bus can be formed into a loop but NOT the control bus

 

Dave.

 

[Suzie]

If you use good quality connectors and good wiring then link the boards with plugs and sockets.

 

I would recommend the use of 'Speakon' connectors which are quite inexpensive and very good quality. You can get matching 2.5mm^2 speaker cable in 2-core and 4-core to make the jumper cables and underboard wiring. They are available in 4-pin and 2-pin variants so you can have your DCC track bus and an auxiliary supply as well.

 

I have used bothe methods and there is probably just as much work doing it either way, but the simple jumper cables between boards is a lot neater.

[jamesed]

I agree with Suzie, Speakon connectors are the gold standard and even better if you solder the bus wires into the connector.  For belt and braces, parallel up two poles on the 4-pin connector then if one contact gets dirty the other will hopefully still be fine. 

 

If you want something a bit cheaper but still practical for a portable layout then Greenbank lighting connectors are a reasonable second choice.

 

 

[bandmbill]

I have used XLR audio connectors - they come in 3 to 7 pin formats - very reliable and hard wearing but not cheap.

[Suzie]

4 hours ago, bandmbill said:

I have used XLR audio connectors - they come in 3 to 7 pin formats - very reliable and hard wearing but not cheap.

Speakon are cheaper, more rugged, and higher current than XLR - and fit in the same cutout. They are good for 40A so no real need to double up, but you can!

[melmerby]

Aviation Connectors (GX...) All metal bodies, very rugged.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/283585673998?hash=item420705fb0e:g:An0AAOSwmRBdWIJ7

 You can get other sizes as well. GX16, GX20

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by melmerby

[bandmbill]

7 minutes ago, Suzie said:

Speakon are cheaper, more rugged, and higher current than XLR - and fit in the same cutout. They are good for 40A so no real need to double up, but you can!

XLR are good for 5 amps - XLRs are pretty well indestructible for our uses - the ability to do up to 7 connections and by use of combinations to prevent wrong connections……

[Suzie]

There are lots of things to break on an XLR when used on a portable layout. I guess that some are good, the best 3-pin XLR is good for 15A, but you find that in use the retaining latch release levers come off (making it hard to disconnect the plug!) and sometimes the plastic insets come out of the sockets. You can't get very big wires in either the plugs or sockets.

 

Yes, XLR can be handy for DC where you need the extra pins, use thin wire, and don't need the high current - but are not ideal for your DCC bus when better alternatives are available.

 

The 'aviation' connectors are more suited for audio applications. You will normally find them used to plug in a microphone or headset. They are a bit better than a DIN plug but are not suitable for putting a lot of current through.

[WIMorrison]

7 hours ago, melmerby said:

Aviation Connectors (GX...) All metal bodies, very rugged.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/283585673998?hash=item420705fb0e:g:An0AAOSwmRBdWIJ7

 You can get other sizes as well. GX16, GX20

 

+1 on these - actually +8 as these are what I use between boards for power connections. e.g. track bus, and accessory bus.

 

I use these 25 way D Sub Breakout boards for logic and low power inter-board connections, You can get them in different sizes from 9 pin upwards.

[JimFin]

8 hours ago, melmerby said:

Aviation Connectors (GX...) All metal bodies, very rugged.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/283585673998?hash=item420705fb0e:g:An0AAOSwmRBdWIJ7

 You can get other sizes as well. GX16, GX20

 

Another vote for these. Doing great service on my layouts. Best prewired with a harness on the workbench, solder from the inner connectors outward and use shrink wrap over each wire.

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, Suzie said:

The 'aviation' connectors are more suited for audio applications. You will normally find them used to plug in a microphone or headset. They are a bit better than a DIN plug but are not suitable for putting a lot of current through.

Where did you get that from?

The GX12 are rated 5A continuous per pin.

The GX20 are rated up to 10A continuous per pin

250v rating.

Edited July 14, 2023 by melmerby

[Nigelcliffe]

There's a lot of over-kill in the connector specs being discussed for most portable layouts, even in O gauge.  

 

The system being discussed is 5A max,  so connectors rated to that are fine.  If there are breakers installed at the command station, then its the current the breakers permit which could be lower.   
Yes, there are some cheapo XLRs around where parts break, but something half-decent is "roadie proof" for music gigs, so will be fine for model railways.   

 

- Nigel

[21C123]

Thanks for the replies, I’ll see what’s available locally and maybe try a couple of these types. 
 

roger

[2E Sub Shed]

Speakon connectors are also available as 8 pole

 

https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nl8fc

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, 2E Sub Shed said:

Speakon connectors are also available as 8 pole

 

https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nl8fc

So are GX series connectors.

[dasatcopthorne]

15 hours ago, melmerby said:

Aviation Connectors (GX...) All metal bodies, very rugged.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/283585673998?hash=item420705fb0e:g:An0AAOSwmRBdWIJ7

 You can get other sizes as well. GX16, GX20

 

 

We've used those as well.

The advantage I find is that the 'socket' can be mounted in 3mm MDF or similar ans the plug screws in preventing any drop outs.

 

Dave

 

[brossard]

My 0 gauge layout is designed for transport and has been to 3 shows.  My first inter board connectors were cut off mains extension cords.  Cheap and easy but not ideal and I have nightmares about some unwitting soul trying to be helpful and plugging these into the mains.  Fine at home, no morons there, but in public?

 

So, I've been converting to automotive connectors.  I've got a mix of 2 and 4 pin.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/hz/mobile/mission?p=d4YZldru0%2By%2B4XMsQrb5ywaYtvcKUsfonmo4qb9an9Li0p%2F3UMU1BGqDY3B3FBhz4lARp8wFngkR3zRIVMss1VPXVWnassXmYWKLoqY%2FUYL%2F8ZAmQbSg9y0rzjB5D6367XUBqzq1ZpjNtNCFE8XWex7hNCZ%2FFTzdRj7As3PIiJDbbM6U4tnUPeYuogccu30sBBir13gMQLv4aFlNKNeAHQtUGAcEjeL5WNfIb%2FyAtcoSkxtMEnswrbFdfsBQxoBOCYmLoVb175XGZLcbW8paap6QYcvK5s%2FiMrk%2Ff9OX2xN7qdbZXP0diG5oye3TlifiYGIg2%2BKQsiy3oHyZajLuBsLj%2Bc%2F%2F1DiodpkD%2FEidRy7Z0fMSurjGhyqNagZ6wksyOuyEI%2Fp8yX63AXiWNvp%2FBvBVa%2B9mwi92ctepTb6QGEE%3D&ref_=nb_sb_ss_di_ci_mcx_mi_ci-mcx-ksf1_0&crid=2INESYITNGX6L

 

The 2 pin are pre-assembled but the 4 pin need assembly which is a pain.

 

John

[bandmbill]

9 hours ago, Suzie said:

There are lots of things to break on an XLR when used on a portable layout. I guess that some are good, the best 3-pin XLR is good for 15A, but you find that in use the retaining latch release levers come off (making it hard to disconnect the plug!) and sometimes the plastic insets come out of the sockets. You can't get very big wires in either the plugs or sockets.

 

Yes, XLR can be handy for DC where you need the extra pins, use thin wire, and don't need the high current - but are not ideal for your DCC bus when better alternatives are available.

 

The 'aviation' connectors are more suited for audio applications. You will normally find them used to plug in a microphone or headset. They are a bit better than a DIN plug but are not suitable for putting a lot of current through.

I use good quality XLRs - having used them in touring PA and lighting rigs the latches are good for a large number of operations - using them on an exhibition layout then they are probably being plugged in and out less than 20 times a year (testing prior to a show and setting up at the show) so they aren’t going to wear out.   DCC busses won’t be carrying a current anywhere near 5A unless you are operating G scale stock, if you are getting close to 5A then maybe that should be split onto two power districts - I am using 16 x 0.2mm wires and can fit those into 3, 4 and 5 pin XLRs.   

[Suzie]

I have experience of using all of the connectors mentioned so far so have real world experience. The only ones I could recommend without question are the Speakon. Cheap, easy to use (both plugging in and wiring) and extremely rugged. The matching 4-way 25mm^2 flexible speaker cable won't go in any of the other connectors.

 

Yes, you can get some good XLR connectors, I would recommend that you go for a known brand such as Neutrik to be sure of having something that does not fall apart. Can get 1.5mm wire in to the 3-pin connectors, the connectors with more pins have smaller pins. One nice feature of XLR is that pin 1 connects first which can be handy if you have a common wire.

 

Again, 'D' connectors can be very good if you go for a good make, but you might need to double up the wires for a DCC bus since it is hard to get wires bigger than 16/02 on the pins.

 

The GX plugs can break, the plugs have parts made from thin metal which can snap if the wires are not properly secured, and it can be hard to get suitably fat wires in especially when using the high number of pins versions.

 

I am glad that no one has mentioned DIN plugs...

 

For your track bus try and think beyond the normal DCC running current of 5A or 10A or whatever - you need to consider fault current and make sure that you have a low enough impedance so that any short is detected very quickly and any resulting spikes are properly dissipated around the layout. DCC is not DC, it is a very dynamic environment with much more power available for short periods of time that need to be considered. Some DCC decoders are very immune to voltage spikes, some might get corrupted and need to be reprogrammed, and some will let out magic smoke at the earliest opportunity. Don't be let down by connectors that are not designed for the type of environment that is a DCC model railway.

[jaym481]

A popular power bus choice these days for the modular crowd this side of the pond is Anderson Powerpole connectors https://powerwerx.com/anderson-powerpole-connectors-15amp-bonded

 

 

[bandmbill]

9 hours ago, Suzie said:

I have experience of using all of the connectors mentioned so far so have real world experience. The only ones I could recommend without question are the Speakon. Cheap, easy to use (both plugging in and wiring) and extremely rugged. The matching 4-way 25mm^2 flexible speaker cable won't go in any of the other connectors.

 

Yes, you can get some good XLR connectors, I would recommend that you go for a known brand such as Neutrik to be sure of having something that does not fall apart. Can get 1.5mm wire in to the 3-pin connectors, the connectors with more pins have smaller pins. One nice feature of XLR is that pin 1 connects first which can be handy if you have a common wire.

 

Again, 'D' connectors can be very good if you go for a good make, but you might need to double up the wires for a DCC bus since it is hard to get wires bigger than 16/02 on the pins.

 

The GX plugs can break, the plugs have parts made from thin metal which can snap if the wires are not properly secured, and it can be hard to get suitably fat wires in especially when using the high number of pins versions.

 

I am glad that no one has mentioned DIN plugs...

 

For your track bus try and think beyond the normal DCC running current of 5A or 10A or whatever - you need to consider fault current and make sure that you have a low enough impedance so that any short is detected very quickly and any resulting spikes are properly dissipated around the layout. DCC is not DC, it is a very dynamic environment with much more power available for short periods of time that need to be considered. Some DCC decoders are very immune to voltage spikes, some might get corrupted and need to be reprogrammed, and some will let out magic smoke at the earliest opportunity. Don't be let down by connectors that are not designed for the type of environment that is a DCC model railway.

You do need to test that short protection works on all parts of a layout - also use power districts each with protection set at appropriate levels……..

[meil]

Freemo (http://www.free-mo.org/standard/) uses Banana Plugs - so why not use those.

 

Suggest you treat each baseboard as a power district and connect each baseboard to the primary DCC bus via a District cut-out.

 

That way you protect each base board.

 

I don't see why you think that a portable layout should be any different to a non-portable layout.

Edited July 15, 2023 by meil

[melmerby]

10 hours ago, Suzie said:

The GX plugs can break, the plugs have parts made from thin metal which can snap if the wires are not properly secured, and it can be hard to get suitably fat wires in especially when using the high number of pins versions.

Why do you need suitably fat wires in multipole connectors at all?

 

You cannot get suitably fat wires, as you put it, into D connectors at all.

D plugs were not designed for any sort of current, as they were meant mainly for signals and are relatively fragile.

At work we used them a lot (amongst dozens of other multipole connectors) and broken pins were not uncommon.

Unless you use the top MIL spec ones with the screw clamp fitting (not the side screw fitting as on VGA monitors) they can be also bent by a sideways swipe.

 

 

 

 

[melmerby]

Here's the GX20 Innards, cheap Chinese ones and they look reasonably robust to me.

 

Takes a suitably fat cable as well, in this case 2mm drill goes in with room to spare: