ess1uk Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Can I use 3 pair telephony cable to wire up my layout? Will it handle the current? Cheers. (have a few metres of off cuts to hand and wondered if any use?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted December 19, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 19, 2012 Can I use 3 pair telephony cable to wire up my layout? Will it handle the current? Cheers. Best not, telephone cable is VERY small cross section and would lead to voltage drop and poor performance. Andi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Ok. What would be the best wire gauge to use then? Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertW Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 It would be best to use 16/0.2 wire (http://www.maplin.co.uk/equipment-wire-16-0.2-6197) for the track feeds and 7/0.2 (http://www.maplin.co.uk/equipment-wire-7-0.2-6192) for the droppers. However the bigger the wire used ( the first figure of the ratings given indicates the size) the less voltage drop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Thank you very much. Want to get it right first time on the next phase instead of using whatever I have to hand as I have done previously. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixteen 12by 10s Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 telephone cable, not ideal, but i know of one very large O gauge layout that has been wired in it for some 30 years, without problems Gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
amdaley Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Ok. What would be the best wire gauge to use then? Cheers. What size & gauge is your layout ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
clecklewyke Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 The BT engineer who used to maintain my telecomms network wired his layout using "offcuts", using standard Krone insulation displacement connections and boxes. It was very neat and quick to do and very reliable. I have used ordinary telephone cable far less neatly but just as effectively. I don't think I've had any voltage drop issues. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokebox Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 It may just about be OK with an analogue layout but I wouldn't recommend it for a DCC layout where the current flowing, especially though a power bus, can be much greater. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 It is not ideal being solid conductor and small cross sectional area, but if you are used to using it and restrict its use to short runs (less than 2m) on low current circuits (less than 0.25A) you should not have too much trouble. I am quite amazed at how successfully it has been used by some modellers who have a ready source of it and know how to terminate it reliably! Wire is not expensive (compared to most modelling supplies), so it is well worth buying more suitable wire like the 24/02 or 16/02 flexible wire for general wiring and eliminate any potential problems before you start. If you have solenoid point motors think about larger wire sizes because the currents involved are very high (typically 4A or more) and the effect of losses in the wiring are much more significant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 What size & gauge is your layout ? OO gauge. Not that big at the moment but growing slowly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 The BT engineer who used to maintain my telecomms network wired his layout using "offcuts", using standard Krone insulation displacement connections and boxes. It was very neat and quick to do and very reliable. I have used ordinary telephone cable far less neatly but just as effectively. I don't think I've had any voltage drop issues. Never thought about the IDC blocks, bet it looked the business. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 It may just about be OK with an analogue layout but I wouldn't recommend it for a DCC layout where the current flowing, especially though a power bus, can be much greater. Yeah I did wonder about the current being drawn. Want to be able to convert to DCC so that's why I'm making sure I get it right first time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm81 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I've just bought flexible 16/0.2mm (though annoyingly Maplins didn't have brown) and am going to use some flat T+E (the sort you'd wire sockets with) for the feeds/DCC bus (when I convert). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 It is not ideal being solid conductor and small cross sectional area, but if you are used to using it and restrict its use to short runs (less than 2m) on low current circuits (less than 0.25A) you should not have too much trouble. I am quite amazed at how successfully it has been used by some modellers who have a ready source of it and know how to terminate it reliably! Wire is not expensive (compared to most modelling supplies), so it is well worth buying more suitable wire like the 24/02 or 16/02 flexible wire for general wiring and eliminate any potential problems before you start. If you have solenoid point motors think about larger wire sizes because the currents involved are very high (typically 4A or more) and the effect of losses in the wiring are much more significant. Thanks Suzie. I will drop by Maplins and pick up some bigger wire. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 I've just bought flexible 16/0.2mm (though annoyingly Maplins didn't have brown) and am going to use some flat T+E (the sort you'd wire sockets with) for the feeds/DCC bus (when I convert). I did wonder about T+E but thought it might be overkill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm81 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I did wonder about T+E but thought it might be overkill. I have a habit of overengineering things if I'm honest, but I'd rather do that than rewire it at a later date... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 When ever I have had to scrap a car, I have stripped it for spares to keep the replacement going. ( I rarely change my car, preferring to maintain it; I sometimes acquire a similar one just for spares). So in my garage loft I have a large plastic tray with many many coils of different coloured wire stashed away for possible use. A very cheap source of wire for layouts. As for Maplins, very expensive. Try Farnell or Google for other suppliers, you will save a fortune. Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted December 19, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 19, 2012 There are different weights of telephone wire which can cope with different currents. The exterior ones were rated at so much a mile from about 2lb up to around 10lb. A lot of these were vaseline filled and could be useful for an outdoor layout. However if is has aluminium wire forget it. Telephone wire is normally pair internal wire usually has a white pair to go with the coulur ones. By using both as a single wire you can double the capacity. Smaller sizes have the pairs as blue with white paired with white with blue, the same for orange green etc. Single cored wire is ok for fixed wires but subject them to flexing and you can have problems. However for DCC I would recommend going for thicker wire You can buy cables in 1.5mm, 1mm amd 0.75 sizes which are usuful for connecting up the buses to the command station or linking between boards. Because these come sheathed it keeps the two wites together with a tough outer. Use the 16/0.2 for droppers ( definitly not solid wire for droppers as the rail can move with expansion. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
amdaley Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 OO gauge. Not that big at the moment but growing slowly. A lot will depend on how long your cable runs will be.This should ultimately decide what wire to use. It is better to over engineer than under engineer. You'll find plenty of wire online here at Rapid. http://www.rapidonline.com/SearchResults.aspx?kw=equipment+wire&srb=0&dir=0&icl=1&cat=7047 There are plenty of DCC sites on line where you can get proper advise on the correct wire to use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 A lot will depend on how long your cable runs will be.This should ultimately decide what wire to use. It is better to over engineer than under engineer. You'll find plenty of wire online here at Rapid. http://www.rapidonline.com/SearchResults.aspx?kw=equipment+wire&srb=0&dir=0&icl=1&cat=7047 There are plenty of DCC sites on line where you can get proper advise on the correct wire to use. The longest runs will be no more than 2m as the shunting layout is only going to be max 2m long and the other bit is the oval anyway. Thanks again to you all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
amdaley Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 The longest runs will be no more than 2m as the shunting layout is only going to be max 2m long and the other bit is the oval anyway. Thanks again to you all. If you're only talking 2 mts long then 16/0.2 will do you fine for both bus & droppers wires. For a layout 2 mts long you wont need much wire so there is no point in scrimping on the quality. You will find coils of wire 10mts long on E bay. Just get yourself a few coils of this & you're away. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 Thanks again for all the help and advice. The real test begins after Xmas! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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