Common return circuitry on DC layout

[GreenDiesel001]

Hi.

 

As a result of input from contributors I have managed to clean up the return side of my wiring with a single wire from the controllers and connecting all my return wire droppers to it.

 

I have some 17 DPDT switches which will be connected to about 50 droppers on the feed side.

 

I am in a quandray and I would welcome suggestions as to how I can tidy up the wiring on the feed side please?

 

At the moment all my feed wires return to junction blocks on my control panel and then to the switches. This means I have wires that are up to 10 feet long dangling beneath the layout.

 

Thanks in anticipation,

 

Jeff

[HLT 0109]

There are probably as many ideas for this as there are members of this forum but here is what I do. Ideally, one would run the wires neatly in groups as if in trunking so that they look tidy but my wiring for lights etc is being done piecemeal and each wire usually takes the shortest route and actually looks rather messy. Like you, I have many long wires and neede a way to "hang them". I tried sticky tape on the wood frame of the baseboard but, in summer, the heat caused it to become unstuck. Instead, I have put a length of electrician's tape round each wire (or group of wires) so that it forms a tag, with the sticky side stuck to itself, and then fastened the tag to the baseboard with a drawing pin. I have found this works very well - but it still looks messy.

[woodbine]

These are quite neat, can be got in different sizes, used inside computer cases:-

 

My link

[kevinlms]

Hi.

 

As a result of input from contributors I have managed to clean up the return side of my wiring with a single wire from the controllers and connecting all my return wire droppers to it.

 

I have some 17 DPDT switches which will be connected to about 50 droppers on the feed side.

 

I am in a quandray and I would welcome suggestions as to how I can tidy up the wiring on the feed side please?

 

At the moment all my feed wires return to junction blocks on my control panel and then to the switches. This means I have wires that are up to 10 feet long dangling beneath the layout.

 

Thanks in anticipation,

 

Jeff

 

What I have tried with reasonable success, is to staple cable ties to the underneath (assuming you use timber or some suitable material of course).

They can then be loosely looped so any wires can be feed through, thereby being kept roughly in place.

 

When and if, you get the wiring sorted out and are happy with it, the ties can be tightened more firmly (never tight) and trimmed up neatly. If ever you need to change the wiring, repeat the process, putting new ones in place before cutting the old ones off.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Kevin Martin

[Kenton]

Simple cable ties from Maplins and many others - self adhesive pads seem to work well on stained wood - but use "no-more-nails" to make them permanently fixed.

 

sorry about the poor fuzzy image

 

Tidy wiring (colour coded) and a wiring diagram is essential for any layout so that fault finding and testing can be done logically and quickly.