wiring

[jowalmer]

after I posted the thread on dcc turnout problems, i went on to read other threads and have a question.  After the intial train set purchase, I have added quite a bit of track and turn outs.  It is a dcc set up.  Is it necessary to have more than one connection point to the track?  If so, how is this accomplished via the easy command?

[jowalmer]

Though I speak English and Spanish, the language of bus is foreign to me.  Any chance you've got an address or link to the interpretation?

Thanks for the help.

[SvFiat]

Bus would be a terminal block connection. One large pair of wire in and many smaller pairs of wires out.

Have Fun

[jowalmer]

I'm getting it slowly.  Big in little out.  Where does the 'in' come from?  I assume the out goes to the track.  where does the easy command fit into the picture. do I need more than a bus, appropriate guage wiring, and the easy command?  if it is one bus with many feeders, how do i get 6 inch feeders to reach different parts of the track from one main bus?  I did some quick searches on the net and saw something about a booster.  What have i gotten myself into...

[pdlethbridge]

The bus wires are the main feeder wires for the whole layout. It goes from end to end and your power, dcc system is wired to it. Each of the smaller wires attach to it and the track and give the system better reliability. There are no blocks like in a regular layout, no gaps unless you have a reverse loop. ( a topic for another day ) The t represents the track, bus wire at bottom feeders in between.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
/               /                   /                    /                 /                 /                /                    /              /
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
This shows only one rail of a 2 rail system, both rails get wired to both bus wires.

[jowalmer]

I purchased one of the dcc sets with the easy commander.  it only has a 2 wire plug that goes from it to the track...so I am a liitle confused.  Please consider my responses below:

The bus wires are the main feeder wires for the whole layout.
Where do the wires come from that feed the bus?

It goes from end to end...
which end to which end?

and your power, dcc system is wired to it. 
Does the mean that the 2 wires that come from my commander that normally go to the track plug into the bus?

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
/               /                   /                    /                 /                 /                /                    /              /
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
This shows only one rail of a 2 rail system, both rails get wired to both bus wires. 
What is 'both wires?'

thanks for your response...just trying to learn.

[pdlethbridge]

The bus wires run under the track and are fed by the ez command

yes

[jowalmer]

Ok, I do have spots on the track that slow down...so let's see if I understand.

The ez command has a female jack type plug that says it goes to the track.  The harness that goes to the track has a male jack plug on one side and a flat connector that plugs to the track rerailer on the other side.  I should cut off the flat connector and plug those 2 wires to the bus.  from the bus, i then run pairs of wires to different parts of the track.  I already have a few rerailres that have the flat connector sockets.  I could just use them to plug to the track at the different locations throught the layout. 

I assume that I will have to pay special attention to polarity from the bus to the different track plugs.

Does this sound right?  Thanks.

[pdlethbridge]

your good to go

[jowalmer]

Thanks.

[SteamGene]

I should cut off the flat connector and plug those 2 wires to the bus.  from the bus, i then run pairs of wires to different parts of the track.

The buss is actually two wires.  You would connect the two wires of the buss to the wires that plug into the EZ-Command.  Then strip a bit of insulation off the buss wires and solder the feeder wires to them and then to the track.  Here, make sure the feeder connectors are far enough apart that they will not short each other out. 
Gene

[jowalmer]

Thought I had the idea pretty much understood until steamgene's comments.  sorry gene.

Anyway, Hunt, your last comment seems the easiest and cleanest for my 'on-carpet-for-now' layout.  As the ez command has short protection, from rerailer to rerailer, couldn't I just plug them in mementarily one way to see if it shorts? 

The layout consists of an inner oval 6' x 3.5' that switches to an outer oval that is 8.5' x 4.5'.  The outer oval has an inner passing lane that goes the width of the oval and an outer passing lane that goes the length of the oval; this lane actually starts from the width turning outside then curving parrell to the outside oval to then run the length of the outside oval.  Finally, from the outside passing lane, I made a line that is length-long to just hold cars. 

Question, my last entry from last nite above describes what I understood from the previous comments and it appears that my understanding is correct.  That being the case, I still don't understand how to have a centralized bus with feeders that are only 6 inches in length.  It seems to me that the bus would probably be on onside or the other of the track (underneath) and that feeders closest to the track would be shorter than feeders feeding the opposite side of the track.  with a 6X10 layout, that could equal feeders of a length of 3 X 5 if the bus was directly in the center of the layout.  Unless the bus is as long and in the same shape of the layout?  Thanks.

[JerryB]

Yes, the larger gauge bus wires are essentially the same length as and parallel to the track. The short feeders connect the bus wire to the track. This arrangement provides a power connection through the bus wire that does not have rail joiners or other possible high resistance connections and therefore provides more reliable power hookup to the track.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

[Yampa Bob]

As mentioned, the two wire bus runs around the layout, more or less mirroring the tracks, except the wires are under the table.  Main power connection should be at the center of the bus, not at one end.  Think "T" connection.  For example if the total bus run is 20 feet around the track, connecting the main power feed to the center of the bus divides it into two 10 foot bus lines. 10 feet is the maximum length of 14 AWG bus for a 5 amp (plan for expansion) circuit at an acceptable percentage of voltage drop.

The accepted standard for maximum percentage of voltage drop in a bus circuit is 2%.  If your current requirements are 3 amp maximum, then the 22 AWG feeders could be a maximum of 2 feet in length.  If you plan to later add a 5 amp booster, then the feeders would be a maximum 1 foot, with 6 inches for maximum safety.  14 AWG bus with 22AWG 6 inch feeders will work for most small layouts, larger layouts will require the bus to be 12 gauge or even larger.

If you wanted to run the bus down the middle of layout and feed both ways, in your case 4 foot feeder runs, you would have to use heavier feeders, 18 AWG lamp cord would suffice for a 5 amp circuit.

The following calculator will let you determine (1) planned bus wire size, (2) amperage, (3) length of bus (one way) , (4) actual voltage drop, (5) percentage of voltage drop. Experiment with different values in the boxes.  Note that the actual drop in volts will be the same regardless of applied voltage, but the important thing is percentage of voltage drop. Just keep the percentage of voltage drop at 2% or less.  Set the voltage box to 12VDC for calculations.

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

[jowalmer]

Ok, now I'm really getting it.  For some reason i was thinking a bus was like a terminal where you feed main power in with a bunch feeders coming off of it.

In essence, you've got heavy guage wire parralleling the track from underneath with lower guage feeders coming off of it soldered directly to the track. 

Wouldn't it be easier to just solder jumpers from each section of track from the top of the layout?  the rail line itself would be heavier guage than any bus wire, right?  how about soldering the metal rail joiners?