I need to extend the green cable that run from the turnout to the switch. Wich cable should I use?
Bachmann makes a ten-foot extension cable for this purpose, but if you have a lot of switches, you may want to what I do.
Cut your three-wire (green) cable in two. Separate the three wires for about three inches back from where you cut.
Strip the insulation from the last half-inch or so from each wire. Be very careful doing this, as the wire strands inside are quite fine and delicate.
Plug your switch controller in as usual. Now would be the time to mount it on your control panel. There is no place to mount these with screws, so I mounted mine with double-sided mounting tape.
Extend your cable using individual wires. You can solder the connections and protect them with shrink tubing, or use Radio Shack Barrier Strips or their equivalent. You can get these in several sizes. On my railroad, I attached Radio Shack telephone-style forked wire terminals for each connection. They will give a better connection than just curling the bare wires around the screws. These barrier strips have holes for mounting to the benchwork of your railroad.
On the three-wire cable, the outer two wires control the direction the switch throws. The center wire is a common return. If the switch throws opposite the way you want it to (in relation to the controller position), unplug the three-wire flat plug and turn it over.
Les
Bachmann sells green cables that run 10 ft. Or you can cut off the black tips, add the needed distance of wire, and you're done. Since I don't use that style turnout (all DCC for me) I'm going to GUESS and say 18 or22 gauge wire MIGHT do the trick.
Hope this helps.
VidGuy069
nactrain-
I have extended every turnout with cat5 cable as used with your computer. I have several laying around ( from old computers). Cut the end off of your cable but leave about six inches or more. solder and shrink wrap to the length you need.
Jerry
Thanks to all, I will try cutting the cables because the 10 ft extension is to long.
But I do not wich gauge I should buy. I guess 22 as VidGuy069 say. Do you know Jerry if cat5 is similar to 22 gauge wire?
It's either 22 or 24 gauge. I run 15 turnouts with no problems and all needed to be lengthened.
Jerry
Nac-
If you offset the junctions 1"-1.5" you can use just one piece of heat shrink
tubing to insulate your extensions. I always make a strong physical connection
with the wires and then solder for a functional and durable splice.
-- D