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Help with a D connector please

1772 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Gordon H
Hi All,

Can i run 12V DC for track power and accessories /16V on the same D connector my thought are to have 12V track power on two of the pins for a shuttle the same on another two pins for a seperate track and the same for 12V accesories /16V using 8 pins in total on one connector is this safe and possible


Any help would be appreciated.
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The rating of D Connectors varies considerably with price, quality, manufacturer and construction.
As has been mentioned, a typical connector you might obtain from a model show or shop is unlikely to have a sufficiently high current rating for DCC.
However, better quality types can be found, rated at 5A per pin if you can justify the cost.
Alternatively, you can use more than one pin for each connection to spread the current if that suits you instead (usually adjacent pins would be used for convenience). Even military equipment sometimes uses this technique to save having to use special mixed contact connectors with their even more horrendous price tags!

Heatshrink over each joint is definitely worth the effort to reduce the risk of shorts occurring should any strands come loose (which they shouldn't, but it can happen).
Most people shy away from using 50 way D connectors though, because they have three rows of pins and it can be difficult to access the middle row for maintenance should it become necessary.
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I wouldn't advise using ready made cables as suggested, because although the pins in the connectors themselves might be OK, the wires they are attached to are unlikely to be rated sufficiently for DCC use. Such cables are normally meant for low current applications such as printer connections. You may also find that not all the ways are wired through, even if the pins are there in the connectors. Buyer beware!
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