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Solderless bus connectors

2515 Views 13 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  dwb, 
upnick
Hi All,

If the thought of soldering bus wires togehter daunts you or you need to add a dropper wire at a later date if found a connector on another forum that may come in use.
The second connector in this link for a stockist of them.

http://tinyurl.com/5a6teb

How i managed to post two identical images i'm not sure

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poliss
I bought something very similar at Maplins.
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B
They are very similar to those used on mains busbars years ago, before crimping became the norm.
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80class
For the time and effort it takes, I don't understand why you would use things like that rather than solder? To add a dropper to my bus wires I simply part the rubber cover using wire strippers, wrap the dropper wire around the bus wire, apply solder and then allow the rubber wire cover to close the gap. Job done in less than a minute.

Rob
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B
What you have to remember is that some people cannot make a decent solder joint on the bench, let alone upside down under the baseboards.
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80class
I would have thought that with practice, anyone could do it. As long as the iron is in the right place, enough solder is used and enough heat present the joint will be sound. Try it a few times, you may make the odd dry joint or cook the odd wire initially, but you will get there in the end.

Another point, if soldering really isn't for you, why use those clips? Just stripping the wire and wrapping it round the bus wire a few times will create the same electrical contact if not better than small clips, and its free!

Rob
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upnick
QUOTE (80class @ 20 Nov 2008, 11:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>For the time and effort it takes, I don't understand why you would use things like that rather than solder? To add a dropper to my bus wires I simply part the rubber cover using wire strippers, wrap the dropper wire around the bus wire, apply solder and then allow the rubber wire cover to close the gap. Job done in less than a minute.

Rob

As Brian has said Rob not all modellers are adept at using an iron hence my posting, yes i use your above method adding a touch of flux to help the solder flow into the joint ....... and ensure the wires have heatshrink tubing applied to them afterwards the best way to protect any shorts ...... not leaving the insulation open its an accident waiting to happen ........ for the minimal cost it is worth the effort.

http://tinyurl.com/5p9gos
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L
Personally use connection blocks, wired under the boards evey metre. Blocks are pre-wired so that I have spare 'ports' for future connections. Might be time consuming when setting up but really quick and easy for the future.
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upnick
QUOTE (laney @ 20 Nov 2008, 12:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Personally use connection blocks, wired under the boards evey metre. Blocks are pre-wired so that I have spare 'ports' for future connections. Might be time consuming when setting up but really quick and easy for the future.

Hi Laney,

Welcome to the forum


Yes time consuming as you say but convienient especially if the iron is packed away .. with 12V/16V accesories lighting etc i have some blocks ready to put in.
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B
Sorry Rob, although do admit that generally most people, with enough practice can do most things, however, not everyone wants to.

A properly soldered joint has the most integrity, but a poor one is not as good as a decent one using mechanical means.

Most of us (myself included) could with enough practice build our own locomotives, but choose not to.

As an electrical engineer I'll refrain from commenting on simply wrapping wire around the bus (I spend enough of my time putting other peoples work right).
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zmil
I must admit

I really enjoy soldering , but I like to do it sitting down at the workbench , not crawling around under the layout
so the little connectors look like a neat idea once things are in place

The last small layout we had was hinged and I could fold it up against the wall and add wiring etc without crawling underneath.

Regards Zmil
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RAF96
That solves one end of the dropper wire connecting to the bus, but if you have to solder to the rails anyhow...
Rob
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B
Yes, but at least it's (usually) easier to get to & many people solder the dropper wires on before tracklaying.
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dwb
QUOTE Personally use connection blocks, wired under the boards evey metre. Blocks are pre-wired so that I have spare 'ports' for future connections. Might be time consuming when setting up but really quick and easy for the future.

I do the same with a slightly smaller spacing which matches the cross member location. The bus wires are daisy chained down one side and the droppers are fed into the other. Having connection blocks makes rewiring much easier and allows for experiments like creating ABC braking zones. The droppers are soldered to the underside of the rails but I can do that in a controlled environment on the bench.

I would use this method even if I wasn't crawling about the attic.

David
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