WIRE SIZE TO USE

Hi

Trevors advice is fine for a layout of the size you are building.... On the other hand if it was much larger I'd rate Brians recommendations as too light for best performance under all conditions.

Conversely those who you mentioned in passing recommended that light weight of wire you mentioned just do not know what they are talking about for either a DC or DCC layout - it is simply too fine and under any load at all you will have voltage drop if used for any length at all...!

Just to explain, the wire size isn't to handle high current, it is to guarantee no voltage drop under load.

My usual recommendation for a smaller layout is the same as 10 amp mains wire in copper diameter, same copper diameter as 15 amp mains wire for a medium layout and same copper as 20 amp for a larger one.

Generally stranded wire is easier for most to work with.

Practicality rules when it comes to having to solder wire to rail tidily - So smakker sizes are helpful - anyway, droppers can actually be quite small, providing they are short - if kept below 300mm then wire thats sold as "medium hookup wire" is about right.

Kind regards

Richard
DCCconcepts

Just to clear up a point..... (Sorry Expat) My web site recommends 1.5mm or better still 2.5mm wire for the main DCC bus on a medium to large layout.
Larger layouts would need a bigger gauge of bus wire, up to 4.0mm. However, then it's really time to start fitting power districts and boosters!

I recommend 16/02mm wire for connection between the main DCC bus wires and the track or to the dropper from the track.

7/02mm is recommended for most other applications such as lighting, point operation and indication circuits returning to any control panel etc.

QUOTE From the bus, there will be many connections between it and the running rails to ensure reliable data transfer into the rails and hence onto the loco's wheels and the decoders. I advocate a DCC bus being made of at least 1.5mm2 or better still 2.5mm2 wire as used in domestic wiring cables. I don't like flex for the bus, though this can be used if preferred, and may be especially useful on portable layouts!

QUOTE (Expat @ 10 Mar 2008, 12:03) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Upnick,

I bought a DCC Bus System from Express Models and the wire sizes are as follows :-

1. Main Bus Wire - 16 x 0.2mm stranded copper.
2. Track connection/dropper wire - 7 x 0.2mm stranded copper.

These wire sizes are the same as those recommended by Brian Lambert on his web site.

Trust this helps.

Expat.

I contacted Express Models a few months ago and enquired what size their DCC bus wire was. Their reply was its 30/025mm
Trevor, you may wish to recheck what you have been supplied with?

Email as recieved from Express Models..
QUOTE The power bus cable is 30 / 0.25mm. 21amp.
Outside diameter 3.3mm. Conductor cross section area 1.5mm squ. mm.

Kind regards

Rob
EXPRESS MODELS

Hi Expat
Appoligies not needed at all.
I just wanted to ensure both yourself and anyonelse reading the topic understood the actual item and to confirm the Bus wire gauge you were planning on using etc.
I hope BB know of this lunchtime surfing?

16/02mm is rated at 3.0amps and would be ideal for a 16v ac bus as I doubt if your 16v ac transformer is rated that high? It can also be used singly or doubled up to make a common return wire for everything that's non DCC operated. (Doubling up the 16/02mm if its needed, saves buying in lenghts of 24/02mm or 32/02mm specially)

7/02mm is a good choice for the indication circuits coming back to the panel.

All the best and take care

Brian