I am new to DCC and have a Zephyr. The layout isn't wired so I guess it makes it easier. What sizes of wire do I need?
If you have the need to reach more than about 8' away from the output terminals, you would be well advised to use a 14-16 gauge wire as a primary 'bus'. The heavy wire will keep voltage losses to a minimum as you run this bus to the extents of the bench that you feel you must. From that point, wherever you know you need power up to the rails, you would solder bared 22 gauge wire ends to the rail bottoms usually in a place where they can't be seen or photographed easily. The lower ends of these feeder wires would be wrapped around the heavier bus where you will have to bare the wire by paring back the insulation. You would also want to solder those wraps for insurance. The idea is to keep the heavier gauge bus long to help the voltage, and keep the thinner feeders short so that the power, mostly the amperage, doesn't heat them up too much (particularly during shorts!) and so that the voltage supplying the needed amperage stays as unimpeded as possible. I hope that all makes sense.
you can use 12 or 14 for the bus wire and then 22 or 24 to the rails. that is what I do. or you can use what ever you have on hand that is all your choice.
Use 14 gauge wire for the bus lines and 22 gauge wire for the feeders. I prefer to use solid copper wires for the bus lines and feeders.
Not at Radio Shack you won't. Go to Home Depot or Lowe's or an electrical supply house for the #14 or #16. RS for #22 though. If you go with solid wire, you may have to buy Romex #14 and strip the cover off. There is a cheap stripper tool that is good for doing that. You get a black wire, white wire and a bare wire. Since I do electrical work, I bought the tool many years ago. If you are good with tools, you might not need it. The tool is very good for stripping the sheath on Romex lengthwise. Utility knives can be potentially dangerous if you do not use them much. Remember, if someone tells you a certain operation is easy, they may be experienced in case of certain wiring operations. You experiences may vary. Attaching the #22 to #14 will be another challenge if you have not done this. Cool Tools: Gardner Bender Romex Cable Ripper For the loco decoder's order online for #30 colored wire, preferably the NMRA DCC colors. lex
I have some scotchlok connectors I purchased, and it says it goes from 16 to 22, would 16 be overkill???
If you need a lot of wire, or would like to use a wide variety of colors, a source to consider might be WesBellWireAndCable. I purchased several miles from them for DCC power installation on a large O-scale layout. No connection, just a satisfied customer.
You can even be creative. I got a GREAT deal on some 18gauge wire... so I use two strands for each side of my bus. I then made a short section of 18 gauge between the two and hooked my feeders to that where needed. I tested with a Rampmeter and all is well!
