Large Scale Central

Advice on 12V DC distribution for lighting

Electronics Power and Sound
#21

One should be cognizant of the type of silicone products they employ. Most RTV silicones and many other types are ACID cured verses NEUTRAL cure. Acid cured silicones are NOT what your after for corrosion resistance! In general silicone rubber products don’t mix well with electronics IMO. Another consideration is Silicone rubber sealer/adhesives (most I suspect, less specialty products I assume) are NOT water vapor proof. Water vapor/moisture eventually permeates through them while liquid water will not. FYI; water vapor is required for silicone rubbers to set or dry. Once you open and or break into the moisture resistant enclosure the clock starts, use it or loose it!

Michael

#22

I’ve spent some time, bought various products, and have a path now.

I started trying to use something Rooster suggested as a possibility:

It turns out that the landscape wire I’m using is quite beefy and didn’t fit into the relatively small holes (the inner one is even smaller). So I abandoned that one.

I ended up using these twist on connectors that are handling up to 5 wires at a time. The main splice is in and I’m happy to say my patio lights still work :slight_smile:

Being generally worried about moisture and attendant problems, I ended up creating a bit of a French drain to make sure these didn’t sit in water any longer than necessary:

I’m happy to say I now have power to my mine (as well as other spots that are yet to be built in the Jasper area) and I’ll post a picture when I get the LED’s installed in a way that looks as natural as I can.

Thanks for all the advice!

#23

Ring connectors are great inside and where there is no moisture. So for John, in the arid desert, they might be fine outdoors.

But buried underground, or in moisture, ring terminals fail. Not only do you need to solder them (which kind of defeats the ease of use to crimp AND solder) but with stranded wire, the moisture can still wick up into the wire.

As David has found, the solution is liquid rubber or RTV to seal where the wire exits the jacket BUT here’s where ring terminals are still in a pain, it’s hard to seal them without getting the insulating goo on the “ring” part… it’s just so close to where the wire terminates.

Greg

#24

Jim, the first picture are the ones I suggested and should work on up to 12 gauge landscape wire… are you using something bigger?

Also the smaller hole is for just a lamp, which does not use 12 gauge, so it is probably better suited to your feeders to buildings.

So, what gauge wires are you using?

Greg

#25

Hey Greg:

I’m using 16 gauge twisted landscape wiring, the smallest I could find. If I strip the insulation away then they go into those connectors just fine, but I wasn’t able to shove the insulation in the holes (particularly the middle one, which I wanted to use as I made T junctions to go to relatively remote parts of my layout). Maybe I’m not finding the right landscape wire, but the stuff I’ve found has quite bulky insulation. I thought stripping the insulation away and leaving the wire semi-exposed kind of defeated the purpose.

These twisting connectors are full of goo to protect the joint. We’ll see how they work.

#26

Jim,

You need to strip the insulation away before inserting into any of the connectors?

#27

The connectors you used will be just fine though as you are only lighting up LEDS …actually its way overkill on the wiring for it’s purpose but considering the climate those connections will certainly out live us all. I thought you were looking for ease of disconnect. Choice and connections look fine to me.

#28

Actually, the connectors say to not strip the insulation.

I am still planning on using the quick connect for each building. Have them in hand. next step for sure.

#29

Not final yet, but first pictures of lighting in the mine entrance:

And here’s a view from back a bit to give you context. The mountain will be built up a bit more above the mine opening (had to get the lighting going first!).

Cheers!

#30

Strange, they are supposed to be made for up to 12 gauge…

Even the package you showed says for landscape wire up to 12 gauge… hmm…

The outer 2 holes should take wire, not stripped, with an insulation diameter of 0.21 inches… is your wire larger than that? The gray rubber is supposed to give when you put the wire in there. There is no stripping involved. You push the insulated wires in until you see them in the clear plastic on the other side.

I have 10 gauge wire that would fit… so I’m looking at your picture and the size looks right, and your 12 gauge must be thinner than my 10 gauge.

Something just does not make sense…

Greg

#31

Jim Rowson said:

Actually, the connectors say to not strip the insulation.

Jim

I apologize as you are correct on that type of connector that Greg recommended ! Perhaps you may want to edit your post for Greg’s recommendation not mine…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

It’s all good… following along and really looking forward to more pics…love the mine …nice work!

#32

I think I’ll stop claiming who told me what, as I suspect I’m always wrong :-(.

Meanwhile, the collective knowledge is super helpful. Thanks all!

I can’t wait to get some more of my buildings lit up (there’s only 4, how hard can it be? He says, tempting fate…)

#33

Personally I like the solar powered lights that solar lightI get from Wal-Mart, turn themselves on alisa ond off, cheap @ $.98 and very adaptableB of B solar panel on at night

#34

Sorry to be bugging you Jim, I was going to buy some of those connectors, but if they don’t take 0.21" diameter insulation, then I can’t use them… this is why I keep asking what the outer dimension of your wire was…

Glad you found a solution.

Greg

#35

Greg:

Sorry, I didn’t realize (probably in my hasty reading) that you wanted me to measure. I’m happy to do that. Right now I’m not thinking I’m going to use those connectors. You want them? You pay shipping and they are yours :slight_smile:

I’ll measure and get back to you shortly (at work now).

#36

Sure, send by USPS flat rate box… how many did you get? … again not wanting to bug you but sure seemed to be the ticket… so surprised your wire would not go in.

Greg

#37

Greg:

Using my handy dandy digital scale, the outside dimension for a single strand of the insulated 16 gauge wire I’m using is 0.16". The inside dimension of the larger hole is 0.11" and the smaller hole is 0.09".

It is very possible that one can force the wires through these things. I couldn’t do it with my bare fingers. Possibly I was being too gentle. My dad always used to drill into me that “it’s not a muscle tester!” (imagine that being said with the proper scorn and volume). So I’m perfectly willing to believe these can work for you.

PM me your address and I’ll send my bag of 25 connectors by USPS flat rate box. I’d rather they have a loving home than gather dust in my garage. (edited to correct mangled english)

#38

Jim Rowson said:

Greg:

Using my handy dandy digital scale, the outside dimension for a single strand of the insulated 16 gauge wire I’m using is 0.16". The inside dimension of the larger hole is 0.11" and the smaller hole is 0.09".

It is very possible that one can force the wires through these things. I couldn’t do it with my bare fingers. Possibly I was being too gentle. My dad always used to drill into me that “it’s not a muscle tester!” (imagine that being said with the proper scorn and volume). So I’m perfectly willing to believe these can work for you.

PM me your address and I’ll send my bag of 25 connectors by USPS flat rate box. I’d rather they having a loving home than gather dust in my garage.

Rooster ships tradesman hands to Greg and Jim in a small USPS box. Jim you have the tradesman hands you just don’t know it yet.

#39

YES! I now understand!

The gray part is a rubber gasket, designed to seal around the insulation and you are supposed to push the wire in and the opening will expand. The larger ports will take 0.21" diameter wire (still insulated) (This is in the data sheet)

I think the extra effort necessary is because this is the part of the design that keeps dirt out… even though you have the gel inside to protect from corrosion/oxidation, you need a physical barrier to stop the soil from coming in, remember this are designed to be buried.

I’d love to have them, but I would feel guilty if you did not try pushing the wire in once… It’s a great deal for me and I will certainly take it when you are sure you don’t want to keep them.

Thanks for the explanation, it all finally makes sense.

Greg

#40

Greg:

I’ve got my approach and like it better than these (I can join more than 3 wires at a time for example), so don’t feel like you are taking advantage of me.

PM me your address an let’s get these connectors a good home.

Cheers!