I'm just starting out with Tortoises, never used them before. I read that each machine only draws about .1 A when active and even less when stalled. I found some old scraps of Cat5 cable out in the garage. I think the gauge is 24 on each wire.
Is that wire large enough for this application?
I'm actually just planning to use it for a short distance between the machine and a terminal block.
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That should work. You will get some voltage drop over longer distances. By the way, the internal resistance of a Tortoise machine is about 600 Ohms so you can use bi-color two-lead diodes in series with the machine as panel indicators.
Thanks Matt, that's just the reassurance I was looking for. Once I get to the terminal block, I will use some heavier wire to cover the distance. Just using this quick and dirty to get out from under the benchwork to where I can sit down and reach them easily.
I might go with the LED's, but for starters I'll be happy to be able to throw some switches, something I haven't been able to do for the first 10 years of my layout's existence. This is starting to get exciting again.
I have multiple Tortoise switch machines on my layout used with Ross Custom switches. I found 22 gauge stranded wire perfect for wiring the tortoise machines, the double pole-double throw toggles and the bi-color Leds. If you follow the diagram that comes with the Tortoise you will become an expert in no time. The bi-color Leds look and work great on the control panel and let you know instantly what position the switch is in.
I don't even use LEDS, the position of the toggle handle indicates the position of the switch on my simplistic schematic--"out", or "thru" on the mainline. Tortoise powered by 12VDC wall wart. Wire runs are #18 gauge but 22/24 is adequate.
Thanks turbgine. Here's the rest of the story: any control panel(s) I put in will be temporary. The ultimate goal is to use CMRI and JMRI to control switches, signals and do detection. The first machines I'm going to install are in the hidden yard. Those are the ones that need LED indication the most, because they are hard to see. For that application single color route indication might be less confusing.
Dewey, that's what I'm going to start out with. There are just 4 switches making it a 5 track yard, so it's not that complicated. But it is a compound ladder, and would be nice to see at a glance which track it was aligned for. I might have to use the Tortoise contacts for that.
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