Connecting Tomix Points - plug type

[The_Ghan]

Hi Folks,

 

I'm wondering if anyone knows what type of plug is used on the Tomix points and where I can buy them.  The reason I'm asking is that I'd rather not chop off the plugs to wire in the points.  I'd prefer to connect a plug to my DCC wiring so that I can just plug points in easily.

 

To be clear: I have the points and know what the plugs look like.  I just don't know where to buy matching plugs.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

if you can't find out, alternative is to buy the extender cable and re wire to go to the digi trax plug

[The_Ghan]

Keitaro,

 

I wouldn't do that.  The ones supplied by Tomix are sealed and can't be pulled apart easily.  I'm looking for the crimp version, which I'm pretty sure there is one.  It is possibly one of the JST or Molex range ... but I can't find it in both catalogs.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[brill27mcb]

Yes, this would be nice to know. The Kato users have figured out they can use Tamiya mini-plugs from RC cars as a source. Hopefully someone can figure out a source for the various Tomix plugs and receptacles so people can improvise connections.

 

Rich K.

[CaptOblivious]

I've found that standard 0.1" pin headers (check yer local electronics store) fit the Tomix plugs perfectly, allowing you to cheaply, if not easily, make your own cables. You have to be careful, though, as most female headers are too bulky to fit into the Tomix male sockets on the backs of throttles. The Tomix plugs are a proprietary design as near as I can tell, and your only other choice is to hack up extension cables as Keitaro suggested. I promise you it is not a Molex design, and is most likely not a JST design either.

[keiman]

I chopped the plugs off the end of mine - smaller hole in baseboard for the wires to go thro.

Not fitted the decoders yet- will be under baseboard, hopefully one of this weeks to do list, will be going straight to my underboard DCC bus.

[The_Ghan]

I've found that standard 0.1" pin headers (check yer local electronics store) fit the Tomix plugs perfectly, allowing you to cheaply, if not easily, make your own cables. You have to be careful, though, as most female headers are too bulky to fit into the Tomix male sockets on the backs of throttles. The Tomix plugs are a proprietary design as near as I can tell, and your only other choice is to hack up extension cables as Keitaro suggested. I promise you it is not a Molex design, and is most likely not a JST design either.

 

Cap'n

 

You are correct.  I've sent detailed photos with a scale rule to Molex and JST.  Both report back that it is not theirs.  Also, both report that because the word "Tomix" appears in very small letters that it is likely to be proprietary.  I've therefore given up chasing a manufacturer of plugs.

 

Your pin-header idea is good.  Off to buy one now to test.  I might make up some localised PCBs with pin-headers to plug the points into and screw terminals to go back to my stationary decoders.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[The_Ghan]

Hey kieman,

 

I chopped the plugs off the end of mine ...

 

That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid.

 

 

... smaller hole in baseboard for the wires to go thro.

 

Good point ... but I've never had a problem hiding the hole.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[cteno4]

yeah clipping is probably the easiest all around. we did this with the jrm layout and it works well. you can just solder in a length of wire you need then. once you get going takes like 2min to solder a butt joint and heat shrink it. alternative is to use small suitcase connectors, but they can be bulky and start adding up in price

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/3M-Scotchlok-Self-Stripping-Suitcase-Connector-50-pcs-/170681639178?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27bd6b210a#ht_500wt_1017

 

another alternative for a small plug to use for stuff like this thats low amperage are jst connectors. they are nice little battery connectors that are like 30 cents a pair of two conductor.

 

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/jst-cables-10-pair-15234

 

while its great making your own plugs directly on the ends of wires it actually can take a bit of time to do them well and they never work out really cheap or small. i have a few different smaller molex parts sets from some of the exhibit install stuff that has some low voltage wiring. none were really great for size or ease of assembly, but worked fine for behind the scenes stuff.

 

we also made some micro plug for the jrm points for the first layout where we tore it down each time. we basically clipped off the kato plug and wired our plug on to the end of the wire and then the right length of wire to the plug and our micro connectors on the other end. we wanted the connectors to be tiny so they would slid through a small hole and not have anything on them that would catch in the hole in the foam when we shot it though (we ended up gluing a piece of plastic straw in the hole that makes sliding them through really fast).

 

the connectors were the pins you use to build your own serial type connector. you can buy the male and female pins for a few cents each. they have crimp and strain reliefs on the end. we crimped them on and then put a drop of solder on them. they are like 1-2mm in diameter then, about the size of the wire w/ insulation. then we just put heat shrink over the crimp part of the male connectors (with the male end poking out) and heat shrink over the whole female plug. end up with connectors that are the diameter of the wire plus a piece of heat shrink on it.

 

there is no locking mechanism, but this was actually good in our case as the temp wires hanging below the layout could get snagged as we were doing stuff and it would just pull the plugs, not tear the wire out of the point! a small piece of tape around the pin pairs will secure them pretty well, but again probably be the weakest point if you ever do end up yanking on a wire by mistake.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[The_Ghan]

cteno,

 

Are you using Tomix or Kato?  Coincidently, I had bought the JST plugs on eBay about 2 weeks ago.  They arrived today.  The Tomix plug is about 0.5mm wider than the JST and doesn't fit - just as the JST Tech Support told me they wouldn't ... lol.

 

I've got some pin headers on order as suggested by the Cap'n.  I can fit them to some small PCBs that I have.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[cteno4]

ghan,

 

we were using kato. there are not great options for substitutes for the plugs that are very cost effective. ive poured over the molex and amp catalogs and not found something close, so i expect kato sources something more proprietary years ago so they would be the only source (the tamya now see to use the same plugs as well). i expect tomix did the same. even so most connectors out there end up being not so cheap once you buy m and f housings and pins, it starts adding up fast.

 

i did talk to one small parts manufacturer about the possibility of making kato compatible plugs and cables. he could have one made that would interop easily. but when i queried the kato groups about what they would want like various length extensions that kato does not provide, Ys, bare plugs, etc, there was little response so i dropped it.

 

i got the jst to just use on anything that did not need a lot of amperage and i needed to pull apart. would work fine on switches. they are great for the sensors on the RU2-1 auto reversing unit so I can mount sensors in various ttrak modules and just plug into the sensors i want to in any arrangement the ttrak might be set up in. also good for building lighting. this way you can remove the building as i share my buildings between the jrm layout, ttrak and stuff at home.

 

the micro plugs were just a solution for an ultra cheap plug (at the time the jst plugs were not so cheap) and would fit down a small hole in our modules for our constant setup/breakdown of the layout and all the track. they are maybe a tad cheaper than the jst plugs and you can wire them on the ends of the plug, but dont have the strong pressure fit of the jst plugs. you also can put heavier gauge wire in them, ive gotten 18g in them, 20g works great. i think the jsts usually come with 21-23g wire attached on the leads.

 

some folks find working with the tiny serial pins too fiddly for them, but i have no trouble with them and i have huge hands and fingers. but i have been making these for computers and trains now and then for like 30 years.

 

i have not investigated this yet, but i expect the female jst connector should fit on a pc board jumper pin unit. this would allow you to plug them into some sort of control board easily as well.

 

at 20 cents a pair the jsts at deal extreem are dirt cheap. i see now you can get them down to this price on ebay as well, last year they were not cheap in bulk on ebay!

 

you can also buy just the pins and housings, but they usually are 2x the price of the premade ones.

 

one trick is you can do butt welds of wires by either twisting them together end to end or just taping them down side by side, end to end on a piece of glass and solder them in place. make sure to put a piece of heat shrink over the wire pulled back out of the way before soldering, then just slip it back and melt into place. makes very strong joints quickly.

[The_Ghan]

Thanks cteno,

 

I'm trying to do it all with stock parts.  Custom plugs wouldn't be a cheap option.  Thus, the pin header seems to be a good option at the moment.  I'll update once the pin header arrives.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

so yeah i had my wife ask on a jp site for me. and there are no customer tomix ones there are Kato ones.

 

if this is any help i found this person doing a kato > tomix conversion

 

http://traintrain.jp/blog/detail/id/7711

 

essentially what has already been said for you to do but yeah looks like your only option is some chopping :(

 

In the end of the day it's only a few $$$ per cable 

[The_Ghan]

Keitaro,

 

No, that link doesn't help.  The thread is titled "Connecting Tomix Points - plug type" 

 

Your idea of bastardising the extension cable to use the plug appears to be the only way to get hold of Tomix plugs.  Unfortunately, there's no way of satisfactorily de-pinning them.  Also, at $6 each the price is prohibitive - my stage 2 layout has over 50 points all up.  $300 is unreasonable.  $30 is possible.  That's why I'm going with the Cap'n's pin header idea.

 

Thanks anyway.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

Yes but no one sells them so nothing you can do but rip into them haha.

 

There is people who do kato ones from Kato custom shop but i guess since tomix are not in the dcc scene as yet they are not out there.

 

email tomix to do it i dare you :p

[The_Ghan]

Keitaro,

 

I'll just use the pin headers as the Cap'n suggested.  Already on order.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan