How many ring connectors on a terminal block?

[BigAl.NZ]

I am wiring in 5 new engine gauges. They are VDO ones with quite fine gauge wire (maybe 18 or 20 AWG). The pinouts are:

Pin 1: +12v
Pin 2: Batt -ve
Pin 3: Sensor Gnd
Pin 4: Ignition
Pin 5: Sensor input
Pin 6: Illumination
Pin 7: CAN High
Pin 8: CAN Low

The gauges come with a short wiring harness. I was going to use a terminal block with red ring terminals.

So I will end up with 5 x Pin1 +12v going to the same wire supplying 12v, another 5 wires going to a common source for ignition, 5 more for negative, and another set of 5 for ignition.

5 ring connectors on one terminal is probably too much unless I splay them out which will look untidy. I could split the 5 rings across two terminals and then jumper them, but maybe still a little untidy.

Another option is to use a 4 busbars for all the common connections then a terminal block for the senders.

Or is there a even better way?

[Dsanduril]

Someone on another thread turned me on to these Wago LeverNuts. Seem like just the thing. The first goes down to 28AWG/0.08mm2, the second only goes down to 24AWG/0.2mm2.

https://www.wago.com/us/wire-splicin...ctor/p/222-415

https://www.wago.com/us/wire-splicin...ctor/p/221-415

[BigAl.NZ]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

Someone on another thread turned me on to these Wago LeverNuts. Seem like just the thing. The first goes down to 28AWG/0.08mm2, the second only goes down to 24AWG/0.2mm2.

https://www.wago.com/us/wire-splicin...ctor/p/222-415

https://www.wago.com/us/wire-splicin...ctor/p/221-415

Do the wires all go in from one end? It probably wont help me if so since I have mixed gauges - the larger wire will connect the common wires.

[Dsanduril]

They are basically a compact terminal block. The ones I linked are 5-position, one wire at each position. Each wire can be from 24 (or 28)AWG up to 12AWG. Put your heavy wire in one position, then put your small wires in the other 4. They are all joined together by a common bus bar inside the unit.

This is probably the best picture, one wire in each hole, mixed wire sizes are fine because they get clamped individually.

[mlydon]

Why don’t you just strip extra off the ends, twist them all together, cut the excess twisted length off, and crimp into a larger ring terminal? 5 18ga probably adds up to a 14ga thick wire - simple is good ;-)

Matt

Just spotted a howto on just that, only they advocate not twisting, to reduce bulk....suppose that depends on how skinny your wire and what size crimps you have....

http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles...iplewires.html

[BigAl.NZ]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

They are basically a compact terminal block. The ones I linked are 5-position, one wire at each position. Each wire can be from 24 (or 28)AWG up to 12AWG. Put your heavy wire in one position, then put your small wires in the other 4. They are all joined together by a common bus bar inside the unit.

This is probably the best picture, one wire in each hole, mixed wire sizes are fine because they get clamped individually.

Ahh I see. Could help.

[Dsanduril]

The advantage I see to the terminal block style is that you can disconnect one wire at a time. Need to change out one gauge? Lift one lever, everything else stays put, make your replacement, good to go.

[mlydon]

This is true, but the gauges are jacked into the harness - change a gauge, use the same jack, in this case. Don’t get me wrong - they seem pretty cool, but I have a case full of heat-shrink crimps, no need for $10 bucks shipped each from Amazon, or $.60 each from a distributor, with $17 shipping, and they don’t look like they’d have any water-proofedness to them.....
Worst comes to worst, and I need to change out one of the harnesses, I’d just re-crimp

My 2 cents - for me, simple is good

[smac999]

I would either put multiple small wires into a single ring. Or use terminal jumpers. And get a longer terminal. 2 jumpers gets you 6 shared screws. 5 gauges and input. Get jumpers for each one you need to share to all.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/cat..._Block_Jumpers

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by BigAl.NZ

Ahh I see. Could help.

IMO - these are great if you have the room. From what I understood from your OP, you will 5 of these bocks.

I recently wired up a 5 gauge panel of the same gauges and I did not have anywhere near the room for these style of blocks.

I ended up modifying a standard type of terminal block so that I had vertical posts about 50mm (2") and used that to stack the ring connectors on. 2 ring terminals (back to back), a nut, then another ring terminal, another nut, another ring terminal, another nut etc.

I don't have a suitable picture to share but I can make a rough drawing if you wish. I did it this way only because I was very short of room.

[Scubaseas]

ABYC says
"11.14.4.1.9.4 Conductors shall not be supported by fuel distribution lines.
11.14.4.1.10 No more than four terminals shall be secured to any one terminal stud. If additional connections are
necessary, two or more terminal studs shall be connected together by means of jumpers or copper straps.
11.14.4.1.10.1 Multiple conductors connected to a terminal stud shall be installed with the highest ampacity conductor
terminal closest to the base, followed by successively smaller ampacity conductor terminals.
11.14.4.1.10.2 Multiple conductors may be swaged or crimped into a terminal provided that:
11.14.4.1.10.2.1 The combined cross-sectional area of the conductors does not exceed the cross-sectional area capacity
of the terminal and
11.14.4.1.10.2.2 the connection is tested in accordance with E-11.14.3.3, pulling on the smallest conductor according to
its rating in TABLE 15.
11.14.4.1.11 Ring and captive spade type terminal connectors shall be the same nominal size as the stud.
11.14.4.1.12 Conductors terminating at panelboards in junction boxes or fixtures shall be arranged to provide a length of
conductor to relieve tension, to allow for repairs, and to permit multiple conductors to be fanned at terminal studs."

[Midnight Son]

See if you can get Jedi to weigh in on those Wago connectors. I don't think they are rated for commercial/marine, I think residential, and just qualifying for that. Jedi would know for sure. Or one of the other professional wire pullers.