# Another tortoise question )



## Conductorkev (Nov 5, 2021)

Ok started wiring most of my layout. I am going yo have a control panel while still allowing me to use my power cab to control my turnouts. Can cat5 be used to wire one side of my tortoise all the way to my panel then back to the decoder?
Trying to make the wiring be a lot neater a cat 5 line could take care of 4 turnouts lights that will be in the control board


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

Cat 5 is 24 AWG gauge wire and the wire *MAX* amperage can handle 3.5 amps at 75F.
I saw a Tortoise Switch Machine uses 15 to 18 milliamps each unit.
Looks like you can use CAT 5 to wire your board depending on what the light amperage will be on the 4 turnout lights on the control board.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

You do realize that you only need 2 wires going to the turnout motor with the indicator LED (use a 2 lead bi color LED) wired in series with the power going to the turnout motor. I believe that with Tortoise you do not need an external resistor for normal operation. Using the bi color 2 lead LED in series with the motor means you have a positive indication of which way the Tort is being driven and since there is always power going to the motor, the LED will be Red or Green depending upon the polarity of the current going to the motor.


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## Conductorkev (Nov 5, 2021)

Lemonhawk said:


> You do realize that you only need 2 wires going to the turnout motor with the indicator LED (use a 2 lead bi color LED) wired in series with the power going to the turnout motor. I believe that with Tortoise you do not need an external resistor for normal operation. Using the bi color 2 lead LED in series with the motor means you have a positive indication of which way the Tort is being driven and since there is always power going to the motor, the LED will be Red or Green depending upon the polarity of the current going to the motor.



I know cat 5 has 4 pairs. So basically what I'll do is take 4 turnouts one lead to control board then come back to the decoder which is centrally located by my tortoises.


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

it's not uncommon to wire a single 4-pair cable between each tortoise machine and panel so that the panel can not only control the machine but also use the switch contacts to control panel LEDs.

if needed, one of the switch contacts, 3 wires, can be left unconnected on the machine and connected locally to the track and to power the frog


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## Conductorkev (Nov 5, 2021)

gregc said:


> it's not uncommon to wire a single 4-pair cable between each tortoise machine and panel so that the panel can not only control the machine but also use the switch contacts to control panel LEDs.
> 
> if needed, one of the switch contacts, 3 wires, can be left unconnected on the machine and connected locally to the track and to power the frog



Actually the switch will come off the nce button board. I'm going to attempt to use the tortoise to also put in track direction lights at the turnout.


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