Walt, appears I'm about to do the same.
CK, nice option. Safer than a razor blade.
MED, started getting lost here..."We have to get the ground ..." Need to read a few more times and with a fresh mind tomorrow.
Net/net seems to be getting power to the wires which leave the coil and go to the thin metal arm within the "Turnout" that connects to the center rail.
Tomorrow I'll use the Dremel to cut around the Blue tape (See Pic) to make an opening. Hopefully I'll be able to see the wires and where they connect to the thin metal arm to center rails. Depending on availability of wire underneath two options might exits:
- Remove the wires from the thin metal arm. Connect to my wire which goes to ZW B output.
- Solder my wires to where the coil wires connect to the thin metal arm. Create a gap/ cut the thin metal arm somewhere in between the solder wires and where the contact to the middle rail.
Does the above (1 & 2) sound logical?
- Either scenario I'll need to figure out a way to snake the 16 Gauge to the correct location and ultimately out of the "Turnout." From various articles my understanding is 16 Gauge is safe for a constant 14 Volts. 18 or 20 Gauge not unsafe but doesn't come across as the suggested Gauge. Is that a fair understanding?
For the bigger picture, should I be successful in converting all the switches, I'll have around 13 switches. My thought is to have one wire (Positive from ZW) going into a "Bus" like device and 13 wires going out (one wire to each switch coil).
