[upnick]

Hi All,

I am planning my control panel and would like to have two led's for each toggle switch on my control panel for my points to show the direction of throw.

The toggle switches i have are SPDT sprung type to a CDU unit powered by 16V from a gaugemaster D control, could someone guide me how to wire these led's to the switch to show the direction of the point to include where resistors need to be not causing conflict to the points operation do i need different switches to perform this task ?

A link here shows my idea sorry i'm not good with paint ..... lol

http://nick--orwin.photoblog.me.uk/p51018966.html

Many thanks

upnick.

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (upnick @ 6 Jun 2008, 16:33) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi All,

I am planning my control panel and would like to have two led's for each toggle switch on my control panel for my points to show the direction of throw.

The toggle switches i have are SPDT sprung type to a CDU unit powered by 16V from a gaugemaster D control, could someone guide me how to wire these led's to the switch to show the direction of the point to include where resistors need to be not causing conflict to the points operation do i need different switches to perform this task ?

A link here shows my idea sorry i'm not good with paint ..... lol

http://nick--orwin.photoblog.me.uk/p51018966.html

Many thanks

upnick.

***Unfortunately you can't wire them via the switches at all - as the switches are momentary, then the LED would only light momentarily.

If you want to use LEDS on the panel you will have to add a switch to the point motors OR use a latching realy or product like the DCCconcepts MASTERswitch V2 which combines point throw assistance (so no need for a CDU) + LED memory + uses normal switches not momentary.... and they are already supplied with bipolar red./green LED for your panel.

I'll ask Martin71 to do a review of them as I think they would help many modellers here on this forum - or email me off list for more data.

Richard
DCCconcepts

 

[RAF96]

QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 6 Jun 2008, 11:16) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>***Unfortunately you can't wire them via the switches at all - as the switches are momentary, then the LED would only light momentarily.

If you want to use LEDS on the panel you will have to add a switch to the point motors OR use a latching realy or product like the DCCconcepts MASTERswitch V2 which combines point throw assistance (so no need for a CDU) + LED memory + uses normal switches not momentary.... and they are already supplied with bipolar red./green LED for your panel.

I'll ask Martin71 to do a review of them as I think they would help many modellers here on this forum - or email me off list for more data.

Richard
DCCconcepts

Hi
I have a mimic board which uses bi-colour LEDS activated by PECO slide switches (PL-13 or SL-13 I forget) mounted to each point.
Green shows right of way and red shows right of way against you for each junction.
Each LED common has a 1k resistor on its centre leg and the other 2 legs are fed from the switch which takes its power from the controller Aux source.
If you have opposed points such as at a cross-over loop to loop then you can wire the switches such that you get all-reds if one point does not fire making for an unsafe junction.
This works for DC or DCC as the power is separate from the track.
Rob

 

[Basil]

meant to reply to RAFAA above so cut and pasted this to there etc

 

[Basil]

QUOTE (RAFHAAA96 @ 6 Jun 2008, 13:53) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi
I have a mimic board which uses bi-colour LEDS activated by PECO slide switches (PL-13 or SL-13 I forget) mounted to each point.
Green shows right of way and red shows right of way against you for each junction.
Each LED common has a 1k resistor on its centre leg and the other 2 legs are fed from the switch which takes its power from the controller Aux source.
If you have opposed points such as at a cross-over loop to loop then you can wire the switches such that you get all-reds if one point does not fire making for an unsafe junction.
This works for DC or DCC as the power is separate from the track.
Rob

Like RAFHAAA96, it is possible to connect the led's so that they have a voltage accross them. The resistor in series is to ensure that the led doesn't get too much power. Ideally they work on 5 v but check the rating and then do the maths (V=RI) . I like the way RAFHAAA96 uses them and it is a clever way of showing 'safe' and 'unsafe' track.

As Richard says, they can also be connected via the points motor and I have done this on my former layout. As R points out they are momentary switches and thus you get a pulse which lights the led momentarily. I then connected on beneath the track and showed a momentary light to show the point now activated. To get then to stay lit the power must be going through them and therefore connected to the track power. However, I set mine up on a dc layout and was happy with the momentary light to signal which direction the point was activated but surely if the dcc allows power all the time to all track then this would be not suitable for dcc.

RAFHAAA96 can you explain how these are used on dcc ? I like your idea for using the bicolour for the points and putting the resistor on the common feed. Where did you get the led's ??

It is possible to be creative with these very cheap lights.