[Chinahand]

Hi Guys,

Nothing as spectacular as RJR's efforts but I'm pleased to report that I have, at last, finished my point control panel and turntable controller. I would have had it finished sooner but, based on the advice given on the MRF, I changed all the wiring from 7 x 0.2mm to 16 x 0.2mm.

I'm quite pleased with the finished article.

Expat

 

[dwb]

Very neat; very nice

David

 

[80class]

Very nice indeed Expat, I am one of those "sad" modelers that enjoy the wiring and electronic side of the hobby as much as any other.

Looking forward to seeing the layout progressing,

Rob

 

[Basil]

Very gnick (geh-nick) (i.e very nice)

Any chance of a circuit diagram. I assume the lights (leds) on the front show that the track is live and you have wired the voltage from the track back to the control panel. This must mean the usual mess of wires coming back from the track at all the different locations.

............or have I got it very wrong ?

Looks very good.

Must get that layout built (i.e started) so I can build one of those.

I am also one of those happy persons who likes electronics. Proud to be a human nerd (in my own opinion). I suppose this is why I like 1:1 building and the 1:72 (or so)

Onwards

 

[Chinahand]

Sorry Basil, those are not LEDs, just contact studs to operate the point motors.

My electronics skills are, to say the least, limited. I am still trying to work out how to instell LEDs to show which way the points are set. Maybe YOU could let ME have a circuit diagram ???

Happy modelling,

Expat

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Expat @ 31 May 2008, 18:08) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'm quite pleased with the finished article.

Expat
I think you you be very pleased - looks excellent & very neat - thanks for showing us.

 

[Chirkwood]

Well done!!!

 

[Basil]

QUOTE (Expat @ 20 Jul 2008, 05:49) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Sorry Basil, those are not LEDs, just contact studs to operate the point motors.

My electronics skills are, to say the least, limited. I am still trying to work out how to instell LEDs to show which way the points are set. Maybe YOU could let ME have a circuit diagram ???

Happy modelling,

Expat

Expat

A momentary switch (SPDT) of the ordinary push button type will operate the point as the solenoid only needs a momentary current to get it to move. When switched again it should return to the original. This uses the 16 v ac of the transformer to operate. The led will only light when there is momentary current through it. To stay lit it needs a constant current (but be careful most led's are only +/- 5v)

The led (if rated for 12 v dc) can be lit to show which track is live and therefore two leds are needed to show which track is live (the one lit up) and which is not (the one not lit up). It can all operate from a control panel much like you have made

Another MRF member is toying with the idea at

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index...amp;#entry57797

and the above is a quote from the start of my rant

I will work on a basic schematic circuit diagram and will have a go at wire one up. It requires a connection to each leg of the track

 

[Basil]

http://radionics.rs-online.com/web/search/...t&R=2285613

The above is a link to the radionics website and they have a 12v resistor type led which if wired to each leg of the track will produce an indicator for the track being powered. The intensity of the light will depend on the voltage so if no voltage, no light. To indicate which track is live (without power) will require a more detailed circuit where 12 v needs to be drawn from the supply (only 10 mA).

I originally set up my points with an led on each leg and which momentarily lit to tell which leg was now live. The led then went out. It would need relays and a feed from the supply to get this working and would be a mess of wires (which we usually end up with). Of course for DCC this would not work because the power is always on (unless you guys, and gals, can work on a dcc way)

I will have a search to see if any of my electronics whizkid friends can come up with a cheap but workable circuit or will have a go myself. It would be very useful and ad a level of realism to the control panel.

Onwards

Basil

 

[Chinahand]

Hi Basil,

Yes I've seen one or two threads on how to do this and have, I think, grasped the logic of how to wire up one point using the frog polarity switch on the Seep point motors I'm using. The brain goes numb though when I try to use the same logic for 34 sets of points. I just can't seem to work out which wires are common and which are specific to each point.

This is the wiring diagram I have made up showing how all the various electrical feeds go.

Then Richard sent me this one for connecting LED indicators to a single point.

View attachment Point_LED_Wiring.pdf

but I got lost when I tried to apply it to 34 sets of points.

HELP !!!

Expat.

 

[Chinahand]

Hi Basil,

Our messages must have crossed.

The only way I, in my simple minded way, can see how to do it is to connect an LED to the end of each leg of each point. With each of the rails leading away from the frog isolated from the next track section, only the LED on the open circuit would be lit.

Am I on the right track or completely off target.

Expat.

 

[Chinahand]

On second thoughts that won't work because both of the rails leading from the frog will always be live. It's just the polarity that changes.

Back to the drawing board.

Expat.

 

[Basil]

Imagine a bicycle light.

The track has a voltage difference between each track when live.

The led is connected across them.

You can actually hold an led across the track and get a light. The polarity must be right for a diode to emit light and thus there is a need for two diodes.

Here are the results of a few experiments. It is done using a 5V diode and will light with ac (on/off so many times it looks like continuously on) and dc if the polarity is right. With a lot of wiring (I must look into it) the leds could be a way to setting up the control panel with lights to indicate not only if the track is live but in which direction the current is running. This is one in the eye for dcc (sort of) and is part of the fun of trying to control (or at least know what's going on in) the analog layouts. It could give a realistic control panel.

Here goes. The photo below is the circuit where the 16 V ac is used to light the diode (momentarily while the point motor is changed). Pressing the momentary switch (actual term) the point motor switches and the diode lights. I haven't shown it but you need another switch and diode to do the other direction (i.e switch the point back)

off

on

Then if you do two diodes back to back (with both different polarities it will tell you when the track is

not live

in the forward direction

and the reverse direction

I wll draw up these circuits (Gawd give me time)

and post them here

and if I manage to get my blog going (Help administrators, I can't get my blog to open)

I'll try to develop the theme.

It might make a very useful control panel but would be a mess of wires

Maybe needs some thought

Onwards

 

[Chinahand]

Hi Basil,

That looks great.

I don't need to know how or why it works. Just that it does.

Cheers,

Trevor

 

[zmil]

Hi Expat

I found a site for you with a points/turnout controller
I have seen this in operation
It works with 8 points per unit and remembers the position of your switches ,powers your direction indicator LEDs
Sidetracked Electronics Turnout Controller

The system uses single pole double throw switches the only thing is if you want to control your points with DCC control there is no provision for that and it would conflict with the microprocessor in this unit .When first powered up it switches through all the points wired to it (as a test ) and then switches them to the positions indicated by the micro switches on your control panel

Hope you find this interesting
Regards Zmil

 

[Chinahand]

Thanks zmil. Nice piece of kit but I was hoping to do something a little cheaper.

I would need 5 of those units to operate my 34 sets of points which would set me back A$850.

Cheers,

Expat.

 

[ebaykal]

QUOTE (Expat @ 31 May 2008, 19:08) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Guys,

I'm quite pleased with the finished article.

Expat

Expat,

You should be.

That is one piece of a very fine controller that I would never in a million years do with that tidyness.

I am also in the early stages , scratching my head, of trying to figure out the wiring with leds/diodes on to a control panel.

Seems that with the feedback I have got up till now will probably change to switching the turnouts with "wire in tube" method.I am that hopeless

Baykal

 

[Chinahand]

QUOTE (ebaykal @ 22 Jul 2008, 11:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Seems that with the feedback I have got up till now will probably change to switching the turnouts with "wire in tube" method.I am that hopeless

I know exactly what you mean Baykal. I'm begining to wonder if I should leave well enough alone and just stick with my probe & stud panel and forget about the fancy flashing lights.

After all what I want is a functional Model Railway. I'm not trying to recreate the flight deck of Starship Enterprise.

Cheers,

Expat.

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (Expat @ 22 Jul 2008, 17:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I know exactly what you mean Baykal. I'm begining to wonder if I should leave well enough alone and just stick with my probe & stud panel and forget about the fancy flashing lights.

After all what I want is a functional Model Railway. I'm not trying to recreate the flight deck of Starship Enterprise.

Cheers,

Expat.

***I'll include a MASTERswitch in the parcel I'm about to send for you to try - No charge.

It will work to help the peco motors change reliably and also give you the LEDs you want on your panel with no real added wiring complexity. It only needs the finest of wires conecting it to switching and LED and you won't need a CDU.

That laptop power supply you bought a while ago will be perfect for them too.....

Richard
DCCconcepts

 

[TonyDaly]

Has anyone tried or does anyone have any knowledge of this item ? Looks like a big version of the MASTERswitch.