[FUNGUS]

Right, Ive got the point motors and decoders working, heres the next problem. I wish to have working signals lights and for the experiment Im using Hornby two colour. (as Ive had them lying around from an aborted progect)
I wish to achieve this:
Using a two road turn out. when the road is set straight thru I want the signal green. When the alternative route is set I want the signal red. I do not wish to control these direct from the dcc select controller. I just want them wired to the track to pick up the current and show the correct colour depending how the route is set. Ive had a play connecting them to the live rails but cant get it to work. Using the green as a common return, do I need to divide this wire into to and connect to the switched rail. Also when using live frog both lights come on together.
ANy help would be really appreciated, in plain english if poss!
Cheers
Steve

 

[frame69]

Hi Steve,could'nt you fit a micro-switch on the point mechanism to power up the light? Under the board perhaps.

 

[FUNGUS]

Hi Frame, yes that seems like a good idea, I was hoping to minimise wiring (I really hate it and I do enough at work) and use the powerfeed from the track, perhaps with a micro switch I could still use the track power?
Steve

 

[frame69]

If the power from track to lights is the same then it should work.I've dismantled some dvds and cd players lately and removed tiny micro-switches from them for small projects such as this. Similar principles were used in plant engineering for hydraulic controls,a slight pull on lever would send power to the pump valves.

 

[RFS]

Doesn't the signal require DC whereas the track power on DCC is AC? Maplins sell a micro switch (code GW67X) that could be operated by the tie-bar possibly.

 

[FUNGUS]

Smal filiment bulbs such as used in the hornby signal under discussion will work whether ac or dc is used. It is only when using LEDs that the ac supply becomes a problem and one can get round this by using a simple rectifier (zenor diode if I remember my GCSE electronics correctly)
Steve

 

[noblenoel]

Just a throught why not use seeppoint motors the one with the built in switch no need for any else I have used themm to power signal vi resistor and works fine
off the dcc power

regard Noel

 

[Lancashire Fusilier]

QUOTE (wolverton bloomer @ 12 Mar 2009, 04:07) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Right, Ive got the point motors and decoders working, heres the next problem. I wish to have working signals lights and for the experiment Im using Hornby two colour. (as Ive had them lying around from an aborted progect)
I wish to achieve this:

A robust solution here that would have a three fold benefit would be the use of DCC Concepts MasterSwitch V2 product which would a) provide a reliable switching of the point motor, enable you to switch frog polarity from the same MSV2 and c) provide the aux contacts for the signal to be wired to.

 

[Flashbang]

Hi
Ok I know that some if not all the motors have been purchased in this case, but surely if starting from scratch by the time a solenoid point motor (PL10 - £4.50ish) and the Master switch unit (£8.25) have been purchased their combined total cost (£12.75) has equalled or exceeded the cost of a Tortoise slow motion motor? Which then offers twin independent change over contacts built in and gives a more realistic operation! Also the Master switch unit doest actually prove the point has moved at all, its only repeating what the panel operating toggle switches position is set to.

 

[FUNGUS]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I only bought 2 point motors as I want to try several differant makes before deciding which way to go. I will take all points (no pun intended) onboard next time I go out "shopping"
Steve

 

[Lancashire Fusilier]

QUOTE (Flashbang @ 12 Mar 2009, 18:09) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Ok I know that some if not all the motors have been purchased in this case, but surely if starting from scratch by the time a solenoid point motor (PL10 - £4.50ish) and the Master switch unit (£8.25) have been purchased their combined total cost (£12.75) has equalled or exceeded the cost of a Tortoise slow motion motor? Which then offers twin independent change over contacts built in and gives a more realistic operation! Also the Master switch unit doest actually prove the point has moved at all, its only repeating what the panel operating toggle switches position is set to.

This is very true Flashbang however, the Tortoise provides no inbuilt capability to prove the point position either. A micro switch would be required to provide point position feedback as it is called if this was an issue. The tortoise being a stall motor can actually move from one side to the other and stall as it should but the point blades could actually be jammed. If the frog polarity was being changed by the Tortoise then this would immediately result in a short too. My thoughts were that given the original question was about a coloured light signal then the MSV2 does provide that capability.

I myself use the Tortoise motors without point position feedback and utilise the Tortoise for frog polarity change as it is inbuilt.

 

[Suzie]

If using a live frog point it should be possible to connect the common wire from the colour light signal to the point frog, and connect the wires for red and green to the DCC signal on the rails.

As you change the point the signal will change, switched by whatever switches the frog on the point - which can be the point's built in switching. Replace the signal with a tri-colour LED (with suitable resistors and reverse protection diodes) and you can have a simple panel indication of the point position.

 

[FUNGUS]

Many thanks to all for the helpful replies to this post. I will now have many hours of fun and singed fingers try ing get it to work!

 

[RAF96]

You can hang a Peco PL-13 switch onto either a Hornby or Peco point motor (regular type), or if using surface mounted type points motors the switch can be mounted to the underside of the track using a track pin as the link from switch to tie-bar.

Then you can use filament or LED lighting as desired wired from your Aux supply (DCC or DC).
Rob

 

[SPROGman]

QUOTE (Suzie @ 3 Apr 2009, 16:33) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If using a live frog point it should be possible to connect the common wire from the colour light signal to the point frog, and connect the wires for red and green to the DCC signal on the rails.

As you change the point the signal will change, switched by whatever switches the frog on the point - which can be the point's built in switching. Replace the signal with a tri-colour LED (with suitable resistors and reverse protection diodes) and you can have a simple panel indication of the point position.
Bingo!

Another trick (courtesy Mike Bolton of MERG) is to use AC input opto-couplers (with suitable resistor, no protection diode needed) connected between the frog and the stock rails. This gives you an isolated indication of the point state that you can connect to your favourite feedback module.

Andrew Crosland