Feel I must comment on a recent aquisition as they have made so much difference to my modelling and my life - honestly.
Despite having mini CDU's to all Peco points in my hidden fiddle yard with indicator LED's on a mimic panel controlled by half a DPDT switch, I was still getting the occasional sticky point that failed to throw even though the mimic panel indicated they had, which was causing de-railments and then the time consuming dismantling of scenery to get to the train. The dismantling is no great hardship but I needed something to show me which way the point was set controlled by the point itself.
I ultimately arrived at an overhead gantry with LED's that could be seen via a web cam showing the fiddle yard using Peco's own heavy duty switch - the one used for switching polarity and giving an extra feed for LED's - think they might be PL15's but can't remember exactly.
Anyway, once I'd sorted the circuitry and built same (it involves a three way point with corresponding red & green for the three roads) I got the dreaded 'sticky points' back, no doubt caused by the heavier than normal switch clipped on underneath, and the whole lot nearly went out the window. I was stomping round the house like a gorilla with toothache.
Then, passing the time checking some items on Bromsmod's site, I came across something made by Richard Johnson and his DCC Concepts Team called 'Masterswitch V2' The write up led me to believe it would shift a mountain let alone a little old Peco twin solenoid, so I sent for a pack to give it a try - 'nothing ventured- nothing gained'
"I don't believe it" as Victor Meldrew would say. My life has changed so much I feel like I've had some dreaded disease and been cured. These things are miraculous, wonderful, brilliant, superb, magnificent, astounding. Following the very clear 8 page instruction sheet, they are small, easy to fit and wire in; come complete with DPDT switches: resistors; bi-coloured LED's and are fitted with easy to use screw terminals for Power In, switching output, point connections and solder pads for LED's and/or colour lights.
Will they move mountains? well probably not, but during testing I had inadvertantly left a cattle truck in a set of points and, as I threw the switch which was controlling two points on a crossover, the cattle truck was thrown off the layout, what more can I say.
No more sticky points for Michael. No more flicking a switch then walking across the room to see if it's thrown - I now know it's gone 100% everytime. Being so absolutely over-joyed at my discovery and to Richard's dedication to providing something that actually 'does what it says on the tin', I immediately ordered another four packs from Bromsmod (thanks John for your outstanding service).
Okay it's cost me nearly a hundred quid to sort the problem but I would have paid two/three times that for the satisfaction I now have. Incidentally, my LED gantry works nicely too, although I don't really need it now, such is my confidence in my new point throwing gizmo's.
So my advice to anyone suffering with sticky points or those that don't fire all the way, fit it with a DCC Concepts MasterSwitch V2, it works everytime. No accolade is too high for this product IMHO.
Thanks Richard and John.
Mike (an ecstatically happy customer).
ps. I have no connection with either DCC Concepts or Bromsgrove Models, I'm just one of their many happy customers.
