DCC Electrics
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Heavy duty bus and thin droppers??
[user=1338]Ed[/user] wrote:Hi Ed,Something I typed up ages ago from various sources.
Bit approximate, but may be of use as a rough guide.
Ed
Useful information, seems to be on the "chassis" wiring side rather than "power line" side. Especially 17 gauge for 6-10 amps for bus wiring, which should probably be considered as power line wiring as it could conceivably carry something near that load under the right circumstances (big layout with lots of engines running at the same time). I know my first layout with DCC used 18 gauge wire for the bus (it was to hand) and never had any problems. Only one engine at a time though.
Nigel
Chassis load is usually less than the power line.
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©Nigel C. Phillips
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'Petermac
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7/0.2. 7 cores of 0.2mm diameter. Somewhere between 23 and 24 gauge equivalent. Spot on for a 2 amp DCC set-up with modern engines and code 100 track.
Nigel
©Nigel C. Phillips
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I found this copy of a book on the net some time ago .
although it goes deeper into electronics than you will
ever need to go , I have always found it handy to have around .
There is a free download if you want .
The title is Electronics For Model Railways . Just type the name
in the google search box .
Regards Ted
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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:thumbs ;-) :cool:
Owen
web-cam 2.2.74.174:8081
if the lights are off no cam
if the lights are off no cam
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Kevin,
I was a complete novice with electronics and wiring when I first started 10 years ago, I took the time to try and learn as much about electronics as I could and have really enjoyed the process. I now know enough to be dangerous!
Enjoy
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all the best. Kevin
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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The Tortoise switch machine is DC. For DCC operation you need the SMAIL which has a built-in DCC decoder or a third-party DCC decoder such as the "Hare" that will supply the DC current (12v, 16 mAmp). It's easier (and cheaper) to have a 500 mAmp 12v transformer and a separate DC circuit.
Nigel
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Hi Ted,Hi Kevin
I found this copy of a book on the net some time ago .
although it goes deeper into electronics than you will
ever need to go , I have always found it handy to have around .
There is a free download if you want .
The title is Electronics For Model Railways . Just type the name
in the google search box .
Regards Ted
The Circuitron booklet? If so it doesn't touch track wiring. Nice reference booklet though.
Nigel
©Nigel C. Phillips
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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A separate DC circuit is required for Tortoises (and Cobalts). A 12V 2A transformer will set you back £3.50-£4.50. Enough for 80-100 all motors at once. SPDT switches are less than £1.00 each.
Decoder control is going to be at least an additional £10.00 per turnout, and depending on which one may still require a dedicated DC circuit. If the decoder uses DCC bus power it's advisable to use a separate booster circuit for the turnouts that is isolated from the running tracks. Which probably means upgrading the system with a booster. Just in case…
You can change frog polarity and activate signals from the stall motors (for the Tortoise there are 2 SPDT switches with 4A capacity each, same for the Cobalt I believe), which will effectively give you interlocking. With the Tortoise you can also control a signal and crossing gate mechanically with the "Remote Signal Activator", which is a wire-in-tube fulcrum system.
Of course mechanical WIT mechanisms and kits are available with 1 or 2 SPDT switches if you want to forget about the electrickery and keep it purely mechanical (for example Blue Point switch machine, Fast Tracks "Bull Frog"). Which of course appeals to the Luddite in me (and keeps the amount of wiring down). I fancy the "Bull Frog" kit for the crossover I recently built. $22.00 for the mechanisms, SPDT switches and WIT in components, no DC circuit, no decoders, and I have frog polarity changing built-in. That's for the club modules, I'll probably go with Tortoises for home (US made so no import duty, 9 years warranty).
Ah, the tyranny of choice!
Nigel
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Much smaller than the Tortoise and equally as good.
I've tried them both.
Cobalt Collection - Realism for your Model Railway Layout!
My final choice - servos.
Max
Port Elderley
Port Elderley
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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The Tortoise switch machine is DC. For DCC operation you need the SMAIL which has a built-in DCC decoder or a third-party DCC decoder such as the "Hare" that will supply the DC current (12v, 16 mAmp). It's easier (and cheaper) to have a 500 mAmp 12v transformer and a separate DC circuit.
Nigel
For DCC operation the best accessory decoder for Tortoises is the NCE Switch 8 (MK2 version). This has 8 ports and each can operate a pair of motors for crossovers - I have one that has 15 Tortoises connected. They cost around $60 in the US, around £40 in the UK. They also have an optional input from a 9-12v DCC transformer if you do not want them to use DCC bus power.
I have mine on a separate DCC bus with its own booster so that turnouts can still be operated if the main track bus has suffered a short circuit due to derailment, wrong point setting etc.
Last edit: by RFS
Robert
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In your reply regarding point motors you state that cobalt motors need a
separate DC supply . Cobalt point motors will operate on both a DCC & DC supply.
I have several cobalt motors wired directly to the DCC supply with a small resister to
reduce the voltage to approx. 10v. They are probably the easiest decoder to program
The inbuilt decoder has an aux switch ,which can be used to operate other accs.
:)
Regards Ted
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I didn't mention it as it's hijacking Kevin's thread. Around $54 or less for the Switch-8 Mk2, which works out at around $6.50 per motor, $3.25 if you double up the Tortoise. Add the button board to keep the wiring sane.
I'm in the fortunate position of having to deal with relatively few turnouts, either at home or on the modules. Most club members have ground throw levers with SPDT switches built-in (Caboose Industries) which change the frog polarity, $4.79 each. No decoders, minimal wiring, no DC circuit.Getting fingers in-between a couple of trains to throw the switch gets interesting, hence my interest in the even more hands-on approach of Blue Points and Bull Frogs.
Like Max I've tried Tortoises and Blue Cobalts (and Peco solenoids, got a bag full of them somewhere). Unlike Max I lean towards Tortoises. Both get the job done. Tortoises are $1.30 cheaper than a Cobalt Classic from my favorite box-shifter.
Nigel
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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