Dcc switches & points

[Dale Oz]

Hi all

wondering if I could get some advice

8 years ago I bought a Hornby starter set Somerset belle. I have been only recently set it up in my garage. I have gone to fit 2  turnout (peco) with Hornby levers and (peco point switches. I finally go everything wired which I found hard as it im no electrician just a train lover!

the  issue is when I switch the lever and the train is on the track the train cuts out and the numbers on the DCC SELECT controller go out then comes back on.

looks like I have feedback or short somewhere any ideas?

living in regional Australia I'm 200km from any hobby shops 

[Flashbang]

Hi

We need to be 100% sure on how you have connected the point motor to the Select?  

You can, for lever operation only, use the Select's 15volt DC auxiliary output. (But it comes with a warning see below)

You cannot operate a solenoid point motor directly from the Select's DCC power. For this you must use an accessory decoder as the interface between the DCC system and the point motor. 

Assuming you have used the Select's 15 volt DC Aux output it reads as though the systems power supply is shutting down when the point lever is moved over. This is an indication that the Select is being feed from the 1.0 Amp power supply and this cannot handle the Select DCC power requirements and the added load of the point motor. 

 

What can you do about this?  A) Replace the Select 1.0Amp power supply with the 4.0Amp version. But best of all is... B) Do not use the Select to feed the point motors, use instead a totally separate power supply such as a 19 volt DC power supply as sold for powering laptop computers or use a dedicated separate 16volt AC power supply from say an old DC train controllers Auxiliary output.  

 

Also worth considering is adding a Capacitor Discharge Unit (CDU) in the feed from the power source. Normally only one is needed and these draw low current from the supply and produce a 'Beefy' pulse of power to the solenoid(s). Hornby do not produce one, but an ebay or Google search for a CDU will show many makes available. 

[Chrissaf]

I couldn't have put it better than FlashBang.

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The points he raised in 'bullet point' form (with some slight amendments of my own).

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• Do not use the DCC track power output to directly power the point motors
• The 15 volt DC AUX output of the Select does not have enough power to operate point motors correctly.
• If you do use the 15 Volt DC output then I would recommend using a CDU even with the upgraded 4 amp supply.
• Preferably, use a completely separate power supply to operate the points if you do not use a DCC Accessory Decoder to operate points.

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Note that you have indicated that you are using Hornby point levers. I assume you mean R044 point opererating switches. Note that these are not 100% compatible for use with a CDU.

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The Select 15 volt DC output not operating point motors and causing the Select to shut down has come up on the forum more than once. Here are two of the previous threads discussing the topic.

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Using the Select AUX output for points:

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/new-layout-advice-please/?p=1/#post-296803

 

Version 2

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/accessory-addressing-using-hornby-select/?p=1

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TIP: As a newbie poster on the forum, just be aware that the 'Blue Button with the White Arrow' is not a 'Reply to this post' button. If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

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See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

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[96RAF]

You say you have fitted 2 peco points with Hornby point levers and peco switches.

Are these peco switches additional microswitches that say operate signals or frog polarity switching.

[Howbi]

Is it not the case that the point wires, Red, Green & Black, are assigned differently to the Hornby point lever and to the Peco Point Motor?.....Hornby regard Black as common whereas Peco regard Green as common......if not connected correctly a short would occur.........HB

[Rog RJ]

Is it not the case that the point wires, Red, Green & Black, are assigned differently to the Hornby point lever and to the Peco Point Motor?.....Hornby regard Black as common whereas Peco regard Green as common......if not connected correctly a short would occur.........HB

 

 

No short circuit would occur by using the wrong wire for the common but it would result in the point operating in one direction but not the other.