Point motors and other accesories with 'select' controller

LukiP · September 19, 2012

I'm fairly new to railway moddeling and am looking into the select dcc controller. It sounds really good to me and I fully understand how to program locomotives but I'm very confused about point motors and accesories... :( I've read bits and pieces from

various web sites and dont understand if i need the decoder or any thing like that... I wiuld be very greatful for any help any one could give me. Thx.

Flashbang · September 19, 2012

Hi

You have two options...

One is to use DCC for everything. Then you will need a Point Accessory Decoder (PAD) Hornby part R8247. This connects to the DCC system via the rails or a DCC bus pair of wires if a bus is used. The Hornby PAD has four

separate outputs so four solenoid motors can be fed. In fact you can connect two motors to one output where a cross-over pair of points are to be moved together.

The Select as supplied with the 1.0Amp power supply really inst up to operating a layout and

PADs too. You can replace the power supply unit with the 4.0Amp version and this will be better. Hornby part P9300. https://www.hornby.com/shop/digital/p9300-digital-15v-4-amp-transformer/

The other alternative is to use the Select as the DCC loco control

and operate all the points by conventional (analogue) 16 volts ac feed from a totally separate power supply. Each point is then worked by a R044 black passing contact lever or a sprung top centre off toggle switch

To note: You mention you are conversant

with programming locos. Do be aware the Select cannot alter CVs other than the few its pre programmed to do - Address number 1 to 59. Normal direction of travel. Acceleration and deceleration rates. If you wish to adjust CVs to obtain the best performance

from your locos, then you will need the Elite or other DCC system tyhast capable of writing CVs.

LukiP · September 19, 2012

Flashbang said:

Hi
You have two options...
One is to use DCC for everything. Then you will need a Point Accessory Decoder (PAD) Hornby part R8247. This connects to the DCC system via the rails or a DCC bus pair of wires if a bus is

used. The Hornby PAD has four separate outputs so four solenoid motors can be fed. In fact you can connect two motors to one output where a cross-over pair of points are to be moved together.
The Select as supplied with the 1.0Amp power supply really inst

up to operating a layout and PADs too. You can replace the power supply unit with the 4.0Amp version and this will be better. Hornby part P9300. https://www.hornby.com/shop/digital/p9300-digital-15v-4-amp-transformer/

The other alternative is to use

the Select as the DCC loco control and operate all the points by conventional (analogue) 16 volts ac feed from a totally separate power supply. Each point is then worked by a R044 black passing contact lever or a sprung top centre off toggle switch

To

note: You mention you are conversant with programming locos. Do be aware the Select cannot alter CVs other than the few its pre programmed to do - Address number 1 to 59. Normal direction of travel. Acceleration and deceleration rates. If you wish to adjust

CVs to obtain the best performance from your locos, then you will need the Elite or other DCC system tyhast capable of writing CVs.

LukiP · September 19, 2012

Thanks so much, i think i can follow it slightly better now. Is it cheaper to controll all the accessories through the select or to controll them seperately? And where can i buy a sufficient power supply if i use switches?

Thanks though :) :)

LukiP · September 19, 2012

Sorry... Not sure how that copy of you post got there... :/

Gregd99 · September 19, 2012

it is definitely cheaper to use momentary contact switches than an accessory decoder.

in my opinion dcc control of points really only makes sense if you want to control your layout from a pc.... but this needs an elite not a select.

the other

reason I have heard put forward is if you control your layout form a walkabout throttle.

there is no right./wrong answer. it depends on your interests.

Flashbang · September 19, 2012

Hi

For separate power supplies suitable to operate a solenoid point motors you will need to look beyond Hornby, though if you upgraded and used the 4.0amp PSU I linked to in an earlier post to feed the Select you can then use the 15volt dc outlet on

the Select for this. But not with the Selects supplied 1.0Amp PSU.

Unfortunately, as this forum is run by Hornby we are not permitted to post links to other suppliers! But for suitable 16 to 24 volt ac PSUs (Power Supply Units) look at Gaugemaster, Rail

room Electronics or simply Google 16 volt PSU. You would need a PSU that can provide a minimum of 1.0Amp or more at 16-24 volts ac.

Fishmanoz · September 19, 2012

If you want to learn more about the Select and the PAD, you can find their manuals under Downloads in the menus on the left of this site, then Instruction Manuals, then Digital Instruction Manuals. While you are there, you can look at the Elite manual

and see how much more capable it is over the Select.

Trackie · September 30, 2012

Hi,

I'm new to model railways and this is my first post. Recently bought a Hornby kit to build the layout on the Trakmat - with all the extension packs and seven surface mounted points motors to go with it. It has the Select controller. I have the locos

working but the points motors don't work, even with no locos on the track. I can get them to work if I hold them in my hand, but as soon as I connect them to the track they will throw the points out, but not bring them back. They seem to be not strong enough

to do the job. Is this because the power supply in the Select is too small? I note a previous post by Flashbang:

"The Select as supplied with the 1.0Amp power supply really inst (isn't?) up to operating a layout and PADs too. You can replace the power

supply unit with the 4.0Amp version and this will be better. Hornby part P9300. https://www.hornby.com/shop/digital/p9300-digital-15v-4-amp-transformer/"

I would appreciate any comments. If I was to buy the P9300 to get up to 4 amps I would like to be assured

that it is all going to work.

Thanks

Rog RJ · September 30, 2012

Trackie said:

Hi,
I'm new to model railways and this is my first post. Recently bought a Hornby kit to build the layout on the Trakmat - with all the extension packs and seven surface mounted points motors to go with it. It has the Select

controller. I have the locos working but the points motors don't work, even with no locos on the track. I can get them to work if I hold them in my hand, but as soon as I connect them to the track they will throw the points out, but not bring them back. They

seem to be not strong enough to do the job. Is this because the power supply in the Select is too small? I note a previous post by Flashbang:
"The Select as supplied with the 1.0Amp power supply really inst (isn't?) up to operating a layout and PADs too.

You can replace the power supply unit with the 4.0Amp version and this will be better. Hornby part P9300. https://www.hornby.com/shop/digital/p9300-digital-15v-4-amp-transformer/"
I would appreciate any comments. If I was to buy the P9300 to get up to 4

amps I would like to be assured that it is all going to work.
Thanks

This same problem came up in another post the other day.
Here is my reply
A point operating one way but not the other can often be caused by having the common © wire

crossed with one of the "direction" wires, either green or red. Hornby use black as the common on points.

PS You will almost certainly have problems operating point motors directly from the Select with the standard power supply, it's just not powerful

enough.

Trackie · September 30, 2012

Hi Roj,

Thanks for that - I had the black wire in the wrong place. I did as you suggested and all is working fine (at least for the one points motor I have installed so far).

Would be nice if they had put that in the manual. They also talk about

+ve and -ve wires in the manual but don't say which colour is which.

Regards

Geoff

Trackie · October 1, 2012

I have a question about the use of the surface mounted points motor with the Select Controller.

When I select a loco with the Select Controller it always show the direction of travel on the controller (ie one of the direction keys is lit up). However,

when I select a points motor, it doesn't show which direction it is set (none of the direction keys are lit). I then have to make a visual check on the actual points to see if I have pressed the correct direction arrow to change the setting. Does anyone else

think this is a problem?

I am starting to think there might be a convention - eg the left arrow means the points motor pushes it's arm out, the right brings it in, but as I have only installed one motor so far I am not sure. It would be nice to have the

arrow lit up showing the current state of the motor when it is selected.

Flashbang · October 1, 2012

Hi

According to page 24 of the Select manual headed 'Operation', one of the Selects direction arrow LEDs should light for approx. 1 second to show the points direction selected.

Dwarfboysim · October 12, 2012

Definitely get the 4 AMP power supply for the Select. I was then able to control 20 sets of points happily.

Thanks,

Dwarfboysim

Rog (RJ) said:

Trackie said:

Hi,

I'm new to model railways and this

is my first post. Recently bought a Hornby kit to build the layout on the Trakmat - with all the extension packs and seven surface mounted points motors to go with it. It has the Select controller. I have the locos working but the points motors don't work,

even with no locos on the track. I can get them to work if I hold them in my hand, but as soon as I connect them to the track they will throw the points out, but not bring them back. They seem to be not strong enough to do the job. Is this because the power

supply in the Select is too small? I note a previous post by Flashbang:

"The Select as supplied with the 1.0Amp power supply really inst (isn't?) up to operating a layout and PADs too. You can replace the power supply unit with the 4.0Amp version and this

will be better. Hornby part P9300. https://www.hornby.com/shop/digital/p9300-digital-15v-4-amp-transformer/"

I would appreciate any comments. If I was to buy the P9300 to get up to 4 amps I would like to be assured that it is all going to work.

Thanks

This

same problem came up in another post the other day.

Here is my reply

A point operating one way but not the other can often be caused by having the common © wire crossed with one of the "direction" wires, either green or red. Hornby use black as the

common on points.

PS You will almost certainly have problems operating point motors directly from the Select with the standard power supply, it's just not powerful enough.

VirginPendolino. · October 19, 2012