Francis-Dublin Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 Cobalt iP Digital (dccconcepts.com) All I want is a panel with switches to run Hornby point motors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 (edited) Overkill in my opinion. Is it a "mimic panel" you want, where the switches are on a plan of the track? That's the style I prefer. Make your own panel and use push buttons, momentary toggle switches, or even simple stud-and-probe to fire the points. Use a CDU so they get a good but brief "thump". Push buttons. This is actually my preferred method. Centre-off momentary toggle switches. They take up less room than having 2 push buttons per point, but if you're also using toggle switches for track isolating sections and signals etc. it can become a forest of toggles with some momentary, some latching both ways and some simple on/off! Hence the different colour of covers on the second photo. Blue = points, green = signals, yellow and white = track sections. Stud-and probe. You can't get much simpler than this, but when I had this style on a more complex layout back in the 80s I used to get the probe and the hand-held controller tangled up! Edited August 25 by ntpntpntp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 If it's not a mimic panel you want, the simple option is to create a bank of switches like an old signal box lever frame, like the Hornby or Peco point lever switches. You need to number them on a plan to remember which lever is which point (which is why I prefer a mimic panel with the switch actually on the plan). I'd still recommend a CDU however I think I've read on here that the Hornby momentary levers don't play well with CDUs (Peco's levers are ok). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis-Dublin Posted August 25 Author Share Posted August 25 15 minutes ago, ntpntpntp said: Stud-and probe. You can't get much simple than this, but when I had this style on a more complex layout back in the 80s I used to get the probe and the hand-held controller tangled up! Phot 4. What are the the switches at the bottom left and bottom right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 14 minutes ago, Francis-Dublin said: Phot 4. What are the the switches at the bottom left and bottom right? The one on the left (the big slide switch with yellow bezel) is for my traverser. The round white one on the right is for my turntable. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
What About The Bee Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 36 minutes ago, ntpntpntp said: The one on the left (the big slide switch with yellow bezel) is for my traverser. Very nice NTP! Bee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 (edited) I don't think it is overkill at all, it's just another way of operating your points. I have twenty five Cobalt iP Digital point motors on my layout, and they are wired for both digital and toggle switch operation. I can operate them all from my Hornby Elite or by toggle (on-off-on) switches on a panel. They do not require a CDU or accessory decoder, as all the point motors have a decoder built in. I programme the point motor number before installing them. I have also wired Dapol Semaphore signals to the point motors - point changes as the signal changes. Having recently had to remove my control panel, it will be replaced using Cobalt Alpha push-button switches. The Cobalts take their power from the track using droppers. On cross-overs you just programme two Cobalts with the same number. There is nothing wrong with stud and probe - It's all down to personal choice. Edited August 25 by Bulleidboy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis-Dublin Posted August 27 Author Share Posted August 27 Had a look at Brian Lambert's site, I'm frazzled Also the Hornby surface mounted point motor instruction leaflet is very confusing. R8243 Surface Mounted Point Motor Multilingual.pdf (lendonsmodelshop.co.uk) The diagramme shows 3 wires going to a terminal block and shows 3 wires coming from the track but not where they connect to the track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
What About The Bee Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 Ermmm..... Francis, The instructions show how to control the point motor, to get the points to move from diverging to non-diverging or visa versa. The Hornby diagram (2A, 2B) shows the connection to the point motor, as the point motor needs power to operate. The instructions do not to show how to power the track. The track is wired separately. Further, the diagram is for DC operation, not DCC. If I remember properly, you are investigating DCC. If so, the diagrams Hornby present are not appropriate. Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 Bee, maybe check the topic title? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
What About The Bee Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 @Fishmanoz Doh! Well that is a hilarious error on my part. Yes, this is for DC, just as the title says. Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis-Dublin Posted August 27 Author Share Posted August 27 While I'm here, what is the best way to strip insulation from the centre of a bus, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 (edited) You can buy wire strippers that will pull apart the outer covering on wire - very useful when soldering droppers from your track to a bus cable. Usually available on ebay for about £10. Edited August 27 by Bulleidboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 Above are the ones I use, and I am sure you can get them in UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 5 hours ago, Francis-Dublin said: While I'm here, what is the best way to strip insulation from the centre of a bus, The alternative to stripping is to use splicing connectors which pierce the insulation, for example some of the Wago connectors that people mention in discussions about wiring. I admit I've never used them, I simply insert a distribution board into the bus every so often and wire the feeds to that. Given my boards are modular and roughly 1m long, one distribution board mounted centrally on each board is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brew Man Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 I have Wago connectors and I still have to strip the ends before insertion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 @Brew Man Depends which connectors you're using I guess? They certainly offer IDC connectors which cut through the insulation themselves. Personally I still prefer soldering to a tag board, or using a distribution board with screw terminals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis-Dublin Posted August 28 Author Share Posted August 28 On 25/08/2024 at 21:35, ntpntpntp said: Overkill in my opinion. Is it a "mimic panel" you want, where the switches are on a plan of the track? That's the style I prefer. Make your own panel and use push buttons, momentary toggle switches, or even simple stud-and-probe to fire the points. Use a CDU so they get a good but brief "thump". Push buttons. This is actually my preferred method. Centre-off momentary toggle switches. They take up less room than having 2 push buttons per point, but if you're also using toggle switches for track isolating sections and signals etc. it can become a forest of toggles with some momentary, some latching both ways and some simple on/off! Hence the different colour of covers on the second photo. Blue = points, green = signals, yellow and white = track sections. Stud-and probe. You can't get much simpler than this, but when I had this style on a more complex layout back in the 80s I used to get the probe and the hand-held controller tangled up! How did you do the graphics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 (edited) 2 hours ago, Francis-Dublin said: How did you do the graphics? Car pinstripe tape from Halfords, stuck directly to the aluminium panel top. The lines on the panel in the top photo have been in place since 1995 and survived dozens of exhibitions 🙂 Edited August 28 by ntpntpntp 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis-Dublin Posted August 28 Author Share Posted August 28 4 hours ago, ntpntpntp said: Car pinstripe tape from Halfords, stuck directly to the aluminium panel top. The lines on the panel in the top photo have been in place since 1995 and survived dozens of exhibitions 🙂 Go faster stripes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 That's why they had boiler band lining then !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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