As it says in my new member post, I am trying to finish my late husband's layout for my grandson. It's only about 6'x3', has 7 points (manual). Control is DCC but my grandson would like a panel for controlling the points rather than through the multimaus hand controller. My late husband had bought, arduino, servos etc etc but I am trying to decide whether I would be better using something like peck point motors (to a panel with LEDs ) or via the arduino mega to the servos and panel. Although I picked up the absolute basics of using arduinos, I would have to copy and paste programming for control as it seems to be a bit complex for a learner's first project. Any suggestions on peco motors vs servos would be appreciated. I am quite happy using a soldering iron because it's the same shape as hair straighteners! ;-). X
Unless you are just excited about learning Arduino, I would suggest commercial controls. Either servos with the Tam Valley Depot controllers, or the peck switch motors with maybe a Digitrax DS64 or equivalent. Arduino can be tons of fun but unless you just want to you will burn a lot of modeling hours learning.
Tam Valley Depot and Barrett Hill make products that will operate servos as switch motors and appear to be pretty much plug and play. There may be others, but these are the two I know about.
Well I did some reading of Jim's notes and sat up all night the other night and fiddled with boxes of arduinos, wires, "sketches" and other odd shaped "tools" and have managed to assemble a servo, plus bits and a sketch that will move a servo wire a button for each turnout direction. Had no idea it was so much fun playing with "tools". ;-) no wonder he was so happy up in the loft! I'm sure that what I have managed to cobble together will do but there are probably better ways of doing it but at least it works. When this is refined a bit I will have to go out and see about making a control panel in the shed. Poor me.....Bigger noiser tools!!!
Tools are cool. Happy to hear of your success with Arduino and servos. At one time I had a hard wired control panel but in the end I created a rats nest of wires that was hard to maintain or modify. Then I created a control panel using JMRI and very much appreciate the flexibility. I used Team Digital SMD switch controllers and very happy with them. http://www.teamdigital1.com/prod_catalogue/smd84_product/smd84.html I look forward to hearing about your adventures.
Great to hear of your success with the Arduino! The exact converse of my advice above... if you DO find messing with the Arduino fun, GO FOR IT!
As the saying goes there are many ways to skin a cat and everyone has their favorite. So too there are many ways to operate switches (turnouts). They range from the simplest to the complex. Over the years I tried a few starting with twin coil machines but after burning up a bunch decided to go a different route and went with the Del-Aire pneumatic motors. They were simpler to install, operate as well as maintain and a vast improvement over the twin coil machines. Plus with no wiring they did not add to the wire jungle under the layout. They did need an air supply. Unfortunately De-Aire went out of business and I can't find any suitable pneumatic replacement. So in any new turnouts the points are thrown manually which I think is preferable for larger walk around layouts.
Hi Twindad, would hate you to think I was disregarding your advice, I did look at that and still consider it an option, as I do Hoydens suggestion. It was just that all those parts were to hand and YouTube videos basically had the instructions. As this is a basic layout for my grandson and I will not be extending or changing it much, this will probably be good enough. A big BUT here though.......I think I have caught the n gauge disease. In the back of my mind I can see me doing a shelf layout for myself. I will probably want it to be an "any time period" layout as I don't even know if I prefer steam to diesel yet, or Europe, British or USA etc etc. More decisions, more questions will no doubt be springing up. H
Oh boy Hannah! You do know what you're getting yourself into do you? Soon you'll be posting layout pictures and telling us what unique find you got at a train show!
Pragmatic railroading in action using the tools and materials at hand. My railroad hardware tends to stick around so long as it is paying the bills and doing the job. Sounds like you may be at the summit and contemplating the metaphorical descent down the 3% grade leading into model railroading. I look forward to whatever you share about your journey.
It looks like you have got the servos working, so you are well on the way to appreciating the low cost and slow motion capabilities of servos. Before you embark on a control panel think about using a computerised panel. A computer panel might be cheaper to achieve and there is some great free software out there to control everything such as JMRI or Rocrail. Setting these up should be quite easy after doing the Arduino stuff, and since they are free you lose nothing if you want to wire up a physical panel. We are entering the age when the younger generation likes to control everything from a tablet or smart phone! Suzie x
Hi Suzie Yes, I did think about that and asked him. He lives down by the west Somerset railway, and loves the idea of throwing a physical switch like in the signal boxes there. I think I have been awake for 5 days watching YouTube and reading blogs and when I do my own (which it seems has become inevitable) I may use jmri and try the "DCC++" idea. I have already thought that I may base my layout on parts of the wsr and then I can run whatever I end up getting into. Now.........I wonder if a tablet, jmri and Jazz would make for improved control?!!!
DCC Concepts do some nice switches which should give an old fashioned signal box feel:- https://www.dccconcepts.com/product...lection/cobalt-signal-levers-and-accessories/
