I was under the impression that the Rokuhan switches were triggered by a pulse that flipped it from one configuration to the other and that you could connect X number of switches, LH, RH, to switch together and that the setting of the individual switches, whether straight ahead, or diverted, didn't matter. I'm finding that this is not so and am asking the train gurus on the board if there's a way to make the crossover configuration shown below to all switch using one master switch. Shown below are diagrams of the configuration where I'd like all of the switches to activate at the same time... In the double crossover, there are 3 RH and 1 LH switch connected with a crossing. Assuming "straight ahead" is the A position and switched is the B position, then for this to work, the switches 1, 2 and 3 are set at A while 4 is set to B and vice versa. When I set the switches manually to this configuration then wire them together, only switches 1, 2 fire; 3 and 4 flicker but do nothing. If I connect 1, 2, 3 together, they work correctly. If I connect 1, 2, 4 together, only 1 and 2 work. If I put switches 1, 2, 3 on one toggle then 4 on the second toggle, I can get them to work, but that means flipping two switches instead of one. Interestingly, if I connect switches 3 and 4 together and start 3 in A and 4 in B, the first time I activate the toggle, one switches to put them both in the AA or BB mode, then they switch together, but I can't get them to switch from AB to BA. What gives? View attachment 51309
Rokuhan turnouts are two wire control which uses reversing polarity DC. Twin coil turnouts are three wire using AC. Rokuhan is a plug and play system requiring no manual wiring soldering irons or screw drivers. Rokuhan does provide a way of controlling the turnouts independently of a Rokuhan Controller. You need RKC002 plus either RkA011U AC adaptor or RKAC10 AC power cord. the AC adaptor is a wall transformer with plug that plug into the RKC002 for completely independent power and control of your turnouts, and the RKC002 can be stack with others so only the one power source is needed for many control levers in series. alternatively the RKC002 and be power from the 12vac or 16vac accessory terminals found on most North American train controllers. controller from Rokuhan already has two control levers included in the case but the RKC002 can still be stacked on the side for additional turnout controls. The smaller RKRC02 controller has snap connections to add the RKC02 to the side of it as well. If you are using Rokuhan turnouts you also need to know that they come shipped as power routing which is different from Marklin and Micro Trains turnouts. The most recent Rokuhan turnouts RKR039 and RKR040 come with 4 screws, 2 of which are requiredto be placed as per the instruction sheet in the base of the turnout to convert the power routing turnouts to non power routing or power everywhere just like the Marklin and Micro Trains turnouts. There is an additional accessory wiring cable that can assist you in this cross over and that is RKA005 the "Y" connector which allows you to connect two turnouts to one control switch. I think you can get one lever to control the whole thing if you connect 1 can 3 to one y cable and two and four to one y cable and then connect those two Y cables to a third Y cable and that to a single control lever. Never having done this configuration I am not sure it will give you what you want but I know that 1 and 3 connected together will open and close the bypass around the cross over qith one control lever and connecting 2 and 4 together on the other side will do the same thing on that side, so I think that connecting those two bypass routes together you can get either the two bypass routes open or the cross over open.
As Garth indicated, Rokuhan switches are triggered by a DC pulse. The polarity of the DC pulse controls what route will be set. The crossing you show can easily be controlled with a very simple circuit powered by a 6-12 volt AC source. To control the route, you only need two pushbuttons and two diodes (1N4004 or equivalent). Here is the circuit: What the drawing does not show is the polarity of the wires to each switch. This is most easily determined by trial and error. Wire them all up, push a button, and see what they do. Then flip the wires to the switches that are not being set in proper direction. You should be able to replace the pushbuttons and diodes with a Rokuhan switch controller. Again, trial and error will indicate the switch wiring polarity.
OK, thanks for your input. In response to Mark M's post, I am using the standard Rokuhan power supply with the two integral switches. I did try revering the polarity of switch #4, but just got a twitch and no actual switching of positions. Will try again the weekend with David's suggested circuit and report back later. While the splitters supplied by Rokuhan are nice, I think it will be just as easy to wire the leads together and solder them once I figure this out. Thanks, again, guys.
Since you just get a twitch on #4, my thought still remains not enough power. Don't know how much power the Rokuhan supply can provide thru it's switches, but I can see the current surge looking like 1/4 A per turnout. You'd also get the same effect with a high resistance connection in the splitters. You may be able to check them out by attaching the problem turnout in a different order. Of course then the problem will just disappear never knowing what the problem was. David's circuit is rather clever although I'd run separate lines to each turnout. Good luck on the problem. Mark
The rokuhan switch motor is composed of a magnet rare earth type and a coil. the magnet is repulsed or attracted to the coil by apply DC of one polarity to attract and the opposite to repulse the magnet and that causes the points to move with the throw bar. The circuitry inside the turnout also cut the power to the coil when thrown so it can not burnout the coil if even if you hold the lever in one position or the other. The levers are set up so pushing he lever away from you sets the straight through route and pulling it to you sets the diverging route. Rokuhan turnout levers are made so when they change sides a spring returns it to the open contact position another way of stopping continuous current on the single coil. The turnouts operate on 12vdc but will continue to operate down to 6vdc dependably. If you apply AC to the coil it just sits and oscillates at the frequency of the AC and will eventually burn the coil and melt plastic if left connected to the coil for any length of time. There is enough power to throw 4 switches at one time because I am doing that with the C001 controller. The current required to fire the turnout is micro amps not milliamp. A 1/4 amps is 250 milliamps typical of twin coil switch machines. the coil in the Rokuhan switch machine is very fine magnet wire and is wound flat on the throw bar and not radially around a tube with a magnet inside to act as the throw bar. The coil is about the diameter of the outside radius of a flange on a scale 33 inch wheel in Z scale and the magnet is about the thickness of a z scale wheeltread, and the same diameter as the coil of wire. If you decide to open the Rokuhan turnout be very careful as the very fine coil wire is easily broken and unless you are really good at soldering micro circuitry with the right type of iron and point, and solder, you will have trouble making a new connection.
Garth's post #8 seems to explain everything....up is straight ahead and I'm trying to set switches 1,2,3 straight ahead and #4 diverging which clearly isn't working. I will try David's suggestion using a 10VAC transformer and the diodes to convert to DC.
Lots of information to be found on Rokuhan switches, including a look inside, starting here: http://jamesriverbranch.net/clinic_4.htm Since it's a schematic, it doesn't represent how to physically wire the switches. I agree that the best approach is to run wires for each switch separately, and then join all of the wires at the control panel. This will also make it easier to change the polarity of any given switch, as needed.
