i recently purchased 20 dcc-decoder and servo sets from tam valley depot. Tam Valley Depot two of these are already installed. installation is quite easy, programming straight forward. the servos are very small but a bit on the noisy side. did some extensive testing. here's what i like : - rather cheap - easy installation - quick shipping - good communication thru emails (-> good customer support) here's what i don't like : - servos seem to make a full motion when powering on the dcc-system - noisy servos also during testing i encountered some software hangs of the turnout decoders. i had to power down the whole system several times. ( i run a digitrax system ... chief II 8amps plus bigboy 5amps as secondary booster). maybe i just messed up the system. in the past i used digitrax stationary decoders and tortoise slow speed motors. unfortunately the decoders burned out frequently which caused me to search for alternatives. in my opinion these tam valley depot dcc-turnout-servo-control thingies are a good alternative. cheap enough to keep a spare or two. i'm happy enough to order some more to power all of the turnouts as well as jnj grade crossing gates.
I think I'm diggin that. I might look more into that, just for the LED indiction. Not so sure I can use the servo, but I could use the LED indication part of the circuit...
Here's another alternative; Team Digital SRC16/MotoD. Will control 16 turnouts for $80 or $5 per turnout. You can also get a 12 pack of tortoises for $160 or $13.33 each. Total cost $18.33 per turnout. The SRC16 can plug into the DCC control bus and can use its own power supply so that you do not tax the DCC track bus. The big problem with using the track bus is that if you short out the turnout by running a loce against it, there's no power to throw the turnout to correct the problem. You have to remove the short and then throw the turnout. CV on the SRC16 are a little complicated, but if you use decoder pro its not too bad. Daryl
just got an email from duncan. - the issue with the noisy servos is simply a matter of the cost of the servos. spent a few bucks more and the noise is gone. - the issue with the full motion when powering on also seems to be a problem with ultra-cheap servos. i will perform tests with some high-end servos i have left over from my days as r/c car racer.
Try adjusting the endpoints to get rid of the buzz I bought the Tam Valley Singlet last year. They made a constant buzz, which was actually caused by the servo end point being set beyond the throw travel of the turnout points. I adjusted the servo end-points on the decoder to get rid of the buzz. But the Singlets I had kept forgetting where their endpoints were and the annoying buzz kept returning. (Read My Blog Entry: Singlet Servo Decoder) If you are buying more servo decoders, you may want to check out Team Digital's SMC4. I bought a couple after trying out the Singlet and I am totally happy with it. I haven't run into any of the problems I had with the Singlet. And I'm using them with super cheap servos. BTW - Here is my video of the Singlet in use, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBrAD2iFj38 Now that I've tried servo motor turnout control, I'm sold. I'm not going to pull out the 36 Tortoise motors I already have installed (yet), but going forward I'm installing servos. (Read My Blog Entry: Servo Motor Turnout Control - Servos)
I really like the size of these small servos because it solves some issues on a layout that I have not built yet, becauseI'm still working on design issues. I am concerned about the noise. It just doesn’t sound right. It’s like it’s still trying to turn. I’m afraid it will not last very long.
Ok, i entangled operators, sorry. By the way, which of above mentioned suppliers has the best internet stores? I plan to order it via internet, using shipping via post. ------ Thanks, Vadim.
I have lots of NCE "Switch-it" decoders powering Tortoise motors and never had a single one burn out. However, I'd like to try the TAM decoder/ servo combo for very tight installations on my thin upper deck where I don't want the Tortoise hanging down below the thin fascia board. Question: can the TAM decoders be MACROed fro multiple routes? Thanks for any feedback..
Vadim, nothing to be sorry: I'm joking! What I can say about e-shops (I use it all the way from here, like you) is: Litchfield Station is VERY good one but a bad news is Bruce is planning to close and retire(?) ... Anyway I've send an order yesterday... and just received a mail about my shippment was done! A serious alternative can be Tony'sTrain Xchange despite he take longer to ship back. I've hear positive feedback also for ACCU-LITES,Inc and DCCTRAIN,LLC but I never have experienced it. As the manufacturer is in US I think the euopean shops are more expensive? Maybe: I don't know! Cheers
Sandro I'm curious of your comment of Singlet hot temperature, as I've some Octopus and one Singlet and never note that problem. You're correct about programming the correct stop to avoid servo noise. I've used to power the driver not the DCC tracks voltage but a separate 12Vdc PSU. Maybe the pulsed track voltage is too high? 2 cents
The singlet and the SMC4 both seem awesome. Would love to see a picture of the Singlet integrated into a control panel or fascia. I don't like the look of the push buttons but having it all ready to go is hard to beat.
Well Sandro... Ops.... GREG? Anyway... Yesterday night I've leave my Singlet connected for more than an hour and operate several times... and was "hot" as any electronic circuit, no more. :thumbs_up: ?
Hello I searched and analysed Lenz and Team Digital decoders at DCC Train store. Team Digital SRC16 - cannot find out. I found Team Digital SMD 82 decoder. The cost per turnout is about $8. as at Lenz LS150. I cannot see the difference. Where i can found $5 per turnout? --------- Thanks, Vadim
