Someone familiar with Tam Valley Octo controller would serve me well here. I am trying to automate a turnout that is running an automated three point reversing circuit (A to B, B to A, A to C and Finally C to A) I need the turnout to throw automatically ... Any ideas? I am using Tam valley turnout controllers so most of this is ready to go I just don't want to have to push a button to throw the turnout. One thing that I have thought of is a feather micro switch under the track. But what I do not know is what are the ramifications and implication for the switch being depressed for over a minute.
Magnet and reed switch perhaps? I use 18” cube on the bottom of my PCCs to trigger the reversing main, I have Tomix switches on trolley line so they don’t get thrown but serve as spring switches.
While working on other aspects of the layout ... I did give this idea some consideration, However, how does one prevent the agnet from tripping twice on the same reed? (trip the reed on the way in and trip again on the way out widing up with the turn out right where is started.)
You’d have the same issue with any sensor. For mine they are in the reversing loops so only can go over once per trip.
No experience with Tam Valley controllers but I use an Azatrax unit to automatically throw a turnout one way when a train passes over an optical sensor, and the other way when it passes over a different sensor. Performance has been flawless. They sell both motor and solenoid versions for $40, and sell just the sensors too for half that. http://www.azatrax.com/dual-train-detector.html
I haven't used Tam Valley products. I just looked at their site. Their servos work from a single switch. Activate them, and they move. Whatever position they're in, they move to the other position. That may make it easy. You ensure the trolley doesn't trip the servo twice by positioning the reed switch under the station at A. Since that's the end of the line, the trolley doesn't pass over it twice. But the trolley does park on it. Now, that would burn out an old school Atlas servo, because they aren't designed to take constant power. The Tam Valley servos don't have that problem. They get triggered and they run to their other position, and then stop. But they might have another problem. They show a vid where the servo is activated by a pushbutton. The vast majority of pushbuttons are momentary switches, which means it only passes power along while someone is holding it. The site says it can be operated by a toggle switch. That's confusing, because many toggles are momentary switches, but most aren't. The question is, how are their servo controllers set up? We know if the servo is in one position, the controller sends it to the other position. That part is perfect. But what happens if someone holds the button down for a while? There are two possibilities. One is, the servo moves, then ignores the continuous activation signal. In that setup, it won't reset until the signal stops. That would be perfect. Every time the trolley stops on the Reed switch at A, the turnout will move to the other position. But if the control system isn't set up to ignore a continuous activation signal until it stops, there's a problem. While the trolley is sitting on the Reed switch, the servo controller will activate the servo over and over. Every time it finishes a cycle, the controller will send it the other way. The turnout points will keep wig wagging back and forth until the trolley leaves Station A. Whether it goes to B or C will depend on if the servo did an odd number of cycles or an even number. Is anyone using Tam Valley controllers? Do you use momentary switches to control them? If you hold the switch down, does the turnout move once, or do the points keep moving back and forth?
Make your own with an arduino, some IR sensors and motor controllers or just a relay and an external throttle. The Arduino can also throw a switch based on an IR or reed switch.
