switch control

[oleirish]

[:)] I'am doing a small lay out,I'am useing DCC,I bought the book"DCC made easy"by model railroader.It talks a little about running switches from DCC but not how to do IT,Does someone on this forum no how to sit up switches to run from DCC?I know I need de-coders and such.[:)]A little help here would be nice an thanks?

OLE'IRISH

[rrinker]

What you need is called a "stationary decoder" (as opposed to "mobile decoders" which go in the locomotives). All the major manufacturers produce them, with varying features. The cheapest ones are mainly for stall motors liek Tortoises, because they draw very little power and consequently do not need a lot of extra electronics on the board. But you can get ones made for twin col switch motors liek Atlas and peco, if that's what you use.
Some allow buttons for local control, some have provisions for programming routes into the device, etc.
Like the mobile decoders, stationary decoders are compatible across brands, so there's nothing wrong with using NCE Switch-It stationary decoders with a Digitrax DCC system.

-Randy

[Anonymous]

Yea i also had a question on this subject.
Hope you don't mind oleirish

Most of you guys that have dcc do you run your switches on your DCC system or do you just run them normally like with DC
What do you use?

[rrinker]

For now I'm running mine like you would on a DC layout - toggle switches on a control panel. Multiple control panels, located at various switching sites though, not one master control panel. I for one do not like the concept of changing turnouts from the DCC controller. It's a combersome process at best, no matter what brand of DCC system, and doesn;t lend itself to true dispatcher controlled interlockings - anyone with a DCC controller could throw the switch, even if the dispatcher didn't want them to.
I was planning on incorporating Bruce Chubb's C/MRI system to handle occupancy detection and signalling, but I may instead use the LocoIO board and/or the soon to be released RR-CirKits Tower Controller so I don;t have to run an additional signal carrying system around the layout, instead just hook into the loconet cabling that I will be running around the layout anyway.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

Bruce Chubb's C/MRI system

LocoIO board

What are those?
Soorry I am new at this

[rrinker]

C/MRI is the Computer/Model Railroad Interface. First presented in MR in the mid-80's, and updated last year. See http://www.jlcenterprises.com. Basically, it is a series of boards that hook up to your computer and provide connections for input switches and block detectors, and outputs to power turnouts and signal lights. It is available as plain circuit boards, kits with all parts, and completley assembled.
LocoIO is a home-built board that does essentially the same thing - connect input switches and signal outputs, except that the connection between boards and back to the computer via Digitrax's Loconet bus (same connection as between Digitrax throttles and boosters).

--Randy

[oleirish]

Thanks a lot guys info filed,After reading the answers here maybe I'll stick with regular switchs,tortoises switch may,I under stand the it uses 12Volt dc?

[rrinker]

Yup, 12V DC. That's the max, they run a little slower (and quieter) under 9V. But if you put LEDs in series with the motor for indications (another benefit of the Tortoise - no resistors are needed for the LEDs.) it will dropt he voltage a bit so 12V for a source is good. Doesn;t need a lot of power, either - a little wall-wart plug in power supply from Radio Shack is PLENTY for many Tortoises.

--Randy