How to wire tortoise switches and frogs for dcc

[phillipbayly]

I am using Peco code 83, Electrofrog #8 turnouts. I have installed tortoise switches and am now trying to work out how to wire them. Should I use the bus wire from my Lenz 100 unit to power the tortoise, or a seperate power source. If so how and how do I wire the frog? I am intending to make a panel with green and red LED's to show which way the turnout is open but I had trouble understanding the wiring diagram that came with the tortoise switches. Appreciate any help> regards Phil

[locoworks]

the instructions are quite straight forward really, the confusion is that they show multiple different options to power the motor, AC or DC, 1 PSU or 2, single pole switch or double,etc etc and decideing what you want to do gets all fuzzed. what would help, is to know if you are intending to control the points using your DCC system, or whether you are just controling the points using switches in a control panel??   regarding feeding the frog power. that is the same for all options and requires one of the accessory switches on the tortoise to change it.   wire from one rail ( or the bus ) to one side of the switch, the other rail or bus to the other, and the output to the frog.

[phillipbayly]

I am thinking to use switches on a control panel. How would I control the points using my DCC system? I understand what you mean with the frog wiring and it makes sense. My concern was if I used a separate power source for the tortoise. Thanks for that

[locoworks]

you can control points with a DCC system by using an accessory decoder ( there are lots to choose from ).   powering the actual tortoise switch machine itself  when using switches in panels will require a seperate PSU, be that AC or DC ( back to those complicated confusing instructions ?? ) one exception i can think of for not having a seperate PSU is using the DCC system to control the points using a Digitrax DS44, this unit is designed to take all its power requirements and instructions/commands from the rails or the  bus and can control 4 points. the only downside is that if you have lots ( thats lots ) of point motors and only a lower amp system, the current consumption of the points could zap train running power and lessen the amount of loco's you could run.

[rrinker]

 Most DCC stationary decoders get their powe from the track. The DS64 is one of the few that allows you to use an independent power supply, if you have a Digitrax system. The commands come over the Loconet.

 Personally I find operating turnouts from any DCC handheld to be rather cumbersome. However if you want to hook up a computer and make virtual panels in JMRI it works out well. It is also best practive to put the track in one or more power districts using electronic circuit breakers so that if a train derails or runs a switch and shorts out, power can still get the the stationary decoder to flip the points.

 You don;t HAVE to run them via DCC, Wiring the contacts up to power the frogs is completely independent of how you actual control the Tortoise - toggle switch, DCC decoder, come other control system - whatever you want. The frog wiring part is the same regardless.

                                            --Randy