starmanreasonably priced switch motor
I wish I knew. I'd like to see MR come up with a how to article, complete with parts list on how to use servos as switch motors.
Manufacturers seem to think that $14 (buying in quantity) to $22 is reasonable. I don't want to send this thread to the "This Hobby is Too Expensive" thread. Somebody thinks that's reasonable.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Well if you both want to really save money, make your own using control rods. Looks like you will have to crawl under the layout anyway.
I did that some years ago. I had the rods operate switches for power routing. I looked up varius types of switches in catalogs and using Google. Google helped me a lot. Rare that I have to ask in a forum.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Dare I mention there are other magazines for the hobby besides MR, that have already covered using servos. And in one case, the magazine is free. As are the back issues, including the one that shows how to make a servo switch machine controller.
There has been information posted by a few people in this forum on doing it as well.
Frankly, I am not a fan of controller turnouts via the DCC throttle - Digitrax, NCE, MRC, no matter WHAT system you have, you have to switch out of train control mode into accessory control mode, enter the address of the switch you want to throw, and then switch back to train control mode. Awkward at best regardless of the DCC system brand. Especially compared to just hitting a button right there on the fascia adjacent to the turnout being controlled. So, leaving the DCC part out of it, it is extremely cheap to motorize the turnouts using an Arduno and some servos. And pushbuttons. Detailed instructions including the code, so you don't have to write program, it's alreayd been done, are available on Goeff Bunza's web site.
If you don't want to DIY, Tam Valley makes some nice commercial modules to do this. The Octopus is the most inexpensive version, the basic Octo does not do DCC, just switches or buttons. You don't have to buy the servos from them, I get mine on ebay, usually 6 for less than $15 shipped. If ou do want DCC control, there is an add on board to the Octopus that adds a DCC controller.
After using servos on my last layout - I won't be going back to other swich motors. They work well and are very inexpensive. I am designing my own controller, which I have posted about here a few times. It's probably more complex than most people need due to my requirements for CTC control as wlel as local control and lockout of mainline turnouts, but everything will be freely available for anyone to copy - I'm not about to start selling anything. For simply controlling turnouts with servos, Dr. Bunza's circuits are much simpler. Just basic button/toggle switch control of servos to move the points, nothing fancy. Which makes them easy to duplicate and use.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
BigDaddy starman reasonably priced switch motor I wish I knew. I'd like to see MR come up with a how to article, complete with parts list on how to use servos as switch motors. Manufacturers seem to think that $14 (buying in quantity) to $22 is reasonable. I don't want to send this thread to the "This Hobby is Too Expensive" thread. Somebody thinks that's reasonable.
starman reasonably priced switch motor
Randy,
Everything I said still applies. I don't like trying to control turnouts from the throttle either.
As for Mel's hole - this is similar to using Peco's switch motors on their turnouts - they clip right to the bottom of the turnout, so you need to dig out a fairly large hole to fit it all. If you don't have a problem getting under the layout - you only need a small hole for the actuating wire. Or, you can mount the servo on top of the benchwork, off to the side. You'd have to hid them under structures, but then there would be no holes to cut out.
For underneath mount, there are several commercial mounts, or you cna literally just glue the servo to the underside of the layout. Or make your own sort of mount - using scrap wood, or small metal angles, all sorts of ways to go about it.
I appreciate the hints and wasn't aware of the other articles nor the octopus. Does Bunza have his own website? (I found his Facebook page and articles on another mag's site)
Looks like all his articles and circuits are now hosted as a blog section on the other magazine's forums. I thought he had an independent web site but all searches now just take me there. It is a master post with a listing (in reverse order - he sort of numbers each project) of each project name which is a link to the specific post on how to build that particular one. Not all have been published in the actual magazine.