So I have switched from an MRC Prodigy Advance Squared system to a Digitrax Super Chief Extra full duplex system. Not because I was dissatisfied with the MRC, it's a very good system. I went with the Digitrax for it's signaling and transponding capabilities (and my wife bought me the Digitrax for Christmas ).
I was using the MRC stationary AD 360 decoders before. They have red and green LED's to show the position of the turnout. I have since switched to Digitrax DS64 decoders that don't have this feature. CSX Robert gave provided a schematic to wire LED's to turnouts that have a powered frog. I'm using Kato Unitrack so this works great for my #4 turnouts but not my #6's as they don't have powered frogs.
Does anyone have a way to wire LED's to turnouts with non-powered frogs? I don't want to have to use a separate decoder to work the LED's if I don't have to.
JDVassDoes anyone have a way to wire LED's to turnouts with non-powered frogs? I don't want to have to use a separate decoder to work the LED's if I don't have to.
Texas Zepher JDVass: Does anyone have a way to wire LED's to turnouts with non-powered frogs? I don't want to have to use a separate decoder to work the LED's if I don't have to. What type of motor is controlling the turnouts?
JDVass: Does anyone have a way to wire LED's to turnouts with non-powered frogs? I don't want to have to use a separate decoder to work the LED's if I don't have to.
The built in Kato bi-polar turnout motors.
I was planning to do this myself using the SE8c because my layout will be under computer control. However I too would be interested to hear if there is a better way.
Keith
The SE8C would be a bit of overkill just to add LEDs that indicate turnout position. Now if you want to have more prototypical signals that respond to turnout position AND track occupancy, sure, but you'll also need block detectors.
The Kato turnouts are unfortunately the hardest to add LEDs to, because they use reverse polarity pulses to flip them back and forth. A normal solenoid switch machine pulses one wire for thrown, another for closed. It is possible to build a simple circuit that would turn one LED or another on based on what the last pulse received was, a bit more complicated to make it 'remember' when the power is turned off. You'd need one per turnout, but I think it would be a lot less expensive tha the SE8C, which really isn't meant for that.
Or, my lo-tech solution from another post, add a microswitch that gets tripped by the throwpar on the turnout. Most are SPDT, connect one side of each LED together, then to a resistor, and one side of the pwoer supply. Connect the other lead of one LED to the NO contact, adn the other LED to the NC contact. The common would go to the other side of the power supply. You cna get away with one resistor here since it's not possible for both LEDs to be on at the same time, although since red and green LEDs often have different brightnesses you might want one resistor per LED to get them close for better appearance. This is about as simple as you can get.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.