So I am going with Tortoise brand switch machines as well as with the side mount (remote mount) for the lower profile behind the fascia of the train layout benchwork, also going for the more expensive seperate connector so I don't have to risk interior components with my newly rediscovered soldering skills (heh).
I've had an electronics course in high school so I know the basics already of resistors, capacitors, voltage, amps, etc.
Here is my question. As long as I use option #1 for the switch machine wiring which is the "DC with cross wired DPDT switches" option. I can presumably use just one 12 volt DC power source for a number of switch machines because it looks like they recommend wiring in parallel with this option.
So does anyone know the number of switch machines one can operate concurrently on one 12 volt DC power supply circuit because my other presumption is circuitron presumes one machine at a time operation on a circuit like this vs. loading the circuit with several requests at once.
Also, I have the electronics all on a fairly high quality Surge Protector - UPS, along with partial lighting. Because where I live in Texas sometimes we have power outages during peak usage and I don't want to find myself in the dark all of the sudden. So no worries on electrical surges with large parallel circuits.....I hope.
Each Tortoise takes 15-16 milliamps. A one amp supply will run a whole bunch of them.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Make sure the DPDT switch stays in each position to hold the points in place. The motor will not over heat. You can put a red green two lead LED in series with one lead to indicate which direction the turnout is in. No resistor is needed. I liked that feature.
The instructions are very clear.
I also use full time UPS.
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.
CMStPnP So I am going with Tortoise brand switch machines Here is my question. As long as I use option #1 for the switch machine wiring which is the "DC with cross wired DPDT switches" option. I can presumably use just one 12 volt DC power source for a number of switch machines because it looks like they recommend wiring in parallel with this option. So does anyone know the number of switch machines one can operate concurrently on one 12 volt DC power supply
So I am going with Tortoise brand switch machines
So does anyone know the number of switch machines one can operate concurrently on one 12 volt DC power supply
Alton Junction
You shouldn't load a power supply to more than 80% or so of its rating, but even so, a 1 amp power supply is then good for over 40 Tortoises.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker You shouldn't load a power supply to more than 80% or so of its rating, but even so, a 1 amp power supply is then good for over 40 Tortoises. --Randy
And it's a good idea to add a glass fuse (say, at the 80% of amp rating) in a clip type fuse holder in one of the power supply 12v wires. Better to blow the fuse and replace it than have to find another power supply if you slip up and short the wiring somehow.
Note that the supply that Circuitron sells is rated at 1/2 amp and runs 30 Torti. I bought that type in 2012 just because I felt more comfortable with whatever they provided. Theirs is "filtered" (don't know if that matters to my systems) but there are also constant voltage types, etc.
http://circuitron.com/index_files/Tortoise.htm
It is not so bad if the voltage, with the stall current draw of a number of machines, to be less than 12 volts, as a switch will then move slower. I have 22 Torti on the Circuitron supply and just measured the voltage at 13.1 with all at stall, and nil change during switching of one crossover pair.
EDIT: Comments below remind me that my control panel LED indicators in line with the DPDT mean the Torti are seeing about 2V less; i.e., about 11 volts. The speed is ok for me, maybe faster than protototype(??), but not too quick in my opinion. Of course, with a power supply such as MRCs you can adjust the voltage.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
LION LOVES the Torti of him.
Also, for powering...
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or
Lion uses a SINGLE wire to each machine. One leg of turtle goes to ground, the other leg coes to the control wire...
Then out on the layoputThen ouyt on the layout...
Note, I have 5 amp transformers which is way more that my 50 Torti need but the same bus also provides power fo wayside lighting and other services.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
OK, thanks for your feed back everyone this helps, though I think I am going to keep lineside signals out of this for now, they are so tiny in voltage draw I wouldn't see them as an issue unless I had a large layout. This is in a 10 by 11 foot bedroom and has two levels. The most track (non-yard limit) I have is in the Helix between levels probably. I don't see a lot of lineside signaling opportunities so will hold off on that until last. Building lighting will be very, very last item........if at all as I usually operate with lights on.
Every so often I have seen where some run them at nine volts for a slower point speed. A LM317 voltage regulator, couple resistors, couple caps on the twelve volt buss. An online calculator will give you the specs.
Yes, with slightly less voltgae the Tortoises runa lot quieter, and still fast enough. Puttinng 2 pair of back to back LEDs in series with the motor (one for the panel, one for a lineside signal) using a 12V supply results in a bit over 8 volts to the Tortoise which is just about perfect.
CMStPnPI don't see a lot of lineside signaling opportunities so will hold off on that until last.
It is going to be easier to do all the Tortoise-related wiring while laying the track and installing the machines.
For my large N-scale layout, I laid the track then tipped the track boards on their side, so that I could more easily wire the Tortoises and track bus lines. - Tonkphilip -
PHILIP RAYMOND For my large N-scale layout, I laid the track then tipped the track boards on their side, so that I could more easily wire the Tortoises and track bus lines. - Tonkphilip -
Thats a good idea, they designed it so I can do that or just crawl underneath, the benchwork is almost leg less, getting it's support almost entirely from the wall studs so I can easily crawl underneath as well......plus they have the wire guides and keepers already in place underneath........just need to thread with wires.