Has anyone wired a switch on the fascia to turn on/off this power system? Curently, to turn off the power cab, you have to unplug the outlet or flip off the power strip. I am wondering whether it's possible/viable to use a light switch to turn off the system.
To wire it, you run a set of wires from the buss lines to the back of the control panel. I thought you could run a set of wires from the panel to a light switch. You then run another set of wires from there to the buss lines. Makes sense?
Using a switch makes sense to me. The question is how. I like the idea becuse you avoid bending down for powering the power cab. You also avoid making my mistake: forgetting to look down at the outlet strip to see if it has power.
I put a double outlet box on the fascia. One position for a switch, the other for an outlet to plug in the wall wart.Problem solved.
Edit. I should have said a 4 x 4 box.
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.
kasskabooseMakes sense?
Not to me, unless I'm totally misunderstanding what your doing.
With what you describe, that switch would only control the buss line. Power would still be on from where the power strip plugs in, to your pwer cab. ?
It would make more sense to me to install a receptacle, powered by the switch. Plug your power strip, and any thing else you want, into the receptacle, and you can turn everything off with the switch.
You can get a 4x4 box and cover, with a knock out for a switch on one side, and a receptacle on the other.
Mike.
My You Tube
To actually cut the power without unplugging or turning off a power strip, you have to cut the line from the plug pack to the back of the PCP and put a switch there.
Best to just cut off the whole thing, I hate having ANYTHING, so much as a wall wart, powered when I am not in the room. Shutting off the whole thing is the best way to shut it all down.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I’ll admit, I’m a bit confused...
Anyway I seem to understand you are doing something with the buss wires coming out of the power cab to do the equivalent of unplugging the system? Feel free to correct me if I‘m wrong.
I don’t think you want to mess with the buss wires. If power is still coming to the PowerCab, but the buss wires are “turned off”, then the DCC system is still on, just the power to the tract is disconnected.
Here is my solution, extend the outlet which you connect your DCC system to to where you want a switch. Add a switch to the outlet (the line coming from the electrical grid and the rest of the house) and when you turn off the switch you will get no power to the DCC.
If NCE is anything like Digitrax there will be a way you turn off your DCC system. Remember to do that before filling off this switch and disconnecting power, it’s not great for your DCC system to cut off power while the system is still running.
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
For my old layout, I just had everything plugged in to a coupel of old X10 modules I had, all set to the same address. One of the remote button controllers I had allowed me to turn it all on and off without crawling under the layout. I had 2 for the DCC system, one powered the command station, the other powered the booster and also ran the supply for the circuit breakers. A third one fed the power strip for my workbench, so I could shut it all down without reachign for the power strip - killed everything, lights, soldering iron, etc.
You can get a unit that will fit into a 2x4 box that has a switch and a plug, A 2 plug cover fits. Plug the walwart in and and use the switch to control the cab..
Good luck,
Richard
Rich, your post wasn't there when I did mine. My post was right under the OP's.
That's weird. Anyway, I just repeated what you said.
Oh well.
Your post came up right after mine.
If the OP isn't familiar with house AC wiring, he should not attempt this himself.
There are simple wireless remotes to turn AC outlets on-and-off. These are cheap, UL listed, and can be installed in a few minutes.
Examples:
Handheld remote
Wall switch remote
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I like the idea of using a remote switch. It makes life so much easier to flip on/off power remotely.
I'm in Australia where the mains voltage is 240Volts. You don't want to be playing around with that stuff. I bought a Smartplug power monitor/switch which plugs into an outlet and has a socket on the front that I plug my whole Layout into. I can turn it on and off from my smartphone. No need to bend down at all. It also tell me how much power I have used and the temperature in the train room.
Alan Jones in Sunny Queensland (Oz)
Don't you guys already have switches on all wall outlets? Like, right on the outlets themselves? Of course that still means crawling under. The remote stuff is the way to go. The other option would be a TripLite surge protector like I have on my workbench, the power switch is in a separate little box remote from the actual surge protector housing, I have it mounted up under the left corner of the bench, so i can kill all power to the bench with one flip of the switch.
rrinker Don't you guys already have switches on all wall outlets?
You mean through out the house?
Nope, just in the living room, the top (or is the bottom?) outlet can be run from a switch, so you can turn off all the lamps at one time.
As far as down at my lay out, my Digitrax, and a MRC 2500 used for misc. power, are plugged into a power strip, with an on/off switch on it. Heaven forbid, I have to actually bend down! and turn it off, when I'm through running trains.
Lights go off with a switch, as I head up stairs.
I just plugged the power cab into a green extension cord (The kind you use for Christmas light strings with a push button switch) press once on once again off.
Joe Staten Island West
mbinsewi rrinker Don't you guys already have switches on all wall outlets? You mean through out the house? Nope, just in the living room, the top (or is the bottom?) outlet can be run from a switch, so you can turn off all the lamps at one time. As far as down at my lay out, my Digitrax, and a MRC 2500 used for misc. power, are plugged into a power strip, with an on/off switch on it. Heaven forbid, I have to actually bend down! and turn it off, when I'm through running trains. Lights go off with a switch, as I head up stairs. Mike.
No, I meant Alan since he's in Australia (not Austria... sorry, joke from another forum). UK I think has a similar requirements, with a switch right on each outlet - not a wall switch, it's literally part of the outlet itself.
OK, never mind.
The owner of the forum is Australian, and it was an old thing going back that psend him things and put Austria instead. Then it was something about no kangaroos in Austria - until some smart-alek went to a zoo there and sent him a photo of kaganroos - in Austria. So now it's more like peopel will write his address on their note or package and after the country name write "not Austria"
rrinkerDon't you guys already have switches on all wall outlets? Like, right on the outlets themselves?
If you don't want to go the whole Tripp-Lite/power strip thing, there's several varieties of these rocker-switch outlet devices, too.
https://www.amazon.com/Grounded-Single-Adapter-outlet-indicator/dp/B07922QTLS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=outlet+switch&qid=1556633390&s=hi&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1
I use some for things like the wall wart on my Sprogg and Lokprogrammer. Easier than plugging and unplugging, etc. Some are polarized, some grounded, some have illuminated switch and other variations.
Just another option.
Good Luck, Ed
True, lots of ways - but I can say these Tripplite devices are serious business - all metal construction, not plastic, and they have surge protection AND EMI filtering in them. They aren;t $5 WalMart special surge strips that do pretty much nothing. Amazing thing is, they don;t cost an arm and a leg, either. I had the same setup on my old layout (2 layouts ago) although I got that one for free. No idea what happened to it so when I built my work bench I bought one.
Train room (basement) will have wall switches, so I won;t need a remote option there.
rrinkerTrue, lots of ways - but I can say these Tripplite devices are serious business -
I agree. I have several around the layout and shop. They were surplus at work when a proposed "multi-media" project failed to materalize they let us have some of the equipment.
The little switches I showed above are handy for single-device use, especially wall-warts that you can leave plugged in to them and switch off as needed.
Cheers, Ed