I remember a long time ago there was a thread comparing Atlas table-top and Tortoise machines. I commented that one thing you could easily do with the Atlas was have controls both near the switch and at the control panel. Someone corrected me saying you can do that with a Tortoise too.
How would you wire toggles so that you could control a Tortoise from either of two places?
Thanks for the help!
When I need to control a Tortise from more than one location, I use the NCE Switch-It.
This allows almost unlimited points of control plus the Switch-It can also be controlled via DCC cab.
The Switch-It also controls two different Tortise and cost about $12.00.
You can do it with 2 DPDT toggles. It will be sort of like a three way light switch setup, in that you can't tell the position of the turnout based on looking at only one switch. Here is a description, I may try to make a picture later....
To give us a chance, I'll names the contacts and switches. S1 and S2 are the switches. Each switch has commons, C1 and C2, and switched contacts A1, B1, A2, B2. (1 references on half pole, and 2 the other).
So, hook one side of the power supply to S1A1 and S1B2, and the other to S1A2, and S1B1. Hook S1C1 to S2A1 and S2B2. Hook S1C2 to S2B1 and S2A2. Hook S2C1 and S2C2 to the two side of the Tortoise.
Unless I have confused myself, you are done. Throwing either switch changes the position of the turnout.
A picture is worth a few hundred words:
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
larak wrote:The dual dpdt switch setup will work fine. The idea is to install a standard single switch and make a provision to swap the two tortoise leads between that switch and the machine.
I had to read that a couple times....right. It's really just the same thing twice, using the output of the first switch as the input to the second.
jxtrrx wrote:How would you wire toggles so that you could control a Tortoise from either of two places?
Hello,
I recommend the below diagram from www.wiringfordcc.com I use it on my layout and I love it.... can walk around OR sit at a control panel. Plus, you can put indicators at BOTH spots. Good luck...
Brian
ShadowNix wrote:I recommend the below diagram from www.wiringfordcc.com I use it on my layout and I love it.... can walk around OR sit at a control panel. Plus, you can put indicators at BOTH spots.
That is true, Texas, yours indicates the true switch position and mine only the switch voltage polarity, but this does work for me, since the diagram requires little extraneous wiring... Of note, I do hotwire the frogs... gotta love that, so simple with the Tortises.
I'll have to put in a "works for me" on this one too. I use bicolor LEDs but otherwise the diagram shown above from wiringfordcc.com. I mount the LED's with their polarity in opposite directions (i.e. one is always green when the other is red and vice-versa). Then I mount the LED's in the panel one indicating main, one indicating diverging track. So while technically it only indicates the polarity, not actual turnout position, the two have so far proved identical on my layout...
Once I get the tortoise wired and the LED's properly positioned, the green LED is always the selected route through the turnout. In a two-toggles, one motor setup, it is, in fact, the toggle switch itself, whether flipped "up"or "down," that definitely doesn't indicate anything.
You can also add more tortoises in parallel to have two-toggles-X-tortoises I find this useful for crossovers, double-slips, etc.: run all tortoises off one set of switches to ensure everything is set right all the time.
Kchronister,
Yeah, that is EXACTLY what I do too.. it keeps it simple if you use bicolor led's and put them on a diagram for each route... red=stop, green=go... even my kindergartner gets it! As for the in parallel, I am about to wire my first double crossover, so I will let you know...
One quick caution...make sure you put in parallel (the tortises in second picture), not in series... if in series = more current = fried LED's...don't ask how I know...