I've just installed 2 remote switches,with attached switch machines 1 works just fine..........but.........the #6 RH #2705 switch is VERY intertmittent. Most of the time 95%, it just buzzes when the switch controller is shifted and depressed (moumentarily). I have disassembled the switch machine and found nothing obviously wrong. When reassembled and tested off the turnout it works just fine. I checked the turnout manually w/o switch machine and it is free and appears ok too. Sometimes when together and switched it will work in 1 direction , then not the other. Other times (mostly) it just buzzes. I don't have another to install and I'm at the point I need to get this part of the layout done This switch has it's own dedicated power supply, and is the only one within 10 ft of any other. Is there any "insider" tips/tricks that anyone has up their sleeve? I'm nowhere close to a store to buy a replacement, This alot of rant for 1 lousy switch!!!! I apologize......BeachBum.
My guess is you're not delivering enough power to the switch machine. The solution is a Capacitive Discharge circuit. You can buy one of these from several different vendors (the Snapper comes to mind) or you can google up a circuit and build it yourself. If you're already using some sort of dedicated power supply, you can use that to drive the CD circuit. I'm using a 50-year-old train transformer, and the circuit is nothing more than a diode bridge to rectify the AC, two capacitors and two resistors.
A CD circuit stores energy in a big capacitor, and then when you call for it to flip a switch machine, you get a big rush and the machine flips with a solid snap. After that, the circuit also protects the switch machine from stuck-button burnout by limiting the power.
When you bench-test a switch machine, you're usually right next to the power source. On layout, on the other hand, you're a good number of feet away, and the thin wire that's generally used to connect the machines causes you to lose more power the longer the wire is.
The other possibility is that the throwbar is not moving easily. You can test that by just moving it by hand. If it is sticking, you may have extra glue from tracklaying or ballasting that needs to be cleaned out.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Powdered Graphite Lubrication. Also check the turnout that it is not mounted too tightly causing binding. This sounds like a mechanical problem and not an electrical problem.
ROAR
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