Same way people with NCE use Digitrax DS-64's - the input is track power, not the cab bus. Any DCC system capable of sending accessory commands can use the three NCE turnout controls, or the DS-64, or any number of other products like the Lenz LS150, or the Tam Valley servo controllers. None of those does anything specific to any one brand of DCC (well, the DS-64 CAN, but doesn't have to).
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Randy,
How did you hook up your Switch-8 with your Digitrax system?
Jack W.
Yup.
Randy, when I went wireless, I kept the UTP panels already in place on my layout.
Could I just plug the Mini Panel into one of the nearby UTP panels
Rich
Alton Junction
Plug it into the other jack of the cab panel - at least, current sets come with the command station, a cab panel, and the radio base.
Interesting how so many NCE items only have 1 cab bus jack and not a second to act as a pass-through for other items.
rrinker Exactly the other way around. Switch-8 works with any DCC system, it simply connects to track power and tacks DCC commands over the track. I have a couple of Switch-Its I've used before on my Digitrax system. The mini-panel is NCE only, since it plugs in to the cab bus. --Randy
Exactly the other way around.
Switch-8 works with any DCC system, it simply connects to track power and tacks DCC commands over the track. I have a couple of Switch-Its I've used before on my Digitrax system.
The mini-panel is NCE only, since it plugs in to the cab bus.
Now that raises an interesting question. If the Mini Panel works by plugging it into the cab bus, what do I do if I am running my wireless NCE PH-Pro ?
Thanks. Guess I'm DCC-dyslexic, too.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Jack,
I think the Switch-8 will be NCE only, because it relies on the NCE command station to generate macros to drive it. I'm not absolutely sure that's the case.
The Mini-panel acts a bit like a throttle, so generates its own macros. I'm unsure on the compatilibility. It may work with other systems.
A couple of useful links:
https://sites.google.com/site/markgurries/home/nce-info/nce-mini-macro-panel
https://sites.google.com/site/markgurries/home/nce-info/nce-accessories/nce-accessory-decoders/nce-stall-motor-switch-it-switch-8
I have a question. Does the Switch-8 and Mini Panel only compatible with NCE or can it be used with other DCC system?
Its not "plug and play" Rich, its "Plug and Pray". LOL
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
While I appreciate all of the comments and suggestions, Mike is correct, at least in my case.
My comfort level with building and testing a circuit is, indeed, limiited.
Plug and play is definitely what I am after, and the Switch-8 / Mini Panel approach seems ideal.
Sheldon,
Yeah, practice makes quick hands once you're up to speed on a build. I'm sure it wouldn't be too big a time difference, but some people's comfort level with building and testing a circuit is limited.
In the case of the Swicth-8, it's pretty plug-n-play. In my case, I had DPDTs to control one end of my staging, as it was stub-staging at first. Gained some real-estate and went double-ended, which is when I went to the Switch-8s to control things.
So hard to compare vs a totally new install, but roughly comparable to what Rich is likely looking at. For the end on DPDTs, I just cut the control wires and routed them to the appropriate inputs on the Switch-8. I had to run wires for the other end, but still quick and easy. It had another Switch-8. Each Switch-8 takes power and DCC control from a single circuit to your buss. Then it's a piece of cake with the NCE hammerhead controller to program it by stepping through a simple menu, repeating as necessary, to get the macros programmed.
I've not had much need to do so, but the NCE macro system also lets you quickly reconfigure the system in the event you want changes in it. Once you're hardwired, it's a bit more effort to do that.
mlehman To make the comparison more realistic, it's also worth considering the amount of time for installation. The Switch-8 is quick and simple. I'm sure the analog solution is really pretty simple, but I'd expect it to take more effort to build and install.
To make the comparison more realistic, it's also worth considering the amount of time for installation. The Switch-8 is quick and simple. I'm sure the analog solution is really pretty simple, but I'd expect it to take more effort to build and install.
Does the Switch 8 and the mini panel need to be programed after it is installed? Wiring 10 switch motors is wiring 10 switch motors - makes no differece if I'm hooking them up to the switch 8 or my relays.
OK, I would build my own panel and wire it, and I would connect the relays to my panel and each other with some control wires - but once my hard wiring was done, I am done - no programing.
I suspect, that done by persons of equal skill and knowledge of each system, the total construction times are similar.
I build all my relay logic panels on the bench, making it fast and easy, leaving only the same sorts of field connections you would have with the switch 8 to be done on the layout.
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Randy, I have built that diode system with the rotary switch too, and yes it was about 5 years a ago or more. I built it for a friends layout, i works very well. It takes a special power supply, but even that was cheap to build. Sheldon
I have built that diode system with the rotary switch too, and yes it was about 5 years a ago or more. I built it for a friends layout, i works very well.
It takes a special power supply, but even that was cheap to build.
Maybe cheap, but not easy, at least for an electronics neophyte such as me.
I will go the Switch-8 / Mini Panel route.
If you REALLY want to go there, you can probably do it for under $40 with a rotary switch and a bunch of cheap diodes, per the MR article referenced previously (there was a mistake in it, later corrected). I don;t think it was 5 years ago, more like 2, but then time seems to be flying lately.
As for the mini panel, yes, you can add additional ones that all trigger the same macros, so you cna have controls in multiple locations.
Alternative solid state solutions can do it with a $5 chip plus a four $2 chips for the drivers to the Tortoise, plus one pushbutton per route, and some supporting resistors and capacitors. The only thing likely to ever fail would be the driver chips, although running a Torotise motor is well below their capacity so a $2 fix if one blows. OK, if you don;t want mail order, it's one of the few chips Radio Shack still stocks and it's $2.49 there.
Or with diodes and pushbuttons, and Rob Paisley's circuit: http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/556Stall08.html
You'd need two circuits for $12 each to drive 8 Tortoises. A pack of 50 small signal diodes from Radio Shack for $3.49, and some pushbuttons. Again the only thing TO blow are the 556 timers used as drivers, they too are $2.49 at Radio Shack. The most expensive piece like usual will be the actual pushbuttons. Oh, I just looked - at All Electronics the 556 is THIRTY FIVE CENTS. If so inclined, you could build Rob's circuit for less than $5 each. Less than the cost of 1 relay.
richhotrain ATLANTIC CENTRAL richhotrain Sheldon, At MB Klein, the Switch 8 is $48 and the Mini Panel is $40. If I add a Switch It for the wye, that is another $16. Rich Amazing that he solid state solution is not one penny less expensive than the simple analog one. Does the Switch 8 have any extra "outputs" for signaling? Can an additonal Mini Panel be added as a redundant control in another location? Sheldon I think that it is more amazing that the simple analog solution costs as much as the solid state solution. I cannot answer your two questions on the Switch 8 and the Mini Panel. We need someone more knowledgeable than me to jump in here. Rich
ATLANTIC CENTRAL richhotrain Sheldon, At MB Klein, the Switch 8 is $48 and the Mini Panel is $40. If I add a Switch It for the wye, that is another $16. Rich Amazing that he solid state solution is not one penny less expensive than the simple analog one. Does the Switch 8 have any extra "outputs" for signaling? Can an additonal Mini Panel be added as a redundant control in another location? Sheldon
richhotrain Sheldon, At MB Klein, the Switch 8 is $48 and the Mini Panel is $40. If I add a Switch It for the wye, that is another $16. Rich
At MB Klein, the Switch 8 is $48 and the Mini Panel is $40.
If I add a Switch It for the wye, that is another $16.
Amazing that he solid state solution is not one penny less expensive than the simple analog one. Does the Switch 8 have any extra "outputs" for signaling?
Can an additonal Mini Panel be added as a redundant control in another location?
I think that it is more amazing that the simple analog solution costs as much as the solid state solution.
I cannot answer your two questions on the Switch 8 and the Mini Panel. We need someone more knowledgeable than me to jump in here.
Rich, If the solid state solution does not cost less, or work better, or offer more features, then what is its advantage? Other than actually being more complex?
Also, if one relay in my approach quits working, highly unlikely actually, the repair cost is $5. If the Switch 8 or the Mini panel quits..........
Rich, I could easily design a one button per track circuit using relays that would provide control of dwarf signals as well.
Push one putton for the desired track, all needed turnouts would align, signals would all change.
Material cost to build - one relay and LED lighted pushbutton per track, $5 per relay with a base, $4 per LED lighted PB,
10 tracks - $90 and a little wire.
How much do the solid state solutions cost? Since you would still need the "user interface" (push buttons) the real cost to compare is $50
Any situation where two turnouts will always be moved at the same time should be OK, since the load of two Tortoises doesn't exceed the capability of a Switch-8 driver. I run four crossovers this way.
Hal
mlehman It might be a case where putting the wye track on a Switch-it is the easier approach.
It might be a case where putting the wye track on a Switch-it is the easier approach.
Yeah, I would agree, and that is probably what I will do.
richhotrain I actually have 9 turnouts to automate. Eight of them feed the 10-track ladder in the yard and the ninth is the wye. So, I may need to add a Switch It to the Switch 8 setup. If the Switch-8 outputs go to two motors, I wonder if I could get away with just the Switch 8 without having to add a Switch It to control the wye turnout. Could each of the eight Switch-8 outputs connect to both the Tortoise controlling the respective station turnout as well as to the Tortoise controlling the wye turnout?
I actually have 9 turnouts to automate. Eight of them feed the 10-track ladder in the yard and the ninth is the wye. So, I may need to add a Switch It to the Switch 8 setup.
If the Switch-8 outputs go to two motors, I wonder if I could get away with just the Switch 8 without having to add a Switch It to control the wye turnout. Could each of the eight Switch-8 outputs connect to both the Tortoise controlling the respective station turnout as well as to the Tortoise controlling the wye turnout?
Rich,
Hal may be able to answer this better.
It seems like one of those things that will only work in certain circumstances. The most obvious one to me would be where you have a crossover between two parallel tracks. Both turnouts are thrown at once, as they would never be out of sync in actual use, either one way or the other.
So a definite maybe, depending...
mlehman hdtvnutSome Switch-8 outputs go to two motors. Hal, That's a good tip and may help avoid having to add an extra Switch-8 or other device if you have more than 8 Tortoises to control, depending on the specific track design used. Randy,
hdtvnutSome Switch-8 outputs go to two motors.
Hal,
That's a good tip and may help avoid having to add an extra Switch-8 or other device if you have more than 8 Tortoises to control, depending on the specific track design used.
This is great input everyone, and I very much appreciate it.
While the diode matrix seems interesting and, undoubtedly, less expensive, I am going to pursue the Switch It / Mini Panel approach.
I've got no experience with the mini-panels. That would probably work well with controlling a station in the layout room, because they could be physically placed in proximity to the track they're controlling.
For staging, I like having the Macro controls available on the hand-held controller. My staging yard is in another room from the layout and I move back and forth between it and the layout. My guess is you can use multiple mini-panels, so one could drive my staging directly and another act as a remote? That might work for me, but would not be as flexible for the way I have things set up as the macro-on-controller method is.
Been using three Switch-8 and two Mini-Panels with Tortoises on my yard for a year or so with never a problem. Some Switch-8 outputs go to two motors.