Randy........
Two requests.....first how are you issuing commands to the servo modules, and second, can you post some of your simpler code so the learning curve to use the modules is less?
And after pricing this stuff out you can see why I abandoned Tortoises and went with servos. The servo AND electronics are less than $15 per turnout.
If anyone had done the slightest bit of experimentation with Arduino - Geoff Bunza over at MRH has several articles now that show the hookup AND give yoou the software, one Arduini os less than $15, and can control 12 or more servos, that cost about $1.50 each. Or fewer servos in trade for pushbuttons to operate them, instead of using DCC control (or along WITH DCC control). There are several of us here who could modify one of Geoff's programs to set it up so you have one button per yard track plus an indicator LED to shoow which one is selected - in other words, you want to use track 5, you push the button for track 5, and all turnouts will be lined to route the train to track 5, and the light for track 5 will go on.
It sounds like a lot of complex wizardry but really it boils down to a bunch of If This, Then That - literally the code looks like:
If button 5 is pressed
Set servo 1 to reverse
Set servo 2 to normal
Set servo 3 to normal
Set servo 4 to normal
Set servo 5 to reverse
Turn LED 5 on
The "set servo to reverse" part is handled by canned code that you don't have to write.
If you have anyone who is a logical thinker, who may have programmed in BASIC before, or some other language, they can pick this up pretty quick. Maintainence is pretty much a non-issue, with various Arduinos being more like in the $5 category, you doon't repair one when it fails (though I might - except my one attempt thus far was a major failure), you load the code on a new one and swap it in (all plugs in, no soldering). You would of course have to modify the program if you added or remove tracks.
Commercial options do exist, just not at the under $2 for turnout complete price. But servo + controlling electronics, with or without a DCC option, all with local buttons or toggles, complete for no more than the cost of a Tortoise alone. Some of these can easily use a rotary switch to select tracks as an alternative to pushbuttons or toggle switches. Some include indicator LEDs and there are several frog power options, from relays controlled by the electronics to the simplicty of a snap switch (lever switch, not the Atlas product) glued to the side of the servo.
Again this is a relatively new type of thing and scares some who've never used anything but a twin coil or a Tortoise, but they worked out very well on my previous layout and I have no reason to not use the same again on my new one, although this time I am building my own controllers instead of using the commercial ones. In fact I just got done stripping the servos off the pieces of the old layout - only thing I'm salvaging, the rest is being hauled away next weekend. Along with lots of other junk. Step 1 to getting the basement gutted and rebuilt.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hey Dave-
The original plan for my current layout build was to have manually conrolled Peco turnouts. We've used them on a club layout, and they have withstood at least 10 or 20 years of use (and abuse . . . club layout). The other original plan was to install a rudimentary signal system "sometime in the near future", and that might require block detection and automated turnout control to be installed in the near future as well.
I figured that while everything was clean and open, maybe I could install Tortoise machines on four turnouts now. Just as a test. That got me to thinking that I could install signals for the four plants now. And while I was at it, I might install the Digitrax BDL168 and SE8C cards now as well. And the wiring and so forth. So, I did.
The first four turnout motors were pretty easy to install and they worked perfectly well, and I thought, "Hey, neat!" So I added a few more. One nice feature of the SE8C is that in addition to signal control, it serves as a stationary decoder allowing remote operation of slow-motion turnout motors (such as the Tortoises) from the hand held throttle. It also allows control of turnouts via momentary push buttons mounted on the fascia or control panel. In my case, I was able to easily wire up the push bottons to control a set of crossovers from either side on the middle peninsula.
One thing led to another . . . There are 42 turnouts on the upper level, 24 of which have Tortoise motors. There will be a lot on the lower level (not sure how many), but only the benchwork and the decks are constructed down there right now. The trackage and whatnot will come sometime in the near future.
Regarding costs . . . The Tortoises cost about $15 each purchased in 6-packs. The SE8Cs cost about $90 each and control 8 turnouts; that works out to about $12 per turnout. The momentary contact push buttons (you might not use them) are pretty cheap on Amazon-dot-com. Wiring was free, stripped from a surplus 1000-foot spool of CAT5 twisted pair ethernet cable. Signals are pretty expensive: double head signal masts, base connectors, 10-wire flat ribbon cable, ribbon connectors, and whanot . . .
I am about as high-tech as anyone, but I am not nearly as experienced in MR electronic stuff as many here on this forum. I've never really designed and built a system as complex as I am now undertaking (our club had one Super Guru to handle all that stuff), but the task is not as daunting as it first seems. Contrary to many opinions, the Digitrax instructions are not all that ridiculous. And it has been fun. The challenge certainly adds to the enjoyment of this hobby.
Good luck.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Hi there. Probably outside budgets but I use DCC Concepts Cobalt IP Digital motors. These are Tortoise type motors but with a DCC accessory decoder and frog polarity management built in. I connect the frog polarity connection to power two colour LEDs (red and green) to show switch settings.
You can read about them on my blog - recently HERE
Long Haired DavidA.K.A. David Penningtonmain man on the Sunset and North Eastern R.R.http://www.gmrblog.co.ukfrom the UK
Hello everyone:
One of the next choices that our club has to make in building our new layout is how to control the turnouts. I would like to hear what you recommend as well as what to avoid.
As far as how to actually move the throw bars, we are already looking at Tortoises, Blue Point manual controllers and Caboose Industries ground throws. I would like to hear your opinions of those options as well as any others that are out there. We have already decided that we are not going to use twin coil 'snap' switch motors, and the frogs will be powered.
In addition to the types of switch motors I would like your advice on how to control yard ladders. In our case the main yard has six tracks and is double ended. I found one article in the August 2011 MR (pgs. 58 - 61).
Of course, the other issue is cost. Although most of the electronic solutions seem to be pretty slick, I don't think the club is prepared to spend $15+ per turnout just for control. We will have about 75 turnouts.
Thanks,
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!