8 - Building a switch panel (part 2)

[@citizenmilitia1]

Hi the theory you explained at 5:00 regarding using the Frog Polarity was really interesting. Am I assuming you're using electrofrog points? I'm currently trying to solve the same problem, but I have insulfrog points. I notice the SEEP PM2s do have a terminal for controlling frog polarity, so could I wire it up simply to the Point Motor?

[@johnmcdermott6220]

Impressive control panel. I am also using pre-wired LEDs, was wondering if you ran into problems stripping the leads given the small diameter of the lead wires?

[@TONYNORTHEASTERN]

Hi I have just found your channel and subscribed, great looking control panel. how do you link your toggle switches with leds I have just completed a panel and your idea would improve my operational of the panel. did you know you can get sprung loaded toggle switches where toggle goes back to the centre...all the best Tony

[@NewcastleCentralOOGauge]

Thanks, Tony. I have used the center-sprung toggle switches on a different project, but I found (at least with the cheap switches I bought) that over time they didn't always spring back correctly and would leave the circuit open. Not as big of a deal with a capacitor discharge unit in use, but it was more that the circuit would remain open so no other toggle switches would fire here as the CDU would be drained. For the LEDs, I'll try to explain it :) This requires that you have electrofrog points and the point motors have an auxiliary switch that can be used to change the frog polarity. - The positive arm on LED 1 connects to the DCC bus + - The negative arm on LED 1 connects to a common wire that runs to the frog polarity power - The positive arm on LED 2 also connects to a common write that runs to the frog polarity power - The negative arm on LED 2 connects to the DCC bus - When the frog polarity is switched one direction or the other, the polarity sent to the track is also then sent along the common wire back to the LEDs. When the frog has negative power, that completes the circuit for LED 1, so it lights up. When you flip the toggle and throw the point motor in the other direction, the frog polarity switches to positive, so that instead completes the circuit for LED 2. I would have preferred to use the aux bus power, but I've seen plenty of the block signal lights that run off the DCC bus, and the approach here ensures that the LEDs always match the frog. It only works when the frog polarity switches, so where I had to use the surface-mounted PECO PL-11s, those LEDs don't currently light up. I'm planning on use frog juicers (www.tamvalleydepot.com/products/dccfrogjuicers.html), but I haven't gotten round to ordering and installing those. Those will also only work once the train actually hits the frog and would cause the polarity to change, if needed. So, I may need to re-evaluate this. For now, it's mostly functional. I have seen circuits whereby you can use double pole switches to change the state of an LED, but that's a lot more work to retrofit. The cost was also pretty high for enough boards to cover all the switches and LEDs I needed. This approach here is pretty rudimentary, but works well enough for me. Hopefully this makes sense. I'll maybe do a quick video that covers this a little more in depth when I get a chance. Thanks for watching! Iain

[@TONYNORTHEASTERN]

Thanks for that mate, I will have a go. I should be able to take the supplies straight from the frogs as the are already wired. thanks again Lain much appreciated ..........regards Tony

[@purasca_digilog]

@@NewcastleCentralOOGauge Hi there, many thanks for your video and the explanations! I wonder how you got your LEDs to feed on the DCC? I'm trying to do exactly that but it doesn't work (off 12v they work fine). Problem of the DCC or possibly the wrong LEDs?? Cheers Serge

[@NewcastleCentralOOGauge]

@@purasca_digilog It's been a while since I built this, and not sure if I covered it in one of these videos, but I was pretty sure I took the ground from the DC bus, and then positive leg on the LED was from the DCC polarity of the frog on the turnout. Crossing the streams, so to speak, didn't seem to cause a problem, but would then illuminate the LED when the turnout was thrown and the DCC polarity off the frog would be switched. Hope this helps. Good luck! Iain

[@purasca_digilog]

@@NewcastleCentralOOGauge Hi Iain, Many thanks for your reply. Can I stress your memory some more? Would you remember what kind of LEDs you bought or, more precisely, the voltage and especially what is hidden in the cable? Thanks again and take care! Serge

[@lesatdevonjunction9569]

Interesting. In a previous video you connected frog juicers so can you say how you wired the LEDS on the control panel for the points with these? Wouldn't the indication show how the point direction was last left rather than how the point is now thrown?

[@NewcastleCentralOOGauge]

It's been a while, I thought the third video covers it, if this one didn't. I pulled a wire from the frog wire back to the LEDs such that when the frog polarity was positive, one of the LED circuits was complete, and when the frog polarity was negative, the other LED circuit was complete. It wasn't actually based on the turnout position, as such. The LEDs, for all, used the frog polarity so that it would work regardless of whether the point motor or frog juicer was controlling it. Iain

[@lesatdevonjunction9569]

@@NewcastleCentralOOGauge Thanks Iain that is very helpful. I haven't got to the third video yet but I will look now.

[@strathislastation5287]

Thank you for uploading this video. Hadn't considered adding LED's to my (new) panel, but now I am (thank you for the extra work ;-)). If I may be so bold to ask: where did you get the prewired LED's with resistors?

[@NewcastleCentralOOGauge]

Yes, it was extra work for the LEDs, but I think overall it's been worthwhile. It's a nice quick check on the switch panel, even though I usually watch the points anyway! Probably looks more impressive than is actually used :) The LEDs with resistors I got from Amazon here in the US, though you can probably get them in the UK, too. This was the US link for them to give you an idea - a.co/d/4bY14PK. They were $6-$8 for a pack of 50 depending on the color. Totally worth it for not having to solder and heatshrink right at the LED! Good luck. Iain

[@strathislastation5287]

Thank you for the link. I use a MultiMaus which means there's about 18v on my track, any idea if that's an issue with these 12v LEDs?

[@NewcastleCentralOOGauge]

It would most likely be a problem unfortunately, yes. In general, you can't apply more voltage than LEDs are designed for Running 12v LEDs on 9V is fine, but the inverse usually doesn't hold true. The LEDs would likely burn out quickly and give off too much heat. LEDs do come for different power ratings, so either look for 18V LEDs, or use a different/older power supply that delivers 12V for auxiliary bus.

[@strathislastation5287]

@@NewcastleCentralOOGauge thank you, I've since found 24v LED's which should work, probably gonna them order later today :-)

[@chucksmith155]

What size switches did you use ive been looking every where but switches are way to big thank you love your videos

[@sadasdascasc1265]

Hi there. Great project! I really like how it turned out. I'm building something similar, and was wondering how you mounted the LEDs, and how you mounted the terminal blocks. Were those mountings done with a hot glue gun? Did you use LED holders?

[@NewcastleCentralOOGauge]

Thanks, glad you liked it! The LEDs were just glued with a small drop of regular superglue. The hole was drilled just every so slightly larger than the LEDs were, so there wasn't too much free play in them. A small spot of superglue is then enough to hold them. For the connector blocks, I think it was a mix of superglue or hot glue gun, yes. They need to be a little more strongly glued as you do bump and twist on those quite a bit when attaching the wires. The connector blocks under the layout where everything terminates (I think this isn't until the third video) were then just screwed into the boards as I had the ability to then do so. Hopefully this helps! Let me know how you get on if you build something along the same lines! Iain

[@sadasdascasc1265]

@@NewcastleCentralOOGauge Thanks, Iain :)

[@RM-io7qo]

I really like what you've done in both part 1 and 2 videos. However, I'm building an N Gauge layout of Millers Dale in Derbyshire which has about 20 odd points and crossovers, but I haven't the foggiest notion about wiring all of this. Are you self taught or is there a really good book that explains how to go about putting everything together? I'm not electrically minded, but I'm not stupid either, but it is my first serious project and I want to make a good job of it like you are doing, it's truly impressive. Take care...

[@NewcastleCentralOOGauge]

Thanks, John. Much appreciated. I'm self-taught - most of what I've learned has come from KZbin videos or sites like www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Electrical.html. Brian does a great job of covering a ton of different wiring scenarios. Once you've done a couple of points, motors, or switches, it becomes a lot clearer when you see it in action. Take your time on a practice point and motor. I also do a little with N-gauge and it is a little harder with the smaller track, but again, take your time, use a good fine-tip solder iron, and you should be set. Let me know if I can help at all. Iain

[@RM-io7qo]

Many thanks, Iain. Your advice is much appreciated and thanks for your link and offer of help if needed. Take care...