26. Model railroad control panels pt 5

[@davidgorman2665]

This series has given me exactly what i was looking to do on my layout. I re-discovered hobby about 3 years ago, joined a club and done a lot of dreaming. Just started construction on my home layout when the pandemic hit so this was just in time. I have planned on using NCE and have procured Power Pro system. I also love the "Southern Railway" and have several SR loco's. You can see why your series hit a home run with me. Thanks so much.

[@MRR_Shadowolf]

Outstanding series, thank you for sharing!

[@TheDCCGuy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tonydaly2642]

Hi Larry. Very interesting series of videos. Maybe you might do a video on the NCE Mini Panel sometime in the future ? Tony.

[@TheDCCGuy]

I do have one around here but from the instructions it has a steep learning curve. Its on my list but the list has now grown to about 150 topics so it will have to fight its way to the top.

[@mikeh4800]

Great series. Just what I needed. Thank you for taking the time to produce the series.

[@catfisherboy]

This series is what I have been searching for, thanks for the terrific explanation and super well done video

[@KatherineHart-p8x]

How do you connect multiple recorder and button boards if you have more then. 8 turn-outs?

[@TheDCCGuy]

You then have to buy another Switch8 and button board. I had several for my big yard.

[@johnatkinson9879]

Great series Larry. I have all the componets hooked up but the minute i ad an led light into the system the switch wont throw anymore. I only have the Power cab starter set at present. And i am running on track power with no dc power supply for the switch 8.

[@TheDCCGuy]

Check the orientation if the LED legs and wiring. It is easy to get them reversed or incorrect. About 99% of the time when folks contact me with issues like this ti is a wiring error. If you’e not sure then just put a test setup together on your workbench to make sure before installing it in the panel. Once you get the first one correct the rest will all fall in line.

[@johnatkinson9879]

@@TheDCCGuy thank you for the quick response. Do my LED's need to be 12 volt? mine are only 2 volt. I have it on a test board and everything works until i add in the light.

[@kennethdurham9903]

Hi Larry, Great series,keep up the good work. I have multiple power /short management districts that do not necessarily have 8 tortoise machines in them. Do I need a separate switch 8 and button board for each district? Also where in the scheme of things do I wire in the short management units such as PM42s or PSX4s for each district? Thanks Ken Durham

[@TheDCCGuy]

NCE also makes the SwitchIt which can control 2 Tortoises. And other companies make accessory decoders that can control 1-4 Tortoises. So you can mix and match them as you need. If you use an accessory DCC power bus as I have discussed previously, then the power for the Switch8 is separate from your main power district buses. I don’t see any reason why there would be a problem powering the Switch8 off the track power bus in one block and using it to power a Tortoise in another block since there is no direct connection among them. Assuming you use the ernal switches to control frog polarity the you would just take the power off the bus within that district. As for the PSX or PM42 I just put it in the enclosure with the command station or booster then run the bus wires out from there. See my videos #107-108 on adding a DCC system to your layout, I show the PSX installation in that one.

[@ylang17]

Hi Larry! thanks for the wonderful series which are very helpful. However, I would like to use the Digitrax operating system, including DS74 stationary decoders. In addition, I have only snap shot turnouts. Can you explain how to do the wiring of the control panel for these kind of decoders and turnouts? thanks!

[@TheDCCGuy]

I have not tried a DS74 but they told me they are an upgraded version of the DS64 which I have used. Basically you have to set the unit up for snap switches and it may actually come that way by default. Then you just wire the pushbutton switch to the input terminals and it should work.

[@ylang17]

@@TheDCCGuy Thanks for the answer and for the great series!

[@dougdearinger5837]

Have you wired any turntables to dcc?

[@TheDCCGuy]

You can use an old mobile decoder to power the turntable motor. If needed I use a Dual Frog Juicer to correct for any phase mismatch.

[@philipwells9498]

Larry, A very basic question concerning the LED's that are on your panel. I generally have thought that it was necessary to add a resistor to the LED circuitry since they generally require considerably less voltage than your system is supplying. Your don't have them in your circuitry and don't show them in your excellent books. Could you help me with an explanation and when is a resistor required? Your panel is a really neat arrangement. Thanks for the nice videos guiding us through creating one.

[@TheDCCGuy]

By wiring them into the power feed to the Tortoise they do not need a resistor. Tortoises only pull about 20 ma which is safe for most LEDs.

[@philipwells9498]

@@TheDCCGuy When you set up your 12 volt power bus, specifically what type of transformer/power supply do you use and where specifically do you purchase it? I will be using mine for many of the things you have mentioned in your articles, but don't know what amperage etc. to order. When looking at the units, they are all over the place in terms of specifications. Thanks for all of the help...phil w.

[@TheDCCGuy]

@@philipwells9498 I used a 12VDC 10 amp switching power supply. That is probably a lot more amperage than I will ever need but is big enough to power more lights and accessories than I will ever install. Five amps would have been more realistic. The one I bought is from Jameco.com and is made by a company called MeanWell. Under the current conditions I have no idea of their supply status.

[@philipwells9498]

@@TheDCCGuy Thanks Larry. Your advice is always exactly what I am looking for.

[@mikekendig6781]

Larry, Does this setup work with JMRI ??? Mike

[@TheDCCGuy]

All my control panels with pushbuttons are connected to accessory decoders. Each accessory decoder has an address that could be thrown with either throttle commands or using a JMRI virtual control panel. That said I avoid the complications of interfacing with a computer in favor of just letting my engineers push the little buttons.

[@darrylellis1495]

Hi Larry just watched this video but im curious as to how you wired the two tortoise switches together cheers

[@darrylellis1495]

Hi again the reason Im asking is there is only two wires from the switch8 to operate two switch machines cheers

[@TheDCCGuy]

Darryl-a single Switch8 terminal can operate up to 2 Tortoises safely as they have such a low current demand. Wire them up as usual and see if they throw in the same direction and if not swap one set of leads. The same goes for the frog contacts. I have several crossovers wired that way.

[@darrylellis1495]

@@TheDCCGuy Hi Larry thanks for the great info So Im assuming you have wired the 2 tortoises in parallel with each other cheers Darryl

[@rwilson8]

Hi Larry - I loved this series on the control panel. I’m new to the hobby and have a quick question. I didn’t see any wiring going from the tortoise to the frog, but I assume you wired the #2 and 3 slots on the tortoise to the track and then the #4 slot of the tortoise to the frog on the switch?

[@TheDCCGuy]

Yes. I power route almost all my frogs using the contacts on the Tortoises. I have about 6 controlled by Frog Juicers, but those are in oddball locations, such as a double crossover and a couple on a gantlet track. I do have a video on installing Tortoises and powering frogs on my to-do list.

[@davidgorman2665]

Larry, I’m trying to use your approach on my model layout. I’m using Walthers switch machines. I breadboarded the leds and switch. I’m getting button bounce issues with the buttons you used. I can’t seem to find a replacement push button. Breadboarding with a surface mount tactile button works perfectly, but can’t use thos with the control panel. Any recommendations?

[@TheDCCGuy]

All I can guess is it is something with the Walthers circuitry. I have a couple of those but have not had a chance to experiment with them.

[@thomasgrassi8817]

Larry I sent in to NCE support a Switch 8 MK2 it was taking a long time for them to check it out so I decided to purchase another Switch 8 MK2. I installed the Switch 8 MK2 and all switch's work using my NCE Power Cab Sel ACCY button. I connected the Switch 8 to my DC power supply And DC track selected output 1 known as 111 my switch number and then hit the program button. Went to my power cab and selected Accessory OPs Mode then select output 111 hit enter the CV screen shows entered 548 then hit enter had blinking cursor hit 1 then hit enter CV screen came back. Still the button board does not work when I hit a button nothing happens. This is the same problem as with the one I sent in. I believe it is the new model of the MK2 that has the issue. I has an older model Switch 8 MK2 with a button board and it works great. The one that works does not have the relay terminal on it. I am wondering if this is a common issue with the new version of the switch 8. I noticed in your video here that you have the same Switch 8 MK2 as I do but I did not see the DC ports connected to any wire You just have the DC power connected. I have not tired that method yet. Did you code the Switch 8 CV 548 to a 1? according to the Switch 8 MK2 manual page 4 it shows programming CV 548 to allow the button board to toggle between the output Thanks Tom

[@TheDCCGuy]

Tom-did you also watch video 75? Also you have to program each output to a different address, #1 just happens to be the first one in the sequence, there are 8 different addresses on the Switch8 board.

[@BNSFRichard]

Does the Switch8 provide any feedback to the DCC system as to the position of the switch?

[@TheDCCGuy]

It does not provide direct feedback. NCE does make an Auxiliary Input Unit (AIU) that can take input from a Tortoise switch machine or other contacts and provide feedback. That is described in the NCEDCC.com website.

[@BNSFRichard]

@@TheDCCGuy Thank you Larry

[@rickspradlin5066]

I am completely baffled as to how to wire Leds for my control panel using Digital Switch Machines. Specifically, the SMAIL. it appears to be identical to the Cobalt digital but I can't make it work. Any Suggestions?

[@TheDCCGuy]

It looks like you’d have to wire them using one of the internal switches.

[@ninascroggins2481]

how would switch 8 work with snap switches?

[@TheDCCGuy]

There is a capacitive discharge version called a Q-Snap that can control 4 solenoid type switch machines.

[@ninascroggins2481]

@@TheDCCGuy so do I need a tortoise with an Atlas snap switch to provide feedback?

[@TheDCCGuy]

I am not sure how you could get the feedback with the Atlas snap switches since they do not have contacts like the Tortoises. You would not want to use a Tortoise as it would do nothing for you. You may be able to rig some kind of contacts to work with a snap switch but I cannot remember seeing anything like that. You might want to take a few minutes to look over the NVE website and see if they have any suggestions there. There also may be some kind of accessory decoder that has feedback among the DCC Specialties products, I do know they offer it on some of theirs.