Megapoint Controllers

[ScRSG]

Our group is building a new  layout and after a most impressive demonstration of Megapoints Controllers at the recent ExpoEM in Manchester, we  are seriously considering using these for points and signals .Anyone  have any experience of these?

[Jon Fitness]

No experience on a layout personally but I have one on my servo operated signal testing board. Once you get your head round the set up procedure with all the button pressing to access all the functions, it seems a good bit of kit. £50 to operate 12 servos makes it one of the better value boards too. Have you checked the website? There's links to all sorts of info, instructional videos and data sheets etc.

http://loolee.org/megapoints/

HTH

Jon F.

[Judge Dread]

I have just installed this system on a fellow club members layout and I am very impressed with it. Care must be taken with the positioning of the alloy angle pieces to carry the servos and those with a thin section plywood baseboards may have problems screwing these into place. I mounted the control unit on to a plastic sandwich box lid and then snapped the box over it with suitable slots cut for wiring.  

[unravelled]

I chose these as a cheaper and quicker alternative to building my own. I haven't needed to do any programming yet, as full servo travel was OK for my purposes.

 

Dave

[Revolution Mike B]

Just ordered a starter kit for our N Gauge club exhibition layout. We have 51 points to control so I'll let you know how I get on.

[steve shorrock]

The back up service is great, Dave is very helpful nothing is to much of a problem. Cannot rate him high enough, as said before Web site is full of info. As usual I've nothing to do with the firm just a really satisfied customer

[njee20]

I'm using them, only wired up a dozen or so, but impressed so far. You can use y or splitter cables to change multiple pairs of points from one output - such as a crossover, or scissors crossing. Makes them even cheaper, just means setup is a bit more of a faff as all servos have to have the same limits.

 

I've glued the aluminium channel to the board rather than screwing, allows a bit of fine adjustment before it sets. Not had any issues so far.

 

I bought all my servos/leads/switches from AliExpress, took a few weeks, but ridiculously cheap.

Edited December 27, 2015 by njee20

[PaulRhB]

What are people using for switching frogs? microswitches or frog juicers?

[tender]

One thing putting me off using these is that they have 12 channels. How many layouts have 12 servos on one board. So to get maximum cost benefit you have to run servo leads across baseboard joins which on a exhibition layout adds to the cross board wiring. Maybe Megapoints will bring out a 4 or six channel board for portable layouts. I currently use Tam Valley 'singlets' which are single channel and connect to the DCC bus so no additional cross board wiring. Works out quite expensive by comparison though. Signalist SC2 is a four channel controller but I've not tried this yet. The advantage with these are the onboard relays for frog switching.

Edited December 27, 2015 by tender

[PaulRhB]

One thing putting me off using these is that they have 12 channels. How many layouts have 12 servos on one board. So to get maximum cost benefit you have to run servo leads across baseboard joins which on a exhibition layout adds to the cross board wiring. Maybe Megapoints will bring out a 4 or six channel board for portable layouts. I currently use Tam Valley 'singlets' which are single channel and connect to the DCC bus so no additional cross board wiring. Works out quite expensive by comparison though. Signalist SC2 is a four channel controller but I've not tried this yet. The advantage with these are the onboard relays for frog switching.

But what's easier cross wiring for servos or having a controller on each board? It's cost vs a few more connectors so I reckon it's going to be a fair bit cheaper to wire up a few plugs than buy a control board for every board.

[njee20]

Wires are so easy to plug in I'd have no qualms about just unplugging any cross-board joints for an exhibition layout.

[tender]

I'd rather have no cross board wires but I've had to compromise with DCC+ and DCC-

[58herbie]

Currently fitting these to my fathers n gauge layout with cross board wiring using 6 core alarm cable and d sub connectors.

 

Once installed I will be fitting these to my layout 'HOLMFIRTH' to give me smooth turnout control but more importantly semaphore bounce

 

Regards

 

Jon

[Suzie]

What are people using for switching frogs? microswitches or frog juicers?

 

If operating live frog points with servos alternative products are available that incorporate frog switching:-

 

Switchpilot servo with extension

 

Signalist SC2

[Modelling Martin]

I've used one in my latest layout due to their value and ease of use. They work really well although the servos do 'twitch' occasionally which some may find annoying but apart from that they work perfectly. For changing the frog polarity i've wired the frog and servo to both be controlled by a DPDT switch which seems to be doing the job fine,

 

Gary

Edited June 14, 2016 by Modelling Martin

[roy h]

I have had 2 megapoints boards and a mega panel sat here for about 3 months. so in the last few days finally got round to setting it all up. like has been mentioned above once you get use to the button pressing travel of the points can be set in seconds. the panel with some addition gives a full mimic of the layout with a single push button for changing the points both ways.  

 

as for unused outputs with a bit of building and thought you can use them for crossing barriers uncoupling ramps. I have even set up a servo up in the garage on a car ramp.  just waiting for my linear servo's to arrive to see if a loco lift is possible.

[Revolution Mike B]

I'm using them, only wired up a dozen or so, but impressed so far. You can use y or splitter cables to change multiple pairs of points from one output - such as a crossover, or scissors crossing. Makes them even cheaper, just means setup is a bit more of a faff as all servos have to have the same limits.

 

I've glued the aluminium channel to the board rather than screwing, allows a bit of fine adjustment before it sets. Not had any issues so far.

 

I bought all my servos/leads/switches from AliExpress, took a few weeks, but ridiculously cheap.

 

What did you use to to glue the channel to the board with? 

Edited January 12, 2016 by scoobyra

[njee20]

This, because it was to hand!

[Rammstein2609]

I bought one of these along with the DCC board last June and have only recently installed it on a layout and set it up.  I have to say it's extremely easy to use and set up each of the servos.  As for cross board wiring, I just bought a handful of 1M servo extension leads on eBay for a few quid, cut them in the middle and soldered to proprietary connectors.

 

As I'm using handbuilt track with a live frog, I've developed my own bracket which holds the servo and a micro switch which is activated by the servo arm.  My first version was a 3D printed one and was brilliant (if I do say so myself) but proved expensive:

 

The design for this was inspired by a unit I saw on Fencehouses which I was told was a commercially available product but now out of production.  To lower the cost of each unit, I designed a laser cut version out of 3mm perspex which is just as good as the 3D printed version:

 

 

Now that I have these units, I'll be using servos and Megapoints controllers from now on. (I have no affiliation with Megapoints other than a happy customer after a great presentation at a model railway show)

 

Martin

[58herbie]

They are some really useful brackets Martin.top job

 

Jon

[tender]

Martin.

Just a quick comment, it may be better to have the pivot where the wire exits from the top of the mount (by just drilling a small hole a little larger than the wire) and having only one connection point on the servo arm. This would mean that the servo arm has to rotate more for the same movement at the point end giving finer control.

 

There's a picture illustrating this in the MegaPoints manual page 9.

Edited January 13, 2016 by tender

[Revolution Mike B]

That bracket looks great! I'm just using the aluminium channel because it's cheap - I've also made some aluminium L shaped brackets to hold the frog switch (I've used mini micro switches from a UK ebay shop)

[Fastdax]

That bracket looks great! I'm just using the aluminium channel because it's cheap - I've also made some aluminium L shaped brackets to hold the frog switch (I've used mini micro switches from a UK ebay shop)

 

I'm also using the aluminium channel, but with the microswitches mounted on wooden blocks.

 

I've found that the servos seem to work a bit loose over time, so I may have to hold them in the channel with a blob of glue rather than relying on friction alone.

 

More details and pictures on my Offerston Quay thread.

 

Duncan

[Revolution Mike B]

I'm also using the aluminium channel, but with the microswitches mounted on wooden blocks.

 

I've found that the servos seem to work a bit loose over time, so I may have to hold them in the channel with a blob of glue rather than relying on friction alone.

 

More details and pictures on my Offerston Quay thread.

 

Duncan

 

We've used double sided sticky foam, it works really well and allows you to remove a servo easily if it fails.

 

So far, we've got about 28 done and working fine, apart from some of the servos twitching around!

[Rammstein2609]

Martin.

Just a quick comment, it may be better to have the pivot where the wire exits from the top of the mount (by just drilling a small hole a little larger than the wire) and having only one connection point on the servo arm. This would mean that the servo arm has to rotate more for the same movement at the point end giving finer control.

 

There's a picture illustrating this in the MegaPoints manual page 9.

 

You're right on this one.  I've been playing around and found there was a lot of vibration from the servo's after they had moved.  Someone else has since suggested exactly what you have so I'll be modifying things to see if it fixes the vibrations and buzzing.

 

Cheers

 

Martin