RMweb Gold chriswright03 Posted August 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 4, 2011 A timely reminder to say that I purchased one of these from John the other week. So easy to wire up with screw terminals and no need to solder. Works very well and locos even an 03 run over the points without a problem at all. No stuttering no shorting and all in all an excellent bit of kit. Of course the kit was delivered in double quick time as one expects with John and he talked me through what I needed on the phone before committing plastic. Regards Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250BOB Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I know this piece of kit has been around for a little while now, does everyone using it find it successful.? I have been afraid of installing slips and 3 ways etc because of the complex wiring involved.....all my points are manually switched. Is this piece of kit the answer, and can I finally pluck up courage to install the space saving points I would like.? Is this piece of kit now generally accepted as a great piece of kit, which at first glance it seems to be.? Thanks.......Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyrush Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I know this piece of kit has been around for a little while now, does everyone using it find it successful.? I have been afraid of installing slips and 3 ways etc because of the complex wiring involved.....all my points are manually switched. Is this piece of kit the answer, and can I finally pluck up courage to install the space saving points I would like.? Is this piece of kit now generally accepted as a great piece of kit, which at first glance it seems to be.? Thanks.......Bob I have a total of four frog juicers in use powering points, slips single and double and three way points, some of which are in complex 'ladder' formations. I have made sure that adjacent frogs are powered by separate juicer units having read somewhere (on an American site I think) that if a loco bridges two adjacent frogs powered by the same unit problems can occur. I am using an ESU ECoS control system and I have had no difficulties whatsoever, all my locos (mostly Bachmann, with a few Hornby and a couple of kit built and all fitted with Loksound chips) work absolutely faultlessly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250BOB Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I have a total of four frog juicers in use powering points, slips single and double and three way points, some of which are in complex 'ladder' formations. I have made sure that adjacent frogs are powered by separate juicer units having read somewhere (on an American site I think) that if a loco bridges two adjacent frogs powered by the same unit problems can occur. I am using an ESU ECoS control system and I have had no difficulties whatsoever, all my locos (mostly Bachmann, with a few Hornby and a couple of kit built and all fitted with Loksound chips) work absolutely faultlessly Andy, Do you use point motors to switch your point blades.? Then my next question would have been, why dont you use the point motors polarity switching ability, but of course using the Frog Juicer must make it miles simpler.? I now need to re think my complex point areas and see how things can be made more interesting using slips etc., I can just see my permanent way gang preparing as we speak. Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren01 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 HI I am building a layout at the moment , i will be running on DC ,can these units be used on DC or only DCC? Darren Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BromsMods Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 HI I am building a layout at the moment , i will be running on DC ,can these units be used on DC or only DCC? Darren DCC ONLY!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren01 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Thanks for the info All the best Darren Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tender Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Andy, Do you use point motors to switch your point blades.? Then my next question would have been, why dont you use the point motors polarity switching ability, but of course using the Frog Juicer must make it miles simpler.? I now need to re think my complex point areas and see how things can be made more interesting using slips etc., I can just see my permanent way gang preparing as we speak. Bob Hi Bob, my question as well, at £8+ per point it seems a rather expensive way of replacing a switch on a point motor. Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyrush Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hi Bob, my question as well, at £8+ per point it seems a rather expensive way of replacing a switch on a point motor. Ray. Reliability is all, as far as I'm concerned and if you are clever you can get several frogs wired to a single output, just so long as an engine can't be on more than one at a time. In my case there are two fans of sidings that are treated this way. And in answer to the question about point motors - haven't got any on this part of the layout, all are mechanically operated. Regards Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted January 24, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hi Bob, my question as well, at £8+ per point it seems a rather expensive way of replacing a switch on a point motor. True enough - but that only applies where the baseboard construction permits a point motor to be fitted. I have a new station throat where there used to be plain track - and there is no way I can get a motor underneath most of the points. I am happy to hand-throw them - but need switches for the live frogs. I hope in due course to use Frog Juicers to replace those switches, thus eliminating the occasional brain-fade that leads to a short...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 24, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2012 Bear inm ind that buying a solenoid without the switch (or in the cae of Peco not buying the extra add on switch) will reduce this extra cost a little. A Hex frog juicer is also much simpler to wire up with less connections to the rails (only one wire instead of three per turnout). Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250BOB Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hi Bob, my question as well, at £8+ per point it seems a rather expensive way of replacing a switch on a point motor. Ray. Hi Ray, but I have no motorised points, so nothing to add a switch onto, and I dont see that changing in the short term.. To be honest, its the simplicity that appeals to me.......I could do with saving some space on my layout by using some slips and 3 ways, but I have steered clear of them because the wiring has seemed complicated. There are people that love wiring and some that dont, like me. Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold griffgriff Posted January 24, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2012 In addition there are really handy for live frogs without an associated switch... ie crossings etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tender Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Point taken (excuse the pun) if your not using motors, but it's still a 'band aid' solution. It works by detecting a short circuit and then switching the polarity before the command station has a chance to shut down. I'd rather not have a short circuit there in the first place. Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Ray, surely it's only a variation of the regular auto-reversing unit ? . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 25, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2012 I believe it can be used for auto reversing aswell. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY NORWOOD Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Point motors with in built switch is prone for problems or mico switchs they are a job to setup and they give problems at exhibitions. With frog juicers it fit it to the under side of board three wires, 1 from the frog, 2 from the buse wires what could be simpler. RAY70B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted January 25, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2012 Point motors with in built switch is prone for problems or mico switchs they are a job to setup and they give problems at exhibitions. Never had a single problem with switches on our Tortoises which was down to their failure, only when one was clouted during a baseboard move did we have to replace it. If the jobs done correctly in the first place it should survive exhibtions - note correctly does not always means cheaply. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted January 25, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2012 Are we going anywhere with this discussion? Like most things in the hobby there are more than one way of doing things. The quote in my sig applies too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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