Tricky Dicky

Great to see the new Power & Control sub forum, just need to get Computer Control & Automation in here and it will be perfect. Richard

Apologies if someone has mentioned this already in the 26 pages of posts but can it be possible to restore the one button press to get you back to the home page. Richard

Are we still "decision pending" on this matter as well as the related Computer Control placement, or is it no change? Richard

A 40 - 60W soldering station with temperature control should see you right for all you are considering. As someone has already mentioned it is a load of b*****ks that you cannot fine solder with a high power iron as long as you can fit different tips you can solder whatever. On the subject of tips do look at how easy it is to swap tips some can be a right mare after a few heat cycles and oxidation has taken place. Richard

The amperage of the circuit will depend on the current draw of what is wired to the power supply, I.e, a single LED with suitable resistor will draw say 10mA. For any given power supply there is a maximum output, I do not know what that maximum is for your Duette but there should be a plate on it that should give you that information. It is not a good idea to operate your power supply at maximum over a protracted time and it is advisable to leave a little head room. If you can find out what the current draw of your lamps is then if they are wired in parallel all you need to do is add their values up to find out the the total current draw. As examples normal LEDs depending on colour will draw between 10-30mA whilst grain of wheat bulbs I believe draw about 80mA, low current LEDs can be as low as 2mA. Richard

I cannot understand why you do not want to solder them on, it's going to give you the most secure connection. Richard

Not having visited this topic much since my last post I did not realise what a lively debate ensued. In my original post I was careful not to suggest that Automation & Computer Control was put into the DCC section as there is no reason why a DC layout can not be controlled by computer although most equipment and software available is targeted at DCC systems. Also quite a few DC layouts demonstrate automation using readily available kit. My main aim was to establish a single point where these two related topics could be dealt within a single sub forum and not as now across several sub forums. Also without actually saying it, I was making the same point as Iain that the present computer control forum was not getting much action tucked away as it is in the Special Interests section which you have to actually open to get the full list of sub forums. Richard

I have a reel of solder which I cannot remember where I acquired it but it is very badly oxidised and is difficult to solder with mainly I think because the cored flux is insufficient to keep the oxides suspended. I keep meaning to try additional flux to see if it improves soldering but I am still working through another reel first. Richard

A capacitor wired in series will not pass current through, it needs to wired across the output of the rectifier. Richard

For many it is not as simple as dividing two numbers it is what numbers to use, whereas those in the know will consult manufacturers data sheets. Beginners would need to know where to first obtain that data let alone make sense of what appears gobblygook even if they could obtain the relevant data. This hobby is a broad church and not everyone wants to become an electronics expert to run a layout and why should they? I do not think it is unreasonable for people to take out a " black box" approach of saying " I have a certain colour LED and a certain power supply, what resistor do I use? After all we all have controllers and most have no idea what is going on in the box but it does not stop us using them or realising certain inputs will result in certain outputs. If online calculators get solutions for people to enjoy their hobby then I wholeheartedly condone their use! Rant over. My own preference for a recommended calculator is Electronics Assistant available as Windows only FREE download from here; https://www.electronics2000.co.uk/ The series resistor calculator allows you to get a solution with the minimum information of LED colour and supply voltage to putting whatever data you have to hand. It shows you the formula and what figures it is using and will not only provide the answer but suggest the nearest preferred value. Pressing the help button will educate you about the calculation and what all the abbreviations mean. Yes educating yourself on certain aspects of electronics will be useful to operate a layout but is not essential to enjoy the hobby nor is it everybody's desire. Richard

I am with those who want to leave well alone. What I think you might want to consider is to change computer control in special interests to Automation & Computer Control as many questions on both seem to crop up in the DCC sections. It might also be useful to direct questions/discussions on automation and computer control to that relevant sub-forum. Richard

DisplayPort is compatible with HDMI so a lead with the appropriate plugs at either end will be OK. Displayport is far from being just another standard imposed on PC users, it is the ideal way to display on several screens from a single PC. Richard

The last model railway layout programme aimed more at modellers was Model Town also shown on Discovery Shed channel a few years back it has not been repeated nor has it ever come out on DVD. It showed several techniques from track laying and ballasting to building construction and weathering. If I recall it was built in one of the buildings on the Bluebell line and displayed there for a while. It also had an entertainment aspect to attract the occasional channel hopper with a back story based on a murder, spies and a radio-active tin mine. Richard

Probably an unregulated PSU, you need to add a voltage regulator to the output. It is a simple circuit consisting of an IC and a few capacitors. Google will turn up a few if not PM me with a email address and I will send you a circuit. If using a voltage regulator make sure your PSU can deliver at least a 3V overhead over the desired output to your LEDs. Richard

Wow! That looks serious and dangerous damage. BTW I meant to mention to repair/replace a cable or element you would need access to another soldering iron. Richard

Over time cables tend to break internally at the point of maximum flexing usually near the point of entry into the device. As the cable strands begin to fray the cable at that point begins to thin meaning it allows less current through coupled with minor arcing of the frayed ends can cause a local build up of heat, it becomes a self perpetuating process resulting in a broken cable often fixed by cutting away the damaged section and shortening the cable. The cable can fail quite dramatically as once happened on SWAMBOs iron where a short developed and went with a bang. More worrying is the melting you describe at the plastic collar, if it's the black portion at the end of the element then that is anew one on me. Over the years at work we had hundreds of Antex irons often handled somewhat roughly by their users and never has that occurred. Over the years our technicians repaired/cannibalised many irons but never did that occur, suggests to me you have a suspect iron there. With only 4 parts to the iron and two of them damaged, I suggest it needs mending with a new one. Richard

If the point motor fails then you probably have to lift the whole point to remove and replace. Attaching the motor separately to the baseboard means easier replacement but working under the baseboard might be an issue if you are getting on. Richard

I have to agree that Lenz equipment is bombproof. However, though they regularly make announcements of new equipment on the way as pointed out above the wait can be years so much is just vapourware. As far as I can recall other than some new decoders the last addition to their system was an upgraded computer interface and that is some years back. Richard

Heat shrink typically shrinks by a factor of 2:1 or 3:1. Find out what the outside diameter of the wire you intend to use and then select suitable heat shrink based on its shrinkage ratio. Alternatively, if you have the space use solderless LED connectors although they work out more espensive. https://www.rapidonline.com/truopto-c-911-2-54mm-led-holder-solderless-55-0167 Richard

Had to do a double take on the photos. David you have three hands! Richard

The OP mentions "miniature" toggle switches in his first post and later that some of his switches are permanently ON. This suggests that the switches were under-rated in the first place and not capable of handling the several Amps current involved using solenoid motors. Switches without robust internal contacts and adequate separation gaps will fail exactly like mentioned as contacts get welded together. Richard

That takes me back to my school days working with tinplate. Just looking at the photo I can smell the soldering irons heating in little gas stoves and the tang of killed spirits. Richard

From what I can see in the user manual each servo output is activated by grounding its input so to activate three servos from one switch all you need to do is connect their inputs to a single SPST switch through to ground. Doing it this way will preserve all the individual programmed movements wheras using a single output will mean all the servos will move the same amount. Richard

Just come across these. They are available in 3 & 5 way, are mains rated although no detail on amperage. They are used to make changing zone valves in domestic heating systems plug and play. Those systems usually have a 3A fuse so they should be good enough for that at least. The connectors can be found cheaper on EBay. Richard https://www.plumbase.co.uk/5-way-connector-block-rege105-100007735-3530924

It was the Rapid ones that I mainly used and found quite robust. Richard