Colworth Direct Drive Controller

[amdaley]

Hello Everyone.

 

While rooting around in some boxes I discovered a Colworth direct drive DC controller ?

Its a panel mounted unit that i used many years ago.

However I have no idea what the input voltage should be & can't seem to find any information anywhere on the net.

Can anyone shed some light or have any information relating to the unit ?

 

Thanks.

Tony.

 

[amdaley]

Here are a few photos.

There is some writing on the back but its long since faded.

It looks like use "something" supply DC ?
When I get a chance I'll try a DC adaptor & see what happens ?

 

Tony

 

 

 

 

 

[dhjgreen]

I can almost convince myself it say 15 volts; enhancing the contrast does not help. This must have been made by a very small outfit, the design and manufacture of the PCB are very amateurish. Track all over the place and not plated. The wire link to the 2N3055 and current sense resistor tagged on the back of the board too. Maybe the panel was sub-contracted for a professional look.

 

Small supplier: maybe why there is nothing on the net, that and its probable age.

[cliff park]

Does the input go into a bridge rectifier, either a one-piece affair or 4 diodes, maybe in a square ? Can you show a picture of the component side of the board where the input leads are connected.

[brigo]

To me , it looks as if the input is the two yellow wires which are soldered on to the top left of the board in the 2nd photo. I would then suggest there are 4 diodes, 2 lying horizontal and 2 vertical.

The 2 horizontal ones are linked to the track that runs along the top and down the righthand side with the orange wire linking it to the collector of the transistor, so that will be the +v rail. The vertical diodes are linked and their track goes down the lefthand side and across the bottom and connect onto the direction switch, so this will be the 0v rail.

So, input would be the normal 12-16 Volts AC.

Did find an Ebay listing from a few weeks ago for a Colworth Electronics catalogue for 1983/4

 

https://www.ebay.com.my/itm/Colworth-Electronics-Model-Railway-Electrical-Catalogue-1983-84-24-Pages/253546419139?hash=item3b088b53c3:g:cw4AAOSw4ZxayMR1

 

Would seem they made a number of board based products and sold the normal wire, switches etc.

 

Brian

[kevinlms]

Found an ad in Railway Modeller for Colworth Electronics, 1985 May 27a

 

They advertise 4 controllers  and sub header says

 

We design, we manufacturer, we sell direct.

 

DMM-1 Minimodule 12.70

DCP-1 Standard Module  12.70

DCP-2 Dual Circuit  21.50

ICP-1 Variable Inertia Controller  16.50

 

All controllers require 12 - 16 Volt AC input

 

It would appear that your controller is a DCP-1 and as has already been suggested the two yellow ones will be the input.

Edited June 1, 2018 by kevinlms

[amdaley]

Thanks everyone for the replies & advice.

I'll take a further look later.

I'll start with a low AC input to the two yellow wires & report back.

[amdaley]

Dug out a 12 volt Dc adaptor & connected up vis the yellow wires.

Success it works fine so I guess the controller just takes an uncontrolled 12 volt DC output.

I'll use it on my study test tracks so I won't need to go downstairs every time I want to test a loco.

Here's a photo of my study test tracks.

Dc in front & DCC at the rear.

 

Thanks everyone for your help & suggestions.

 

Tony.