How many Cobalt Alphaswitches for a crossover? 1 or 3?

[Norm81]

Pretty simple question really, I've acquired some second hand cobalt alpha stuff (switches, encoder with an LCD and the board the switches plug into and know very little about it. They're AlphaSwitch-D and I'll be using hare/wabbit/other decoders for my tortoise motors so that should work okay.

 

My question is probably more about mimic panel design or personal preference though, but are people using 3 switches with 2 out of 3 somehow connected together, or just one for a crossover? I think you can get away with just one in the centre, lit being crossover set, unlit being staright roads set.

 

Thanks 

[newbryford]

For a crossover, it requires a left/right (or straight/crossover) command, so you can get away with just two switches for the channel (assuming that the motors on either end of the crossover are given the same address.

However, it's quite convenient (and IMO neater and easier to understand) to have a switch or button  on both straight legs connected together. (In exactly the same way I used to connect two pushbuttons together for "straight" on a solenoid operated system.

If using Alpha Switch-D, you will need a SY3 connector to put two switches on the straight as one half of a channel.

 

As you say - it's a matter of personal preference.

(I have 6 crossover pairs on DL - all fitted with 3x switch-D buttons per crossover)

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Norm81]

Thanks Mick, I think three per crossover is the way to go as one isn't an option and two won't look right.

 

I have one encoder, one switch-D PCB with 12 inputs and the 12 switches. My track plan is 5 crossovers and one point, so I need (5 x 2) + (1 x 2) = 12 channels and (5 x 3) +2 = 17 switches so I just need some more switches and the SY3's I think

[newbryford]

1 hour ago, Norm81 said:

Thanks Mick, I think three per crossover is the way to go as one isn't an option and two won't look right.

 

I have one encoder, one switch-D PCB with 12 inputs and the 12 switches. My track plan is 5 crossovers and one point, so I need (5 x 2) + (1 x 2) = 12 channels and (5 x 3) +2 = 17 switches so I just need some more switches and the SY3's I think

 

To be accurate:

Switch-D is only 6 channels per board = 12 switches in the pack.

Encoder is 12 channels.

 

Cheers,

Mick