StuartN Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 It's all in the title. It only needs to do one thing. Eventually I want to be able to programme it from my computer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIMorrison Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 What sort of motor? servo, solenoid, stall - all different and what do you mean program from computer? all affect the choice of decoder 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartN Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 sorry to say, but some are servos and others solenoid. I am looking at JMRI for computer control, but that is still in the future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted January 18, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 18, 2020 The ESU Switch pilot decoder can operate both solenoid and servo point machines http://www.esu.eu/en/products/switchpilot/switchpilot-v20/ Andi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIMorrison Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 I would go with DR4018 for the solenoid motors and Dr4024 for the servo motors - both relatively cheap. The computer operation (not programming) is actually irrelevant as the computer will talk to your command station and the command station wi issue and accessory command to switch the motors - that is why I wondered if you meant programming, which you don't Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Liddiard Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) You might find it easier to standardise your point motors as they will potentially need different power supplies and accessory decoders. Solenoid point motors like the Peco PL10 and Gaugemaster Seep need, in my experience, a capacitor discharge unit to supply a high enough charge to reliably switch the points. Merg members can buy a decoder kit that includes a CDU and controls four points. It works well but the solenoid point motors are just nasty. Last summer I replaced ~ 40 Peco point motors due to unreliability and fitted MTB-MP1 motorised point motors with Digikeijs DR4018 accessory decoders and they worked perfectly at the layout's last show (Warley 2019). Note that I tested the DR4018 on my n gauge test track first. It had Seep point motors at the time and I couldn't get the solenoids to throw reliably. Apart from signals I have never used servos so I can't comment on them. As we found last year, the cheapest option won't necessessarily be the best and you may end up getting very frustrated with your choice and then spending more money to do the job properly. That said the MERG boards are cheap and they do throw the PECO solenoids reliably. The DR4018 are good value (8 points for ~£33) work well with motorised points but NOT solenoids. Edited January 20, 2020 by Gavin Liddiard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium JimFin Posted January 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) On 18/01/2020 at 22:25, Dagworth said: The ESU Switch pilot decoder can operate both solenoid and servo point machines http://www.esu.eu/en/products/switchpilot/switchpilot-v20/ Andi It does indeed operate up to 4 solenoid or motors and 2 servo motors. If you have lots more servos, then their Servo Pilot operates 4 servos. I operate them with RocRail so assume JMRI would be the same. Edited January 21, 2020 by JimFin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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