Schooner Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Pre-amble: I work away from home, but would like to get back into modelling (and achieve a little something positive to take out of this god-awful year). To this end, I'm trying to put together a 'super-kit' to enable a simple 00 layout to be built in a period of leave I have coming up in the new year. This will require effective planning to pull off, for all intents my first 'proper' layout since adolescence, and leaning on the experience of others will continue to be essential. My eletrical knowledge is minimal, and practical skills rusty, so I'd like to highlight my ignorance and start my learning with an appeal to RMWeb for help. Request: Advice on how to wire up an Inglenook track plan, for DC, using Gaugemaster DS Controller (pre-existing and the best part of thirty years old, but apparently fully functional) x 1 DCC Concepts' Cobalt iP Analogue slow-acting point motors, x 3 DCC Concepts' S-Lever control switches, x 3+ (if advised, there's budget to get a pack of 6) Heathcote motorised gate, x 1 (servo motor) Signalling will none-existant, I believe, and I'm happy to leave lighting etc as a follow-up project unless advised otherwise. I think all requirements can be met with 3 switch-levers, but I'm open to alternatives. Trackplan: Harlequin's Inglenook (vertically flipped), presented as a canal wharf at the turn of the last century. Current plan below: PECO long uni-frog points, Code 75 BH (for inset track, what was I thinking?!) First attempt: Trying to follow the diagrams in the linked manuals, above: I appreciate the information must be lodged around this forum somewhere, but I'd appreciate any advice to help me on my way. Cheers, Schooner PS. Layout planning thread here Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John ks Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 (edited) Schooner As shown the cobalt's wont work If you want to use the Gaugemaster to power the Cobalt's the the point lever will have to be wired as a DPDT switch (if the point doesn't move when the lever is thrown then chance the wires to terminals 4 & 5 on the lever IE black to 4 & red to 5. 8 & 9 remain as shown) OR You can get a Cobalt CDU2 power supply & wire as shown Quote from DCC concepts 2 posts down The CDU2 is totally unsuitable for operation with an analogue slow action point motor. It is a capacitor discharge unit and designed for use with solenoid motors and will damage the Analog IP (You may be thinking about the PSU2 - which is a +9v/0v/-9v unit - however - no longer available and replaced with the SPS12 unit as a split voltage supply.) Regarding the crossing gates . I've only looked at their webpage & I think you will need to wire the servo something like shown John Edited December 17, 2020 by John ks 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted December 14, 2020 Share Posted December 14, 2020 In addition to the corrected drawing above. A Servo control board needs just two wires to operate the Servo one way then the other. So one wire will connect to the Cobalt motors common change-over switch contact tab 6 from the Heathcote Servo board and depending on which way the point/motor is to operate the servo the other wire will be on tab 4 or 5, not both. So in the drawing remove the Brown wire and connect pink wire to either 4 or 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted December 14, 2020 Author Share Posted December 14, 2020 Thank you both, much appreciated. It'll be helpful to have the parts in my hands to suck it and see, but even better is have some good advice on how to make a success of it beforehand No promises not to darken the doorway again in the new year, but you've given me a cracking headstart. Thanks again, Schooner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCCconcepts Posted December 16, 2020 Share Posted December 16, 2020 On 10/12/2020 at 22:56, John ks said: Schooner As shown the cobalt's wont work If you want to use the Gaugemaster to power the Cobalt's the the point lever will have to be wired as a DPDT switch (if the point doesn't move when the lever is thrown then chance the wires to terminals 4 & 5 on the lever IE black to 4 & red to 5. 8 & 9 remain as shown) OR You can get a Cobalt CDU2 power supply & wire as shown Regarding the crossing gates . I've only looked at their webpage & I think you will need to wire the servo something like shown John John, The CDU2 is totally unsuitable for operation with an analogue slow action point motor. It is a capacitor discharge unit and designed for use with solenoid motors and will damage the Analog IP (You may be thinking about the PSU2 - which is a +9v/0v/-9v unit - however - no longer available and replaced with the SPS12 unit as a split voltage supply.) We would also suggest that the accessory output from the controller is not used. They are often unregulated/unsmoothed. (Usually "rated" at 12v and typically measuring 14-16v with no or minimal load and higher voltage spikes unseen with a multimeter) The Analog IP requires a regulated DC supply. Best Regards, The DCCconcepts Team 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John ks Posted December 16, 2020 Share Posted December 16, 2020 39 minutes ago, DCCconcepts said: The CDU2 is totally unsuitable for operation with an analogue slow action point motor. It is a capacitor discharge unit and designed for use with solenoid motors and will damage the Analog IP (You may be thinking about the PSU2 - which is a +9v/0v/-9v unit - however - no longer available and replaced with the SPS12 unit as a split voltage supply.) Thanks for correcting my mistake John 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 Thank you @DCCconcepts - I had wondered about the mix of CDU with non-solenoid motors. Great to get info straight from the horse's mouth, as it were. I'll get a new wiring diagram together in the coming days for review if I may, and then check baseboard construction with the electrical system in mind. Cheers all, Schooner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share Posted January 4, 2021 Updated plan, reflecting previous advice (I think!) and the purchase of a dedicated 12V supply, for critique please: Thoughts? Assuming that's okay, the remaining question is whether the addition of 2 more servos to the system, each linked to a point motor, and left off for clarity, will bring any issues? The wiring would be simplified by the use of an alternative power source (DCC Concepts DCP-SPS-12) but this just seemed overkill for so small a layout. Might it be worth it though? Thanks, as ever Schooner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John ks Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 Looking at your current drawing I see nothing wrong One thing i would considering changing is the way you feed the DCC from the tracks to the cobalt Instead you could feed the cobalts directly from the DCC bus The top drawing is yours with the modifications The lower drawing shows a simplified DCC bus wiring The Optional IRJ's. the gaps(X) in the DCC bus & the switches etc in the shaded area are optional & are there to make fault finding easier The switches could be replaced with a terminal strip If there is a fault on the layout then disconnecting ( or switching off) part of the layout will help narrow down a short to part of the layout If you get a DCP-SPS-12 you should be able to power your servos from it (IF DCC concepts reads this then please confirm that this is OK) Ensuring the total load drawn from the DCP-SPS-12 is less than its rating If you already have the power supply then this is an unnecessary expense. John 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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