RMweb Premium 7013 Posted March 20, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2012 I am thinking of investing in some of these for a layout I am revising. I can only find limited mention on here about them. i was wondering if anyone has any experience good or bad that they could share, the addressing of these decoder on board point motors appears very straightforward as do the other functions on the motor, are there any hidden nasties as they seem very reasonable to me? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted March 20, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2012 I am thinking of investing in some of these for a layout I am revising. I can only find limited mention on here about them. i was wondering if anyone has any experience good or bad that they could share, the addressing of these decoder on board point motors appears very straightforward as do the other functions on the motor, are there any hidden nasties as they seem very reasonable to me? There have been some reports of less than perfect reliability, possibly due to manufacturing problems early on. I have two and whilst they are nice & neat, one plays up a sometimes, it doesn't always shut off immediately when reaching the end of it's travel. Unlike Tortoises they are not stall motors, they have limit switches and if it doesn't switch off it tries to carry on pushing! From other peoples recommendations Tortoise + NCE Switch-It might be a better buy. I have purchased some Tortoises and NCE decoders and am currently evaluating them. So far so good. The only downside is the bulk of the Tortoise, there are a couple of locations on my layout where I can't fit them. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Hi Another alternative is the smaller Cobalt and the matching AD1 decoder. Or the new Cobalt Digital with a built-in decoder but I'm unsure if it available as yet? All from the DCC Concepts stable and sold in the UK by various retailers - Gaugemaster, Bromsgrove Models etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibushe Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I have 8 0f these not given any problems, easy to program and set up. I have also wired in two aspect colour lights most useful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I've one on my module and it's been fine - a little quicker than a tortoise but still believable. The only thing I don't like (personal preference and not a 'fault') is because mine are fed from the track bus they can re-set direction to default if the power is interrupted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonzack Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Hi, I have 18 of these installed on an N gauge layout we are currently building. It's early days, as they have only been operated to program and do initial fault finding, but they appear to be working OK. I have one which isn't switching the frog polarity correctly when the point moves in one direction only, but I'm pretty sure this is just a case of fine tuning it's positioning under the board, or slackening off the mounting screws slightly. I'll post back to this thread when I get a chance to look at it. The action from the motor is very positive as you can see in the video in one of my blog posts - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/979/entry-8064-turnouts/ I can think of only two minor gripes, the screw terminals aren't all that big (so daisy chaining stock rail / frog feeds and DCC supply in 16/0.2 wire to the decoder isn't easy) and the spacers provided to mount the unit are difficult to work with. I have another blog entry here which shows a more detailed pic of the TT300's after wiring - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/979/entry-8914-heworth-sidings-update-12032012/ Cheers, Mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibushe Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Further to my previous post. Having to work underneath to fit these and the frustrations of trying to get the screws in, plus the alignment, i now do this. The unit is first mounted on a piece of4mm ply, 1 inch longer & half inch wider. This is pre drilled at the corners and a slot for the operating pin. The centre line is marked at both ends with marker pen. ( So I can see it) Two small holes are drilled from the top on the center line and marked under. So when it comes to fit the unit its just a matter of lining up the markers. It is important that the drive pin is at right angles to the tye bar otherwise you can stress the motor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJGraphics Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I have 14 TT300s on my branch line terminus and its associated fiddle yard and have been using them regularly for about eighteen months. I had one faulty from new which was replaced promptly and courteously by the supplier. I found that drilling from above was the easiest way to install them and created a template for this purpose. Hopefully the file is attached to this post TT300 Point Motor Template.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted April 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 3, 2012 Thanks! - I've got four more to fit on Fourgig East, that will make life easier Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonzack Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Hi, Just an update to my previous post. The TT300 I was having an issue with was DOA. No amount of tweaking changed the fact it shorted the frog (joined rails A and B ) when throwing in one direction. As I had a spare, I've switched it out and everything is working fine now. Cheers, Mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cambriancoaster Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 Hello I have used eight TT300 point motors on my Testby Layout see: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/55287-testby-to-pwllheli/ . A photograph within this topic shows five TT300s fitted on the underside of one of the baseboards. The are operated from a laptop computer using the Hornby Railmaster/Elite combination. I am very pleased with the TT300s and find them easy to fit. I plan to use many more of the units as I extend the Testby layout to Pwllheli. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted April 29, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2012 The second of my two TT300s has now thrown a wobbly, but just once. The motor ran on for several seconds after reaching the end of it's travel, exactly the same as the first one does regularly. It has been running fine for a couple of years so seems like there is a problem with the internal switch contacts. That compares to just one failure from 15 with LS150s and Seeps which have been operating for about the same length of time. The failure is one output of one LS150 which stops working occasionally during use, it always works when first switched on. The 13 Tortoises (+ NCE Switch 8s) have only been in place for a few months but so far have performed faultlessly. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulYMRG Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 As stated on the other thread - You need to read the full manual and disable the DC operation because a short across the track can make the points change position or even end up halfway between directions. I have used about 35 of these and would advise anyone who gets one that does not work to return it ASAP for a replacement. They are not all the same and some are weaker than others. I would say fit these with an upturned baseboard. The screws can stress the PCB so do not overtighten them - use some hot melt glue carefully in each corner to fix in position after they have been set up correctly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted May 24, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 24, 2012 I would say fit these with an upturned baseboard. Not easy with a 20' x 12' baseboard! I have used about 35 of these and would advise anyone who gets one that does not work to return it ASAP for a replacement. After about 15 months? AFAIK it only has a 12 month guarantee. I would advise anybody that is considering slow motion point motors, on cost alone, to consider Tortoise + NCE Switch 8 (as recommended by others on this Forum). If you want DC operation only why pay about £8 extra for a TT300? It also only has one changeover switch which is a serious omission in my opinion. If you want DCC go elsewhere. IMHO the TT300 has two things in its favour - It is British and it is compact. All else are disadvantages. N.B. these is only my own opinions, no doubt others will disagree. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulYMRG Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Ok so the solution IS simple - To use these point motors on a DCC system just set CV2 to 0 or if you need it reversed action then 128. If you add the number 2 tyo the values you will get it responding with a movement when the system resets via a short on the track. I have now set all mine to 0 on large layout and all the point motors stay put after a short - I feel like I am in a different world. It actually was quick to do when I realised i could reprogram about 11 at a time whilst still wired on the system (I isolated the group first ). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulYMRG Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 After about 15 months? AFAIK it only has a 12 month guarantee. I would advise anybody that is considering slow motion point motors, on cost alone, to consider Tortoise + NCE Switch 8 (as recommended by others on this Forum). If you want DC operation only why pay about £8 extra for a TT300? It also only has one changeover switch which is a serious omission in my opinion. If you want DCC go elsewhere. IMHO the TT300 has two things in its favour - It is British and it is compact. All else are disadvantages. N.B. these is only my own opinions, no doubt others will disagree. Keith Just for the record, nothing you buy in the UK has just a 12 month guarantee even if the manufacturer claims it is just that. The law says that all items (except a few) must have a 2 year guarantee at least. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted June 21, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2012 Just for the record, nothing you buy in the UK has just a 12 month guarantee even if the manufacturer claims it is just that. The law says that all items (except a few) must have a 2 year guarantee at least. Please quote the relevant legislation that applies. Keith. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted June 27, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 27, 2012 just in case anyone is thinking of using a push to make switch to toggle the point using the C & G connections as described in the advanced manual - they are not shipped with this enabled as standard despite what it says in the book - add 1 to CV2 to enable Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulYMRG Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Please quote the relevant legislation that applies. Keith. The EU directive in question is 1999/44/EC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdbath Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 It's early days of my experience with these motors on Guide Dog Bridge, but so far I'm very pleased with them. I'm using them on DCC with modified Peco Code 75 pointwork (over-centre spring mechanism cut out and binned) Similar to others, I've had one duff motor so far. Again, replaced by the supplier with no problems. Installation-wise, I've setted on the following as a basic guide: 1. Pin turnout in exact location. 2. Hold tie bar in centrally, between normal and reversed positions. 3. Drill small hole through the baseboard, going through the existing hole in the tie bar for the actuating rod. Make sure this is square to the baseboard. My baseboard tops are 12mm ply, so a hole through at a drunken angle could be a few mm out by the underside, leading to problems. Thicker the board, worse the problem. 4. Drill hole for frog polarity lead, if required. 5. Drill alignment holes either side of the tie bar. This is purely to help getting the motor square to the travel of the tie bar, when it's fixed on from underneath. 6. Remove turnout. 7. I've given up using the small plastic spacers as provided with the motors, they make life difficult. These are replaced by two thin strips of 4mm ish cork underlay, one at either end of the pcb. Deformed over the soldered contacts, they sit flat on the basebaord facing side of the pcb. 8. On the underside of the baseboard, you should have three small holes more or less in a straight line. Draw a line through these with a ruler. 9. Offer up the motor, guiding the actuating rod through the middle small hole. Plenty of room for innuendo here, I fear! 10. Get the edge of the pcb square to your ruled line, then spot through the mounting holes with a 4 mm (or maybe it's 3mm, whichever is a snug fit) drill. 11. Remove motor. 12. You can now drill out a bigger hole to allow for the travel of the actuating rod. I use an 8mm for this. 13. Put the turnout back in place, with a tail of wire of suitable length from the frog, if you're doing polarity switching. 14. Fix the motor in place, cut the actuating rod to length with a cutting disc. The rod will pull out from the motor, allowing you to do this away from the pointwork, if easier. 15. Wire up. I tend to do as much of the wiring as possible on the bench. That way all you're left to do upside down under the board is to connect to the DCC bus and connect the lead from the frog. Although that sounds long-winded, it's actually very quick and easy once you've got the tools together and done a couple. And I'm certain that precision and care taken at this stage will lead to reliable operation. Bath. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonzack Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Hi Bath, I think you've captured the install procedure really well. Could I suggest a small amendment to step 2, as it saves you trying to hold the point blades in a central position. 2. 'Throw' the point, mark through the hole in the tie bar, 'Close' the point and mark through the hole in the tie bar again, draw a line between these points and drill in the centre, giving mid position. Cheers, Mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibushe Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Hi. Bath. I to gave up on the spacers having to work from under. My method, only because it suits. The motor is first mounted on a piece of 4mm ply. This suits the thickness of my baseboard, no cutting of the drive pin. Line up is two small holes beyond the lenght of the ply. These holes are then marked from under. The whole unit is prewired, including the colour light. Two pieces of double sided tape holds it in position, spot the mount holes. Job done. Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
apepper Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Hello I have used eight TT300 point motors on my Testby Layout see: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/55287-testby-to-pwllheli/ . A photograph within this topic shows five TT300s fitted on the underside of one of the baseboards. The are operated from a laptop computer using the Hornby Railmaster/Elite combination. I am very pleased with the TT300s and find them easy to fit. I plan to use many more of the units as I extend the Testby layout to Pwllheli. HI, I know this some time ago, but I've just started using Railmaster; can I ask what accessory type you set for the TT300s on RM? -Andrew Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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