dmumford

20 minutes ago, Dungrange said:

 

I'm assuming that's because you need two channels to operate each motor - one gives the signal to be thrown normal and the other to be thrown reverse, which means that you need one DR4018 for every eight points that you have.

Yes I think that’s right. Has anyone tried the “next generation” DR50018?

28 minutes ago, njee20 said:

However they won’t even ship to the UK

As I am in Ireland, that doesn’t matter to me. If anyone is thinking of buying from a European retailer, don’t use FedEx! I bought from a UK retailer and they have billed me €70 for duty on a €150 purchase plus trying to double charge me their own carriage charges, which I had already paid to the retailer

44 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Why not go to Tortoise if you want reliability? Many years of positive customer feedback on various forums.

I have 54 installed and not an inkling of anything less than 100% reliability.

The only problem I ever had with a Tortoise was one that sounded like a kids rattle when I got out of the box. It was replaced without question by the retailer.

 

The two Cobalts I tried, after about 12 months or so stuck at one end and wouldn't move without wacking them and two Traintronics TT300 where again after regular use for a while the clutch started slipping too much at the end of travel and not switching off.

Seeps - Tried them as well, IMHO you get what you pay for.

 

Last year following the earlier discussions, I decided to try the MTB MP1 and invested in a couple for a new crossover where their small size would be a virtue.

(The crossover is on a lifting section of track and I recessed them underneath into the 22mm timber.)

They were easy to install and set up with various throw and operating pin settings available. They have operated faultlessly since.

They are however noisy compared to stall motors.

 

EDIT

I assume they are selling well as DCC Train Automation now have large stocks, (currently showing 131!) that wasn't the case earlier.

 

 

I always thought the tortoise motors were larger (I model in N gauge, so space can be tight under the baseboards) and also had not heard good things about their reliability. I was just watching a YouTube video, and think they are amazingly similar to the Cobalts?

I have made a big investment in point motors over the years. I now have around 70 on my layout and reckon I will be near the 100 mark by the time I’m done - could be years away yet though!

i was initially using seep motors but changed to Cobalt early on. However I have found them annoyingly unreliable - even the newer IP digital ones. All the models have a tendency to “click” - ie the motor keeps running for some reason, and sounds like the gears are slipping inside.  I have also been pretty underwhelmed by Richard and DCC Concepts customer service. 
 

So I am considering changing to the MP1 motor discussed in this thread. I only need to control the frog polarity as everything else is taken care of from the computer software control. 
 

However there is no point if the reliability just isn’t there.  If anyone has any feedback after a few years of use, I would be very interested. 
 

Thanks

OK, switched the feed over from the combined power and digital circuit bus, and got it to work, relieved!

23 hours ago, two tone green said:

Gosh, all this was years ago and I have not used LDT stuff since 2010 when I broke my OO layout up to go O gauge. I am 100% ESU now. 
 

Will really have to motivate the grey matter to work out what it may be. I never did use the BR signal decoder as I used the NS which coped well with my three aspect signals

 

I am away from home until tomorrow and will get onto the LDT website to download the manual and have a read. 

Thanks, TTG.  I wonder what you are using to control your signals - can you do so with ESU signal decoders?  

I have had a quick look at the ESU website, their signal decoder is only set up for European signalling, or have you been able to make it work with a British 4 aspect signal with route feather?

http://www.esu.eu/en/products/signalpilot/

2 hours ago, henryparrot said:

Is this a kit of the LDT ls dec br or a finished module?  the reason i ask i recently made up 9 of these boards i had one that would not program  with close inspection there was a dry joint on one of the solder connections .

Swapping the DCC connections also can affect it .  Plus its ultra important to ensure both left and right and side are both within the block of 4 addresses

 

Hi Henry

It is a finished module, but without the casing.  I am going to try over the weekend with a signal in both sides, as I have only been trying to program the right hand side up to now.

On 21/10/2019 at 19:37, montyburns56 said:

 

Not what you want to hear, but the 170s are now due Feb 2020. 

Are they going to be DCC ready?  May be everything being released nowadays is?

On 30/12/2010 at 21:17, two tone green said:

It does mention the ECoS twice, once for DCC, jumper off and Marklin - Motorola jumper on.

 

So it is correct in that assuming you are using DCC, the jumper is off.

 

But you cannot program 30 as it is the second half of a pair of addresses, 29, 30. Look at the sequence, write it out from 1 to 8, 9 to 16 and so on. You will see what I mean. Stick with the sequence and you will be ok.

Hi TTG

I have the same issue that prompted this thread, but have tried the solutions without success:

1. ESU ECoS 50200

2. LDT signal decoder for British signals

3. I only have the J3 jumper on for programming

4. One signal wired up to the right hand block

5. Press the programme button twice, and the three aspect signal alternates red and green slowly

6. Use a dummy point to set Normal or Reverse to program the signal

7. No change to the signal flashing red and green at the same speed as before - no speeding up as suggested in the manual

8. Press the program button once more and the signal returns to a steady red aspect

9. The signal does not respond to programming either address 1 or address 305 (my preferred address, and I think correct as the start of a block of 8)

If you have any ideas or suggestions to put me right, I'd be grateful

Thanks

David