StuartN

The signals are from Traintronics

I've bought some 12v DEC Signals without checking that they could be powered by DCC.

So I have a feed to my point frog which is DCC either left or right. Now I can wire two LEDs to this and wire the other ends to either left or right feeds and see only one light.

My new dc signals have their own circuit board, but I don't know what they do.

Is their any way I can use the DCC frog wire to control these signals?

Thanks for this. But I am having to re-read it a few times to make absolute sense of it.

Is there any chance of doing a circuit diagram?

I think you have three logic scenarios:

Signal A = Red and Signal B = Red - You want this when the BD20 detects something irrespective of the position of the point.

Signal A = Green and Signal B = Red - you want this wheThe cheaper the better. the BD20 doesn't detect anything and the point is set to the route from Signal A

Signal A = Red and Signal B = Green - you want this when the BD20 doesn't detect anything and the point is set to the route from Signal B.

Exactly right.

So do I only need to buy a relay and if so, can you recommend one? The cheaper the better.

Also I am trying to mock up the BD20. Will get back.

I have just discovered that the signal is 12v DC and I was hoping to rely on DCC. I have used LEDs on mimic board and wired one side of each LED to frog and the other side to one side or other of track. So if the track is opposite side to frog, the LED lights up. But the signals don't work that way, and I don't know if I need some more kit to make it work.

I am using 12v DC for lighting. The signal is made by Traintronic. Bu not yet connected.

The red led on the BD20 lights up whether there is something on thetrack or not.

I haven't bought a relay as yet and was hoping not to hve to,

I've bought the DCE BD20 but I can't get it to work.

I've wired up the red wiring and the red led on the motherboard lights up, but I can't get a led connected to the output to do so.

The blue wiring is the frog wiring going to some 2 aspect signals, yet to be wired.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Its worse than that - the pdf file is rubbish.

I cannot recommend Modelux, despite the fact the models look good in photos.

I attach a pdf fil for a footbridge if anyone is interested.

However I don't understand it, particularly how to fit the small stairs.

ModelBridge.pdf

I've now received the NCE BD20 and I also downloaded a wiring diagram from NCE showing how to operate red and green signals.

But I need help in the relay(?)

Thanks so much Dungrange for your reply. It was just what I needed.

Yes I know about the resistor - I have used this for my mimic board, so this should be no different. I don't know, but I assume if I buy a proper signal, it will have all this already.

From what you write, I think I need a current sensing device. I assume you think that such a device might well have some sort of relay built in. I will phone CostalDCC on Monday for advice. The NCE makes a little sense as I use a NCE Powercab.

Again thanks.

The frog wiring is switched at the point motor. The red and green led share this wire but they also return via each side of the track which is DCC powered,

I am asking the question because I have made no idea about the detector or the relay.  I just need to detect a train on the track. In practice, this bit of the layout is not significant as all I have to do is to see if a train has stopped by the station. And I don't want to spend a fortune as this is in some ways a simple experiment.

I am thinking of something like this.

Some sort of switch / relay.

If the block detector activates, then red is sent to the signal.

If not, then the frog power is sent which can be either red or green.

Any problems with this?

You've got me!

This is what I have. I assume that if there is only one train at the station, then the other is somewhere on the line and so the train at the station cannot move.

But I want to automate it better, and since I might not be able to see the other hidden train, I might easily forget that there is one or maybe one hidden.

Sorry, but this is too complicated for me.

Also I will only be able to see one signal as the rest of the track, including the point, is hidden.

It occurs to me that logic problems are solvable electronically, but I have no idea what that circuit would look like.

Part of my layout consists of a single track loop and a station which acts as a passing track and therefore has a point at each end. Two trains can go in opposite directions, but only one can run providing the other train is stopped on the opposite platform, and this I can see. Part of the loop is accessible but hidden. I have spent a lot of money on the layout and need to be economical in future.

My first thought is to have 3 aspect signals, the red and green controlled by the point ahead, and the yellow controlled by a block detection device. I will only run the train if the signal is green. However this means that the red and yellow lights can be on at the same time.

Also it seems to me to be a logic question ie

Train detected OR point set against = RED

No train AND point set correctly = GREEN

Any ideas please?

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.

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.

I understand both anodes pointing the same way, so does it matter if the resistor is wired to the anode or cathode?

Also which is the anode? I remember it being the shorter length.

Thanks again it is very useful and I apologise for being so ignorant.

Thanks for your replies.

You guessed right - it is for a DCC and I learnt something new. I'll use the bottom diagram

Which version is best please?

One only uses 1 resistor but may not be as safe.

Thanks to everyone. I checked the connections and there is no problem.

I have only tried it with 1 loco - the very first I bought so maybe I'll try others.

Is there a maximum length of programming track?

I notice that if I have 2 lengths of track, NCE reads the chip, but three it doesn't

Thanks for that.

But how about Point 1? I am looking for a neat switch to do it. I presume I only need to switch one of the power feeds to the point motors.

Interesting point about this forum.

Strictly speaking, the issue of point polarity happens in both DC and DCC, or have I misunderstood it.