dj_crisp

What a fantastic layout and a great read Sorry not on facebook. What did you use for point tiebars as that's something I'm just toying with atm. Cheers Will

No worries and no rush

Thanks Andy Thats much neater -interestingly I can't save the signature you created for me. Just get the message if i open it and save it without altering. Signature spans too many lines cheers Will

First off I'm liking the new website alot. One thing that is puzzling me is that i can't change my signature to add in a link to one of my new threads. Even trying to save my current one is not allowed as i suspect it's because it's across more than 3 lines? Is there a limit to the number of characters per line...? so should I embed the hyperlink and use a much small text description? Thanks Will

Hi Richard Just tried a 12v dc 3A power supply and the humm is noticibly quieter... I guess exactly what you're seeing. Seems like there is a way to alter the output power (using CV 113 for point one) but as yet I haven't found a rating that will fullly throw a tortoise. I'll post anything I find that works on my Bisley Junction thread but will probably go with adding some foam the reduce the vibration when attached to the baseboard cheers Will

Hi Paul I've hooked up a 12v dc 3A power supply and the humm is noticibly quieter on the cobalt but still there. I've also tried a tortoise and that one is quieter still. The humm I'm hearing is a small vibration of the point motor itself which I think is being amplified when the unit is attached to the baseboard. I've never used stall motors before so I'm guessing this could be normal behaviour? I think if I mount the unit with some foam for vibration absortion then I reckon 'm not going to be able to hear anything so thats the route I'm going to try next. I've also had a play using CV113 (for the first point motor) and it does indeed dimm the output, but dimms it so much the motor is not getting enough power to fully throw. Do you know if there is a CV value that works? Also had a chat (via youtube comments) with Ryan of Ironplanethobbies and he suggest a lower 10v dc 0.5A power supply might just do.... which i reckon he's probably right! Still - At least this feels like progress and a route forward! cheers Will

Hi Nick Thanks for posting that great video! Inspirational stuff and I love the HSTs too. I must do a few St Blazey 37s cheers Will

I decided to take up some of the trackwork on board one of Bisley to align with my original plan and make it a through line with a branch. A snap on my phone; The bottom of the photo is the access to the fiddleyard which will most likely be a traverser so those lines leaving the board will be straight at that point. The main line has shifted left a little so it's its going to be a gentle curve and I might try a bit of elevation on it. (The cork i used was rolled so I'm using a bit of the roll on the curve and have sanded it flat on the straight sections. There are two thickness of cork on this board with the thinner stuff being on the sidings although have a bit of difficulty as the wood glue got through the thinner stuff and stuck to the piece of wood i was using to glue it flat with.... doh! I'm keeping the original bay but turning this into a fertilser siding so will be lightweight bullhead track. There's a double slip to go in at the top which will access the main line and bay and in the other direction a short siding and branch. And to the top right a pair of sidings for empty china clay traffic wagon storage. The branch at the bottom is a little tighter to the rear of the layout that i'd have liked but I'm planning on a bridge so hopefully I'll be able to disguise it a little. I've also been tidying up some trackwork that I've picked up secondhand over the years. Lots of sleepers have been replaced and checked for trueness. The original builder was rather good! I'm in two minds about the tiebars on whether I should put in more realistic ones or as they're at the back of the layout go for robustness of copper clad. Lazyness and robustness may win the day but as you may notice in the photos above I've drilled 3 holes per point just in case i change my mind Mind you I've not messing about with the doubleslip... thats staying copperclad! What a great Easter weather wise!

Sounds like 9v dc might be worth trying. I'll see if I can get a suitable power pack.

I'm using the 4101 interface. I've just had a comment from Ryan at ironplanethobbies on you tube who suggests a lower volatage power supply. I might try that and see what happens.

I have the same issue but with cobalts... so far no luck but will be trying a new power supply. Is the one you're using a separate supply? Cheers Will

An interesting comment on priming which I'm debating on doing for my track which has a bit of everything for sleepers. (Wood plastic an copper clad). Does anyone prime first?

Thanks Paul. I've done a bit of reading and think the 4101 effectively helps smooth the power supply. At the moment Ive just used the DR5000 as the power supply and it was the same connected to the track or direct. I do plan on using a separate power source though so will have a look around my old electronice and see what I have spare Thanks for your help Will

I found setting up the DR4018 very straightforward and there are some useful youtube videos from ironplanethobbies. I'm finding setting up my cobalts a bit tricky to get the right throw and I'm currently not sure what is causing them to hum but I expect you won't have that issue with seep motors. Really easy to change the cv address of the unit to work in multiple.

Thanks Paul. I've tried cv47 set to 6 and 13 but not tried it without the 4101. I'll have a go later in the week and report back. Totally agree on the documentation.... all I have is that you need one but not why. The only way I was able to set up both devices was to follow the YouTube videos by ironplanethobbies.

Thanks Will They're a bit fiddly to fit to existing track work but so far so good. I plan on fitting some dummy tie bars later but will try and get the layout running first. Cheers!

Hi Mick Thanks for replying... Sorry I didn't get back sooner. I think they're the original cobalt and are definitely analogue. Cheers Will

My attempt at simulating bullhead track panels; Being a bit lazy I want to avoid soldering lots of wire droppers so rather than doing individual lengths I've taken one length of flexitrack and just nicked the top of the rails with a razor saw. Then glued some C&L plastic fishplates to the side of the rails and to attempted to simulate the panels by cutting the webbing on the flexitrack (by the fishplates) to move the sleepers closer together. I'm quite pleased with the effect so I'll be doing all of the sidings this way. No photos to show but I've been quite busy the last few days. The second crossover now has a C&L TOU fitted and I'm laying a bit of cork in preparation to lay the double slip. Point Motors are still an issue that I've not resolved and I'm getting tempted to try another brand to see they buzz as well. I'm a few short so will need to buy a few anyway. cheers Will

I've being playing with DCC toys; I've programmed the DR4018 using JMRI panel pro.... but then found out it was just as easy using my Z21 app on my phone. The eventual aim is for route setting etc. running off a laptop or something similar as it saves building a control panel. For the time being the Z21 app is doing rather well and I'm quite impressed. Fitted a DR4018 to the first board which will hopefully run all of the points. I'm struggling with the Cobalt point motor. The DR4018 has two pre-set functions for turnouts.... one with a time delay and one without (i.e. always on). Setting the maximum pulse time doesn't throw the point enough so is a non-starter... using the other preset (always on) correctly throws the turnout but the Cobalt point motor humms/buzzes really loudly. All a bit disappointing tbh and I'm not sure why the Cobalt is unhappy. I've tested different Cobalts that came with the layout but if you have any ideas please comment! On a positive note the first loco has run on Bisley.... a class 09 shunter has negotiated 10 cm or so and one turnout!! I've spent the evening adding droppers to each section of track on the main line as quite a few were missing. cheers Will

I've installed the cobalt onto the layout and there isn't enough point throw with the maximum pulse setting of 255 on the Digikeijs DR4018. So I went back to the factory default setting for turnouts with no time limit (I guess for stall motors) and this has enough throw but the cobalt is generating a loud buzzing / humming sound. It doesn't sound like the cobalt unit is stalling correctly. I've tried a few point motors and they're the same. Is this a DCC Concepts issue or something else?

Interesting Paragraph 7.3 seems to be in dutch in my pdf copy of the manual. Anyway I'm guessing the maximum setting for pulse is 255 which I've tried and it doesn't provide a full throw. Is there anyway of boosting this? Thanks for your help Will

Yes that's correct. Programming them via JMRI and panel pro. I tried the individual cv settings and didn't seem to help. But I'll have another go.

Hello! I've managed to set up a Digikeijs DR4018 to work with a Colbalt point motor. There appears to be two options for defaults (CV 47) which is value =13 point throw with timed delay or value = 6 point throw with no delay. Value = 6 doesn't have enough point throw but does turn the unit off. value = 13 has full point throw but the Colbalt point motor is on all of the time and humms. Neither seem right to me. Is there any way of solving this? Thanks WIll

Thanks. I think the simple push button is probably the easiest approach. I shall hopefully have a play with permanent magnets later this week and see how I get on with them. Cheers Will

I'm just planning on how to install kadee uncouplers on the layout. Im going to attempt to use some standard magnets and a kadee 309. I just wondered if anyone has wired up a 309 and how they did it? Also does the higher ampage rule out using DCC for switching it on unless I use relays? Tbh I'm probably going to try a conventional approach and get them working first then think about DCC control later Cheers Will