Electrifying Ideas !
#1
I'm certainly not far advanced enough to make use of this, but Rob Paisley's site seems to have a wealth of electronic info and ideas. It's mostly about non-DCC circuits (crossing gate/signal activator, detection/signal circuits, etc. http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/Circuit...l#REVISION...for your edification and aid with technical problems, and he includes his e-mail addy (if you're really stuck, perhaps he will assist). I tripped on the site & was just enjoying some of the ideas he shows. Happy Wiring. Bob C.
James Thurber - "It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers."
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#2
Dear Bob, Thanks for posting the link, I have been trying to locate some of these.
Charlie
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#3
Wow. Great! Bookmarked for future referance!
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#4
I ran across this site sometime last year and built a couple of the transistorized throttles to use as auxiliary throttles on my D'trax Zephyr. They are fun to work on, and provide a respite from working on the layout itself. And, yes, he will assist if you get stuck along the way...

Here's a look see....


Attached Files Image(s)
   
Gus (LC&P).
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#5
Nice job on that throttle. Thumbsup How long did it take you to put that together? ...and how well does it work? Misngth
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#6
Hey Tetters....The first one I built took me about 10 hours to build....Mostly head scratching & undoing work that I'd done wrong for starters Nope . The second one went together in about half the time. They work great..!!
Gus (LC&P).
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#7
Hey, Steamtrains, that is a nice looking throttle, a clean build! You say you got that from the web site listed above?

As for the Digitrax Zepher, that's what I was considering ... how do you like it ... its ease of operation, its capabilities and all that jazz? I've been told that DCC is just a nightmare if you're not an electronics wizz, but all the print material indicates that's not so. I need some first hand knowledge -- what do you think?

Thanks!

biL
biL

Lehigh Susquehanna & Western 

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." ~~Abraham Lincoln
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#8
Hey Bill....Like a lot of other things, DCC is only as complicated as you want it to be. Once the beginner's threshold is passed, you can stop there, or take it as far as your wallet (or better half) will allow. Take the Zephyr, for instance. As far as its operation, it is no more complicated than using a power pack. You take your 2 track wires, connect them to the Z, and you're all set as far as that's concerned. If you have purchased locos with a decoder already installed, you're all set to go. If not, you will need to install decoders in them. Most locos that are now on the market come with a board to install the decoder onto. They have a plug on the board, and your decoder plugs in there. Close up the loco and it's ready. If you're converting older locos to DCC, it gets a little more complicated, but nothing beyond the basic electronics you need to wire a layout.
As far as the Z is concerned, it's a good unit for small to medium sized layouts, where you might only have 2 or 3 locos operating at any one time. You can connect 2 of your existing power packs (DC) to allow for the extra locos. That again involves just connecting 2 wires per pack to the Z. These are the "Jump" ports. So you can use your existing packs without having to shell out for additional throttles. That's what I built those two throttles for, since my older packs are of the MRC type, which are kind of bulky, and I wanted something more "portable". Even though my layout is kind of big (12' x 17' around the walls), I don't foresee that I'll ever NEED anything bigger than the Z.

Hope this helps...
Gus (LC&P).
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#9
I'll be returning to that link myself. I want to eventually have some operating crossing gates in a couple places. Thanks for the link.
Three Foot Rule In Effect At All Times
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