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DC to DCC conversion and Power to turnout switches

8K views 74 replies 15 participants last post by  Severn 
#1 ·
I have removed the last DC controller from my layout which was supplying power to the switches which drive the turnout switch machines (The old school device).

What are my options to provide power to my turnouts while I make the conversion to a more DCC friendly turnout solution?

Thanks,
John
 
#72 ·
I was actually gonna try to make my own. I have the parts -- I bought some very tiny DC motors and have some arduinos sitting around. (as I already built DCC++ and use the jrmi software.) I even have the discrete parts for a DCC decoder project I found online.

(for example -- DCC Arduino)

What I don't have is ability to stop starting new projects!

Anyway before I thought about that, I had looked at these cobalts and thought they looked rather nice.
 
#73 ·
I was actually gonna try to make my own. I have the parts -- I bought some very tiny DC motors and have some arduinos sitting around. (as I already built DCC++ and use the jrmi software.) I even have the discrete parts for a DCC decoder project I found online.

(for example -- DCC Arduino)

What I don't have is ability to stop starting new projects!

Anyway before I thought about that, I had looked at these cobalts and thought they looked rather nice.
Thanks again for the link ~ John
 
#75 ·
I don't know what's optimal. I got the servos as they were small and cheap. I have some other ideas too but they are half screw ball. first one is battery power. i hate running wires. then second is RF control. although i admit i'm now confused as where the DCC commands come from for switches. Given that I can imagine just using track power -- 5v smoothed out to the arduino and servo -- and then PWM track power goes to the homebrew DCC decoder -- which the arduino checks for actuation or maybe gets an interrupt. but then you have to run wires. why bother with all that!
 
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