Point Motors

[BabyGM]

I've been watching Everard Junction's video on fitting a point motor and I have a few Questions

 

1. 0V - What is this

2. 12V- Again What is this

And I presume that having the point in the 'central' position means to have it in the position I intend on running it in (apart from shunting)

Also will the switch spring back into the central position if I let go of it ,if not if I keep it in the non (what I presume) is central position will the point motor 'burn out' - therefor making shunting very hard with a long enough train and alot of points

 

Thanks,

Brian

[WRENNEIRE]

OV is return or zero volt wire

12v is the live or 12 volt wire

There is no central position on the point, it is either in the straight or turn position

Once you change the switch from one position to another the point remains in that position, you do not have to keep pressure on it

[irishthump]

Wrenne is spot on about the 0v and 12v.

 

As for the central position thing... you need to have the point blades in the central position when fitting the point motor underneath the board. You will need to wedge it or tape it as the spring in the point will make it spring to one side or the other. You also need to hold the bar on the point motor dead centre while doing this. Again, you can use tape or a piece of card.

 

About the switch... point motors are only designed to received a quick burst of power, if the power is left on for too long the motors coil will heat up and burn out. And this can happen in a matter of seconds! To stop this you can fit a CDU or capacitor discharge unit between the point motor and the switch. This unit will only deliver a very quick burst of power to the motor no matter how long you hold the switch in position.

 

Here's a link which explains all this is in great detail - http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Electrical.htm#Point Motor Wiring.

[BabyGM]

Thanks for the help lads I appreciate it

[BosKonay]

Unless you run with DCC motors, then you hook them to the DCC bus, give them an address and just call them up when you need em. The throw much more slowly too, and quiet, more like the real thing.

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

The Seep PM1 is a great little point motor. I've installed several of these on my layout and at £4 each from Hattons you can't go wrong. They also have a built in polarity switch. They will need to be centred when fitting check this link out on how to do this. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/15405-mounting-point-motors-headache-free/

 

The clothes peg is the best option and the one I used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A and B both go to your switch positive

 

C goes to your negative

 

D goes to your left rail

 

E goes to your right rail

 

F goes to the point frog (electrofrog point)

[BabyGM]

Thanks for the help guys

 

Anthony, does it make a difference on wheather you connect D and E to the rail or the DCC bus wires

 

Also, I'm still a bit confused about this 0 Volt wire and the 12 Volt wire

Where do these wires come from? And what are they?

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Thanks for the help guys

 

Anthony, does it make a difference on wheather you connect D and E to the rail or the DCC bus wires

 

Also, I'm still a bit confused about this 0 Volt wire and the 12 Volt wire

Where do these wires come from? And what are they?

 

 

Forget about the 0 volt wire and the 12 volt wire as its confusing you what they mean by this is the wires that go to A,B,C from your power source that you are using to power your points. As for connecting D and E to the bus wire or rail it makes no difference as its one of the same. The only thing you need to watch out for is that you connect D and E to the correct Bus wires otherwise you will short the system out. BTW what are you using to power your points

Edited August 24, 2012 by Anthony

[BabyGM]

Forget about the 0 volt wire and the 12 volt wire as its confusing you what they mean by this is the wires that go to A,B,C from your power source that you are using to power your points. As for connecting D and E to the bus wire or rail it makes no difference as its one of the same. The only thing you need to watch out for is that you connect D and E to the correct Bus wires otherwise you will short the system out. BTW what are you using to power your points

 

Thanks for clearing that up for me

I'll be controlling the points by switches and I'll use the Seep PM1's , and then I'll control the layout by a Gaugemaster Prodigy Advance 2

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Thanks for clearing that up for me

I'll be controlling the points by switches and I'll use the Seep PM1's , and then I'll control the layout by a Gaugemaster Prodigy Advance 2

 

 

 

 

But what are you using to power your points. The Gaugemaster only powers your track

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Here is the system I use and how its wired

 

Get yourself one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LAPTOP-CHARGER-FOR-ACER-ASPIRE-3680-3690-5720-5920-5315-/270741497417?pt=UK_Computing_LaptopAccessories_PowerSupplies&hash=item3f09736649#ht_4415wt_1271

Your point motors will take up to 24v DC/AC the more power you can fire up the bum of your point motor the better it will work.

Remember that if you hold the switch for more than a second it will burn out your point motor this will also happen even with a CDU installed.

 

Cut the plug of the end of the laptop charger (the end that goes into the computer) take the red wire from your laptop charger and solider it to the middle prong of you switch. Here is a link to the switches you will need http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221044262133?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_500wt_1288

The 2 outside prongs on your switch connect to A and B on your point motor

 

The black wire from your laptop charger connects to C on your point motor

 

You won't need a CDU with a laptop charger as its powerful enough to throw 4 points at once from the one switch

Edited August 24, 2012 by Anthony

[BabyGM]

But what are you using to power your points. The Gaugemaster only powers your track

 

I don't understand the question:confused: ,the points will be powered by the point motor which will be powered by the track or bus wire

[BosKonay]

The seeps (and generally the latching type solenoids) run on DC - ie: Analog.

 

You need a DC circuit to manage them - they don't take power from the DCC bus

[David]

I don't understand the question:confused: ,the points will be powered by the point motor which will be powered by the track or bus wire

 

Anthony is suggesting that you power the point motor from a power supply such as a laptop charger and not from the bus wires at all. Powering them from the bus wire may cause undesirable effects to your train running and will use current that you locos may need. It may not work at all because the bus wires are actually AC power oppositely phased and not positive and negative as the point motor requires.

 

 

Edit: Oops! Boskonay beat me to it, and in an easier to understand way too!

Edited August 24, 2012 by David

[BabyGM]

So do I run them off a DC bus wire coming from a dc controller?

 

BTW sorry for all the electrical questions as I've never done anything like this before

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

So do I run them off a DC bus wire coming from a dc controller?

 

BTW sorry for all the electrical questions as I've never done anything like this before

 

 

 

If you read my post at the top of the page I have explained how to do it and what you will need I have also included some links for you. DO NOT wire your point motor power intakes to your DCC bus wire. Also the 12v DC controller you intend using may not have enough power. As I said read my post and if you have any more questions let us know

Edited August 24, 2012 by Anthony

[Broithe]

I don't want to complicate issues more than they already are, but won't the Seep / Peco type point motors work on either AC or DC?

 

http://www.gaugemaster.com/instructions/pm2.pdf

 

If you want to use a capacitor discharge device to promote reliable switching, then, of course, DC would be necessary.

[BabyGM]

If you read my post at the top of the page I have explained how to do it and what you will need I have also included some links for you. DO NOT wire your point motor power intakes to your DCC bus wire. Also the 12v DC controller you intend using may not have enough power. As I said read my post and if you have any more questions let us know

 

Sorry!,When I had posted my 'confused' reply I was still on the first page of the thread and yours was on the top of the second

 

I'll give it a go and see how it goes

 

Thanks,

Brian

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

but won't the Seep / Peco type point motors work on either AC or DC?

 

 

That's correct they can take up to 24v AC/DC

 

 

 

 

If you want to use a capacitor discharge device to promote reliable switching, then, of course, DC would be necessary.

 

 

If you use the laptop charger you don't need a CDU as the charger has more than enough power

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Sorry!,When I had posted my 'confused' reply I was still on the first page of the thread and yours was on the top of the second

 

I'll give it a go and see how it goes

 

Thanks,

Brian

 

No problem Brian if you have any problems or ain't to sure let us know.