I recently picked up a 4 pack of inexpensive servos (RC plane type) to use as switch motors. Finally got around to testing them, one just kept spinning around and around. With nothing to lose, I undid the two screws and opened it up. Turns out one of the wires was not soldered to the teeny tiny circuit board inside. I fired up the soldering iron and in seconds it was fixed.
–Randy
Too bad most things are not as easy to fix. I am still working hard on my electronic skills. I have the tortoise switch machines and LEDs pretty well licked. But I am still working on the electrical components of the Digitrax system. I recently bought a PM42 to divide my layout into separate districts. I can follow the wiring diagram that was enclose with the part but I am not certain what to do with the main power bus. Does it still remain connected or (like the gaps placed on the A and B rails) does it need to be electrically isolated? This seems logical to me, but I am still in the beginning stages of learning about DCC.
Your main Rail A and Rail B power wires from the booster connect to the inputs of the PM42. Each power subdistrict gets connected to one of the four outputs of the PM42. Those subdistricts have to be isolated from each other.
Concur, Randy. I think soldering gets a bum rap. As another poster said on these forums, “it’s a skill, but it’s easily learned.” I’m a beginner, but I learned soldering, I love to do it, and I take pride in my accomplishment. I’m an older modeler returning to the hobby after 50 years, and it also takes me back to my boyhood!
Rick Krall
I agree - good observation. Soldering is a skill that really pays for itself in this hobby and its not really very hard to learn. I am currently installing a bunch of reed switches on my layout and this would have been impossible if I did not know soldering.
Anand
I hate to sound ignorant, but does this mean that I have to cut the Rail A and Rail B power wires for each subdistrict? I understand that the Rail A and Rail B power wires from each subdistrict connect to the PM42 and I know to gap the rails between subdistricts.
Graig,
I can’t help you with the PM42 but would love to hear how you wired the LED’s with the tortoise machines.
MC
There are two rails. You can call them whatever you want, but Digitrax usually labels the connections Rail A and Rail B. If you currently have a pair of wires running under the layout powering all the track, you need to cut those wires in positions corresponding to the gaps int he track, and run connections from each now independent section of bus wire back to the outputs of the PM42.
–Randy
If you go to NCE web site and go to stationary decoders and clik on switchit and hit download manuals and go to page 5 it will show how to wire in your leds , hope this helps Jim
Randy, Thank you very much. It is what I thought that I should do but afraid to just do it.
MC, I will write a detailed response in a few days. I am off to work now and am working all weekend.
Hi!
One of the really great things about the Hobby is that one can acquire and improve upon so many skills and disiplines that will serve you in other areas. Soldering is certainly one, and can be added to the understanding of electrical circuits, woodworking, painting, design, etc., etc…
Mobilman44
I use a DPDT switch. Connect the right top to the bottom left and the left top to the bottom right. Next, I connect the top left (with a red 22 gauge wire) to the positive pole of the power pack. Then, connect the top right (with a black 22 gauge wire) to the negative pole of the power pack. The #1 pin of the tortoise is the positive pole (using a red wire) connect pin #1 to the #1 position of the terminal strip which then connects to the left middle part of the DPDT. The #8 pin is the negative pole and is connected to the #5 position of the terminal strip which in turn is connected to the right middle of the DPDT switch. Wire pin #2 (use blue wire) connect to the red wire of the red LED. Wire pin #3 (use green wire) to the red wire of the green LED. The black wires of both LEDs are wire together and connect to the black wire of the power pack. Pin #4 (yellow wire) is connected to the positive pole of the power pack. I use terminal strips in the control panel. Pin #1 from the tortoise goes to position #1 on the terminal strip. Pin #2 goes to position #2,etc. Pin #8 goes to position #5 on the terminal strip. The black wire on the left middle of the DPDT goes to position #5 on the terminal strip. The red wire on the right middle of the DPDT goes to the #1 position on the terminal strip. Since there will be more than one turnout on the control panel, I use another terminal strip to receive the positive pole from the power pack. These connect to all of the right top of the DPDT. Another terminal strip is for the negative pole of the power pack. This connects to all of the left top of the DPDT. All wires are always the same color for each switch machine. #1 red, #2 blue, #3 green, #4 yellow and #5 black. Makes repeating the process easy and makes trouble shooting better. I use one DPDT for each crossover with one pair of LEDs.