i am new at this ho train stuff. just getting started and have a question about switches. i want to switch to DCC and have 2 "switch tenders " from micro mark. i have seen people talk about peco and tortises, what is your impressions of the micro mark switches for DCC?any help would be great
Never used them, love the peco’s do electrofrog, they are DCC ready!!
I did not buy the Micro Mark Switch Tenders for only one simple reason.
They do not have built-in DPDT switches that really come in handy.
I use Tortise and they don’t cost all that much more than the Switch Tenders…
I saw them in the Micro-Mark catalog and decided to pass. They are nearly the same price as the Tortoises (actually ARE the same price if you don’t pay full retail for the Tortoises), have a much clunkier mounting, require resistors, and don’t have any contacts for frog power and signalling. The Tortoise is a proven design, been around for years, they work, and are VERY reliable.
Sorta like those blue thingamabobs that are basically a manual Tortoise - they look like a mini Tortoise but have no motors, just switch contacts. Nice if you don’t need a powered turnout - but why are they so darn expensive? Not really all that much cheaper than a Tortoise, especially when you figure in the recommended model airplane linkage parts they specify to use with them.
–Randy
Randy I agree.
Those Blue Point turnout controls cost about $12 and I can buy Tortise for $14. I gladly pay $2 more for the Tortise. I would consider the Blue Point’s if they were two for $12. I have a couple yard manual throws that I would replace with the Blue Points if the price was better.
I just recently got out of R/C Airplanes and have tons of parts that would apply to the use of the Blue Points.
When I built my layout I predrilled all my turnout locations to accept a Tortise so I guess they would work with the Blue Points.
If they were 2 for $12 I’d consider using them for my yards - except I have this thing about having two or more different kinds of controls over the layout - I prefer it all to be consistent so no matter where you are, you do the exact same thing to throw a particular switch. I won’t go all manual, I want to have CTC, so that sort of rules out using manual throws anywhere. Therefore all my turnouts will be powered by Tortoise or equivalent, operated with the same type of switches, and have the same indicator lights. The only difference being that some will ALSO have remote control via DCC accessory decoders and some will have only the panel switches.
Friend’s layout I’m working on drives me crazy, some places he has pushbuttons, some places toggles.
–Randy