I have a tortoise switch machine that I want to not only control the turnout but also LED signal lights and LED panel indicator lights. Circuitron does provide a diagram but I’m still slightly confused by it and would like some confirmation of the wiring diagram.
are contacts 2 through 7 simple straight wire runs/switches that can handle upto 12 volts? or voltage needed for lights?
Fergie
I think I know the answer but confirmation is always appreciated. Better then smok’n something!
Yes, the contacts are simple switches. two indpendend SPDT switches, as a matter of fact.
But there is a far easier way to do LED indicators. Hook the two LEDs to each other, anode to cathode. Hook one junction to your toggle switch, hook the other junction to one of the motor pins (1 or 8) on the Tortoise. Use a 12V DC power supply. When the machine is in one position, one of the LEDs will be lit. When you run it the other way, the other LED will light. No dropping resistors needed - the Tortoise motor itself limits current to 10-12ma.
Hard to do ASCII drawing, …'s here are place holders:
…|<…
.to toggle ---->|---------tortoise
Sort of like that.
–Randy
Hi Fergie,
I know I’m not answering your question but I thought you might gain from some other input. I spoke to the manufacturer of Tortoise Switch Machines some time ago who is a super guy and willing to provide helpful information. He suggested that instead of a power pack for the Tortoise machines, I should buy a 12V 1000 mili-amp (MA) unit, which is cheaper. I bought mine for around $20.00 from Radio Shack but I’ve since discovered that you can get them a lot cheaper from www.allelectronics.com. The ones I got don’t have terminals on them…I simply cut the wire, stripped them, and connected the positive (the wire with the line printed on it) and the negative to a terminal strip, then fed the power around the layout to the Tortoises.
I’m using two of these 12V 1000 MA units because I have a total of 70 Tortoise machines on my layout.
Hope this helps.
Mondo
Hope this helps.
Mondo
I’m working on setting up some Tortoises right now: anyone tried simply wiring them into the DC power source? I use block control, so I figure I can wire them directly to the existing block terminal strips, and simply apply the power when I want to throw a switch. Has anyone tried this?
BINGO! I got a drawer full of battery charger transformers. Use them for several functions on the layout and they were dirt cheap. I appreciate the thought though as more insight into this stuff helps everyone.
Fergie
Hi Rob,
You wouldn’t want to wire the Tortoises into block control because the Tortoises need constant power and your block control power will increase or decrease with the speed of your engines.
Hope this helps.
Mondo
Besides providing too much current, is there anything damaging you can do to a Tortoise by hooking up something to the wrong posts?
Hooking it up to AC terminals will fry the motor pretty fast. Hooking it up to more than 12 volts will fry the motor, just slower. It’s not like, 12V is ok, 12.2V = dead Tortoise, but if you DC supply is cranking out 15+V, that’s no good. And a cheapy NON-REGULATED 12V adapter will likely put out a lot more than 12V under the low load of a couple of Tortoises. Spend the few extra dollars and get a regulated power supply.
–Randy
TOO MUCH CURRENT is not the problem - the motor will only draw what it needs so excess is not used, wheras too little won’t to the job…
TOO MUCH VOLTAGE is another matter. (TOO LITTLE just slow’s it down).
INSIDE A TORTOISE switch is a small, geared, 3 - 6 volt motor with dropping resistors to run on 12 volts.
I agree.Any fixed, 12 volt REGULATED supply, is 1st choice.
A 'Regulated ’ supply will remain stabilized as one adds or subtract’s unit’s.
FERGIE:
An uncomplicated way to have light and panel indication with your Tortoise is
use a 4PDT toggle (DPTD toggle with a 12 volt supply) - and Bi-color (R-G) LED’s.
I think 600 ohms is correct for LED’s on 12 volt’s - check.
This throw’s the tortoise, give’s you R-G indication, and leaves the internal Tortoise SPDT contacts for powering a frog.
For those who have non regulated supplies, you can limit the voltage out by installing the proper zener diodes, they will clamp the output voltage .