Has anybody had any problems with the auxillary contacts on these units? I am using the contacts to light up LED’s for turnout indication. It seems that on a few the contacts do not seem to switch properly and both contacts are made at the same time. Help.
I decided to not use the contacts. Instead I just wired the LEDs in series with the motor power supply since the power is always on.
I’ve had the same problem…I tried to wire it to control the polarity on a “WYE” and about 50% of the time they wouldn’t make…I don’t count on the Tortoise machine’s reliability as a DP/DT switch so I put in train detection circuits with relays instead…they are a lot like atlas relays…they have a contact wiper inside that slides from one pole to another that makes or breaks the contact and a majority of them don’t make a good connection when they move from one to the other…the tortoise is a great turnout controller but the built in DP/DT switch has a lot to be desired…Chuck
I had the problem with a tortise “makeing” before “breaking” on one of my turnouts.Under the tortoise label is a small screw,remove that to gain access to the inner workings.I had to remove a little of the contact “trace”.That was 1 time on one machine about 6 years ago…No problem since.
Do as TBat55 suggested – wire the LEDs into the Tortoise power leads and don’t try to use the machine’s built-in contacts. I wired all of the Tortoise and SwitchMaster machines that way on the Cochise & Western Model Railroad Club’s HO layout and they work just fine that way.
Thanks a lot guys, I will wire up in series with the motors,but I have 14 of them and will have to increase my power supply because of the voltage drop with the diodes in series with the motor. Yhanks again.
Yes guys I had the same problems with the tortoise switch machine.
For indicating lights I use leds wired in series with the lead motors.
For additionnal contact in place of relays, I glue on the box of the tortoise microswitch for power the frog of the turnout or signals (my layout is wired without as possible relays; it simplify the wiring).The moving black plastic piece of the tortoise activate them, and from fity years ago I use them on my empire no problems occurs.
But now I use switchmaster motors on homemade supports which includes too microswitch as needed. Lights indicators are wired on the leads motor too.
and additionnal contact are provided by the microswitch.
I put on the arm of the motor an activator to "click’ the microswitch
Some motor support more than 5 microswitch on a side of the motors.
No problems occurs because the microswitch are real switch.
But now I use switchmaster motors on homemade support with microswitch