I need I believe a single pole double throw switch for switching my Bachmann turnouts with 16 volt ac. I don't know where folks find switches for this type of thing. Ideally instead of soldering the perfect switch would have screw down connection.
I forgot the switch has to be momentary.
Thanks
any decent hobby shop that carries miniatronics products should have them. radio shack used to carry them and may still do so.
I went to radio shack, they only had single throw momentary switches. I found what seem to be nice double pole double throw momentary switches on eBay which I purchased for a really good price. With the double pole I can throw two switches at the same time if I decide in the future I suppose so I will install it like that and can always add wires if I decide.
you could have used a spdt switch to throw two motors at the same time. I understand your desire to have each motor on a separate circuit but that isn't absolutely necessary.
Yes and I also forgot to mention, that would have required two switches per turnout (one for each direction) and also nothing at radio shack had screw down connections but rather solder connections. Since I've never soldered before I don't think starting with soldering two wires the size of human hairs together is a good base learning experience ha ha.
Atlas makes control switches for turnouts. #56. They are screw connections.
Quote from: Vizzin72 on December 30, 2015, 09:55:23 AM
Yes and I also forgot to mention, that would have required two switches per turnout (one for each direction) and also nothing at radio shack had screw down connections but rather solder connections. Since I've never soldered before I don't think starting with soldering two wires the size of human hairs together is a good base learning experience ha ha.
my bad. the post has been corrected to read ""spdt" which are what you want. you are correct that with spst switches you would need one for each direction.
AGSB .... Thank you I wish I would have scene that but at least I know for future reference
MCM Electronics on the net, Ebay.
As
AGSB pointed out, Atlas #56s are easier even if not appealing to everyone's eye.
You could also use 2 momentary push buttons for each turnout/switch. The 2 momentary switches each bring power to the turnout/switch routed from one AC contact terminal and you set up a "Common" or "return" wire to the other AC contact terminal. Barrier strips would work well in such an application.
As far as this:
Quote from: Vizzin72 on December 30, 2015, 09:55:23 AM
...I don't think starting with soldering two wires the size of human hairs together is a good base learning experience ha ha.
wires that thin are not necessary. Telephone wire, CAT 5 cable,
Mr. Ward's door bell wire would work. If going with something other than the #56, soldering is not necessary if you get electric switches that have screws on them or spades that can have spade connectors slide on them. What you would need is good wire stripping tool (which you should have anyway no mater what you decide) and a good crimping tool.
I will add this, having the skill of soldering, opens up a world of opportunities (the good kind ;)) in this hobby.
Thanks for all the info ... Yes I think I am good with the switches I ordered. Eventually I am going to replace them with stationary dcc decoders, but I will be able to keep the switches in operation even with the those decoders to have two options for throwing the turnouts (either by dcc throttle or by switch on the fascia).
As far as Soldering .... I will learn It as soon as I have the time, but I hear you.
Thanks
Whadya order, if I may ask and from where?
Never mind, shame on me for not reading better :-[
So, isn't Ebay a good place to look? LOL! But check out MCM too, they often have shipping for a flat rate of $6
And I agree, toggles and push buttons have a better look on a Control Panel than the #56s. :)
The eBay site I bought from was in China so I'm sure it will take forever to get here, but at least I could browse around rather than just settling for whatever is in Home Depot or RadioShack etc.
I guess in the mean time I can focus on the best way to wire everything. Instead of cutting my AC power wire at each switch (for the switch hot) I would like to provide power to the first switch and then just jump a wire from it to the next switch and so on and so on. With 16 volts and only a total of like 5 feet of wire total I can't imagine any problem with that right ? I mean after all the Bachmann switches I started with plugged right in to each other so that is essentially the same thing. Now for the turnout commons since they are at different locations on the track, as opposed to the switches being side by side at the fascia, I suppose I WILL have to cut and splice at each.
Quote from: Vizzin72 on December 30, 2015, 10:33:31 PM
...in China so I'm sure it will take forever to get here...
You're absolutely right about that. Still waiting for a 2mm and 3mm drill bit I ordered from Malaysia, going on a month now, :D
I have found both Home Depot and Radio Shack to be rather pricey for the electrical switches you were looking for. Same goes with Amazon. MCM and Ebay have been the 2 best places I have found for such items.
Is there a reason why you want to control more than one turnout/switch with a single turnout control switch, as opposed to operating each turnout/switch independently? You are using EZ track turnouts/switches, correct?
And no, that short a distance should not be an issue.
Ever find those slots I was referring to in the black plastic portion of the Bachmann motor housing?
Yeah I got 5 switches I think it was for the price of what radio shack wanted for two switches or cheaper quality. To answer your question, I want to have two switches through at the same time to put my train on an inner half circle instead of the outer half circle. My son calls the inner line "philly station" but he throws the leading switch pulls the train in and forgets to throw the trailing switch when he laces the yard causing a derailment. Plus, I think having a double pole, in the future, I can some how run a relay off of the second pole (for the switches that don't have two turnouts) to have light signals flip flop.
I didn't see the comment you were referring to with the plastic part???
Quote from: Vizzin72 on December 31, 2015, 07:51:38 AM
I didn't see the comment you were referring to with the plastic part???
On your other thread that you started, bro.
Quote from: Vizzin72 on December 31, 2015, 07:51:38 AM
Plus, I think having a double pole, in the future, I can some how run a relay off of the second pole (for the switches that don't have two turnouts) to have light signals flip flop.
As presumably, you ordered momentary with Center Off switches, I do not believe they will not work with signal lights to keep them on, bc of the "Off" and the momentary features.
When I pulse the turnout switch it will briefly send current to a latching relay they will send power to a latching relay, the relay will switch the lights which are powerd through a separate power source
Ahhh, my Crystal Ball failed to inform me of your using latching relays.
Jbrock .... I think you had suggested being able to use cat5 wire somewhere when we were talking about welding switch wires .... I unraveled some (each wire has two twisted separate wires). I noticed the individual wires are extremely small gauge. Are you sure 16volts and whatever the amperage is for my Bachmann turn out motors won't melt that wire ? I tested it and it definitely functioned fine as for as throwing the turnout, but it makes me feel awkward going from a lower gauge wire (had some laying around from the original packaging of the turnout ... Red wires) to a higher gauge. I don't want to cause a fire or anything of course by accident.
you can buy multi conductor "doorbell" wire of about 18 guage at lowes or home depot. by the foot.
Surely, but I had the cat 5 laying around, it was free and enough length for my needs. I only want to purchase more wire if there is a reason to. Just was not sure ignite is taboo to go from day 18 gauge to say 24 gauge or whatever is two steps down. Know what I mean? I spliced the lighter gauge to the heavier gauge, not to mention the gauge of the power wire to my turnouts is slightly different as well so I actually have in one case three different gauge wires pigtailed.
Vizio yes, I have used it with no fires or issues. By my stripping tool, the stuff I have been using is about 22 or 24 gauge, stranded wire. Thicker than a human hair, as you see. As my good friend
Roger would say, we are not talking about High Tension electrical lines here. The real work is to cut the sheathing and reveal all the different colored wires. It can easily be done if taking time and doing it carefully.
Quote from: jward on January 05, 2016, 11:45:08 AM
you can buy multi conductor "doorbell" wire
Yes, of course, as had been previously suggested:
Quote from: jbrock27 on December 30, 2015, 09:13:16 PM
...Mr. Ward's door bell wire would work.
I will add, I have not spliced wire of 2 different gauges together for my purposes, bc I use Atlas turnouts/switches so my wires have gone directly from control to switch machine. So I don't know of any, if any, impact there is to splicing 2 different thickness wires together.
Perhaps you run the wire bringing power to a barrier strip then run your EZ track wires from that, to the EZ track turnout/switch. Not sure that is really necessary though. What gauge is the EZ track green wire?
I'm not sure it doesn't say on the wire and if it does it's too small to make out, but for certain it is smaller than the Bachman red power wire probably one size smaller... The cat 5 wire I salvaged is prob two sizes smaller
Unless someone can elaborate reasons otherwise, I don't believe you have cause for concern.
PS-I rec'd my drill bits from Malaysia in yesterday's mail, after they had been mailed on 11/19/15 :D.
Oh man that's brutal bro .... Better be an awesome drill bit. Thanks for your help on the wires
See my message on here from 12/30-2 bits. One dollar each, no rush, so okay to take the slow boat from Malaysia for me ;)