Peco Smartswitch ?

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Paul Willis
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Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby Paul Willis » Tue Feb 18, 2014 7:52 am

Has anyone tried these?

With all of the promotion of servo driven turnout systems, I wondered if these were the "user-friendly" alternative for those not brave enough to be members of MERG...

They seem like a neat system. I'd be thinking of half a dozen or so, and probably sticking with traditional DC control, rather than DCC.

http://www.peco-uk.com/page.asp?id=Switch2014

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Flymo
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John Donnelly
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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby John Donnelly » Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:02 am

I'm certainly considering giving them a go - I know that it is possible to buy the components and put something together for a lot less but, as a 'plug and play' solution they seem to have a lot going for them...

John

nigelcliffe
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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby nigelcliffe » Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:03 am

How much compared to a few tortoise motors ? A Peco solution looks to be more expensive to me.

The Servo control board is £29, the frog switching board a further £14.50. And four servos, plus mounting brackets have to be added (Peco charge £14.50 EACH for these).
So, with Peco, excluding the "setup board", the cost is just under £11 per turnout for the electronics, and a further £14.50 for the motors, or £25.50 per turnout. Add to that the share of the setup board, depending on the size of the layout.
Even with buying servos and brackets from cheaper sources, I don't see the economic case for it.

Tortoise motor, at a randomly selected UK model shop, £14.29. Much cheaper if bought in bulk.

- Nigel

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grovenor-2685
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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby grovenor-2685 » Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:36 am

On the other hand a MERG kit to drive 4 servos is £6.30, servos are £3 each. (less from ebay) brackets are easily made yourself and the arrangement can then suit your specific needs. Allow a pound each for that and you have a total of £5.60 per point. You need to use very few to cover your MERG membership fee and the Servo4 is a very easy kit to build.
Keith
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Keith
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nigelcliffe
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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby nigelcliffe » Tue Feb 18, 2014 12:42 pm

I agree the MERG kit can be economic against a Tortoise. Though there is an additional cost of switching of the crossing (frog) to add to the prices Keith gave. A mechanically linked microswitch is probably the cheapest, and the way I've done it.

- Nigel

stevecarr

Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby stevecarr » Tue Feb 18, 2014 12:55 pm

MERG is well worth joining.

I started on the pocket money kits - made a complete hash of a couple and then began to gain in confidence - the shuttle kit was a success and I now use it on a stretch of track in the workshop ( grand name for shed ) for a test track for locos. Plug it in and the loco gets all the excercise it wants while your doing something else.Far better, in my opinion, than rolling roads.

During my first error strewn days as a member I got all the help I needed on line from a grand bunch of people and I now feel that I've added a very valuable weapon to my modelling armoury.

The membership is value for money - so don't be wary of joining. I mean I know now what resistors, transistors, diodes etc are! That in itself is a miracle!

Steve

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Tim V
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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby Tim V » Tue Feb 18, 2014 3:59 pm

That PLS-135 stationary decoder looks interesting, but a search did not reveal any information on it - how many channels does it have for example.
Tim V
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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby nigelcliffe » Tue Feb 18, 2014 6:16 pm

Tim V wrote:That PLS-135 stationary decoder looks interesting, but a search did not reveal any information on it - how many channels does it have for example.


It all appears to be made by ANE-Model, http://www.anemodel.com/index.html.
The ANE website, and the Peco photograph show four output channels, with a common wire between them. Plus two track connections. Four channels on an accessory decoder is "normal", and fits with some of the (slightly confusing) NMRA conventions for accessory devices.

- Nigel

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Captain Kernow
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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby Captain Kernow » Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:39 pm

John Donnelly wrote:I'm certainly considering giving them a go - I know that it is possible to buy the components and put something together for a lot less but, as a 'plug and play' solution they seem to have a lot going for them...

John

I will also be giving this a go on 'Callow Lane', to operate the signals (I already have Tortoises fitted for the points, so won't be messing around with these).

Mention of MERG membership and sourcing components individually/more cheaply is all very well, but some of us get absolutely petrified at the thought of anything more complicated than two wires on DC, and I'm not joking. It took me ages to pluck up the courage to get one of the above Tortoises out of it's box...
Tim M
Member of the Devon Riviera Area Group.

Natalie Graham

Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby Natalie Graham » Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:02 pm

I like the look of these. I saw them advertised in the Modeller and the video makes me think I might give them a try. As to being able to build the things more cheaply it is like most things in the hobby, you can make them for less if you want to spend the time doing it and if that is where your interests lie. (Mine don't :D )

Terry Bendall
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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby Terry Bendall » Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:07 pm

MERG will be at Scaleforum again this year, so for those who are willing to wait, you can consult with the folks on the stand then. They also go to some other shows and are usually at the Nottingham show which is on March 15th/16th.

Terry Bendall

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Tim V
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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby Tim V » Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:28 pm

nigelcliffe wrote:It all appears to be made by ANE-Model, http://www.anemodel.com/index.html.
The ANE website, and the Peco photograph show four output channels, with a common wire between them. Plus two track connections. Four channels on an accessory decoder is "normal", and fits with some of the (slightly confusing) NMRA conventions for accessory devices.

- Nigel

Thanks Nigel. It's a good price for a stationary decoder, I need to investigate what the downside is.
Tim V
(Not all railways in Somerset went to Dorset)

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Re: Peco Smartswitch ?

Postby nigelcliffe » Thu Feb 20, 2014 8:09 am

Tim V wrote:
nigelcliffe wrote:It all appears to be made by ANE-Model, http://www.anemodel.com/index.html.
The ANE website, and the Peco photograph show four output channels, with a common wire between them. Plus two track connections. Four channels on an accessory decoder is "normal", and fits with some of the (slightly confusing) NMRA conventions for accessory devices.

- Nigel

Thanks Nigel. It's a good price for a stationary decoder, I need to investigate what the downside is.


Looking at the board photograph, I'd suggest the "downside" is that the output would be logic level currents. So, as it stands, it would be OK for a single LED, may be OK for a tortoise motor (but may not, and may drag the operating voltage down and "brownout" the decoder), will require an amplification stage (transistor and resistor) for anything needing modest currents.


- Nigel


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