Post
by Frank123 » Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:48 pm
Yes, fair point, as things can be expensive, but I made my own 'point switches'. The problem is the 14/16 volt supply doesn't usually provide enough 'kick' to throw the points every time. Also, if you prolong electrical contact with the point motor, there is a good chance it will burn out.
I use a 14/16 volt supply, connected to a capacitor unit. The capacitor charges up from the supply and then I use a 'momentary contact' switch to send the capacitor stored energy to the point motor. This provides the 'oomph' to throw the points in a positive manner.
The switch box I made has two sets of buttons, one for '+' polarity and one for '-' polarity. Reversing the polarity to the point motor obviously throws the points from normal to reverse and vice versa. Once the points have been thrown, you will need to wait around 20 secs for the capacitor to be fully charged again, before being able to throw them back.
The benefit of using a capacitor unit between the supply and the point motor is:
1 - A positive action between normal and reverse point operations results.
2 - If you accidentally keep the contact switch depressed for longer than you should, after operating the points, the capacitor is almost totally discharged, so it should not have a detrimental effect on the point motor.
This was how I tackled the issue, but it seems you have it sorted anyway!
Have a great 2012
