hey my signals work

tramcar trev

tramcar trev

all manner of mechanical apparatus...
Well a true Eureka moment on the road to Damascus today... I got my signal system to work.... Oh joy Oh rapture unforseen and now the lights can change from green!!!!
Only catch is that I have to place my reed switches along the track as opposed to across it to get reliable activation. the relay that isolates the rack to prevent collissions handles 30 amps which is I hope well within the load of a couple of tramcars..... Also had to modify my signals to a 2 led system but the whole setup is easily modifiable to any 2 light system and with only a few cheap components this is easily knocked up..... as Im going to use this out doors each circuit board will be encapsulated in resin to prevent the ingress of moisture.... I took the pics with my new camera that I can now turn on.....

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nothing can beat that "Euricka" moment when it works.! well done that centralist!!:thumbup:
 
Congratulations! Look forward to seeing them in situ...
 
Nice one SUN!


Well that's light init??? :bigsmile:
 
jimmielx said:
Congratulations! Look forward to seeing them in situ...
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Oh yes, well Situ is a long way off.....
 
Trev, could you do a thread about this when you've installed the signals please....
 
tramcar trev said:
as Im going to use this out doors each circuit board will be encapsulated in resin to prevent the ingress of moisture.... I took the pics with my new camera that I can now turn on.....

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Excellent news. You put down a circuit on paper that SHOULd work but then when you build it in practice its always a surprise (at least to me) that it actually does!
Am interested in this resin thing to stop damp ingress. (Have you thought about using those pantyhose you claim to wear). My lighting circuit after 18months is beginning to suffer from damp. Having got them upto scratch again have wrapped everything in polythene bags but the resin thing sounds better. Let me know how and what you use.
 
dumpy said:
Am interested in this resin thing to stop damp ingress. (Have you thought about using those pantyhose you claim to wear). My lighting circuit after 18months is beginning to suffer from damp. Having got them upto scratch again have wrapped everything in polythene bags but the resin thing sounds better. Let me know how and what you use.
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Try this stuff http://www.maplin.co.uk/px804c-epoxy-resin-391533

You'll need to put the circuit board and wires in a box first of course - then mix the resin up and pour it in. Wait for it to set and Robert is once again your mothers brother :thumbup:
 
adeshers said:
dumpy said:
Am interested in this resin thing to stop damp ingress. (Have you thought about using those pantyhose you claim to wear). My lighting circuit after 18months is beginning to suffer from damp. Having got them upto scratch again have wrapped everything in polythene bags but the resin thing sounds better. Let me know how and what you use.
Click to expand...
Try this stuff http://www.maplin.co.uk/px804c-epoxy-resin-391533

You'll need to put the circuit board and wires in a box first of course - then mix the resin up and pour it in. Wait for it to set and Robert is once again your mothers brother :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I have used a similar product before..... handy as it's mixed in its own bag and no air is included in the mix..... Ok but let me run this before you all..... it does have problems when subject to extremes of temperature as the expansion and contracation can cause faults to appear due to the rigidity of the encapsulant...... A friend swears by simple liquid insulation tape that he uses for circuit boards in a marine environment, he dips rather than brushes the stuff on and that apealls as there are no boxes necessary, simply hold the circuit board by the leads and dip.... Jaycar sell it; http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=NM2832&keywords=liquid+insulation&form=KEYWORD and an ebay search has bought up much more; the aerosol can may be the way to go;http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&...uid+electrical+tape&_sacat=See-All-Categories
 
Very neat Trev! Like the "traction pole" green too.
 
Thanks for all the tips on insulation. Am giving the liquid tape aerosol a whirl. Thought might have to come to Oz to get it but found some in the UK. Lots of it in Oz for the boats I suppose cos "it doesn't rain there"!!!!!
 
dumpy said:
Thanks for all the tips on insulation. Am giving the liquid tape aerosol a whirl. Thought might have to come to Oz to get it but found some in the UK. Lots of it in Oz for the boats I suppose cos "it doesn't rain there"!!!!!
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Mate it when it rains here it RAINS... just another thought.... If you are going to apply this goo outdoors I would grab a hair dryer and blow hot air onto the area of intended application just to thouroughly dry it - and warm it - then spray the insulating stuff on while warm. This would ensure no moisture is trapped under the material as that would be worse than having nothing on it at all.....
If anyone is interested in the PCB/vero board layout I could post pics of it.....
 
Woderwick said:
I had an Ulrika moment once.....
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Did she run naked down the road or was it you. :bigsmile:

Anyway!
Like the signals :thumbup::thumbup:
 
On a serious note Trev, did you post the circuit diagram for the relay activated thingy. I wonder if it would change a point on the approach of loco ?

Mike, if you cant tell , you are in trouble :grin:
 
The relay switches from closed ie green to open ie red so if that will throw points it would work. I used a double pole double throw relay simply because the single pole single throw relays I had would not fit the hole spacing on the vero board I used.....

Here is the circuit and the board layout..... this is the working prototype and has the relay off the board, I have since put the relay on the board and also use those PCB edge connectors to connect the various wires that can be seen in the pic above. The trick is I guess that you would have to place your reed switches appropriatley.
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spike said:
Woderwick said:
I had an Ulrika moment once.....
Click to expand...

Did she run naked down the road or was it you. :bigsmile:

Anyway!
Like the signals :thumbup::thumbup:
Click to expand...
Ahhhhh Yes I saw that movie, it was an Ingmar Bergman film, lots of nudity ( gratuitous) and they caught a tram which is why I watched the movie.... Summer with Ulrika.....
 
I notice I have been given a medal for this.....is the the medaille d'or ??? Like what Louis Renault got from Rick Blaine???
 
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