LGB 5080 switch box

[Jayarmin]

Hi all,
After some advice about a LGB 5080switchbox
I recently built my own transformer 24 V DC 15 Amp. can I connect my two 5080 switch boxes directly to this. I know the boxes can run on DC but wasn’t sure about the voltage been too high or the amps

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Voltage and amps act differently.

Once connected, the voltage is sort of everywhere, like used or not, every socket in your house is 220 volts.... even with nothing plugged in.

Amps are a measure of what is flowing, and if there is nothing flowing, there are no amps, again like your house, the amps only flow depending on what is plugged in, a light bulb is less than a teapot.

So to your switchbox, 24 volts ok, no problem... amps? the contacts are rated on current each...

What do you intend to hook up to the switch boxes, and most importantly, how many amps EACH do they draw?

Greg

 

[Jayarmin]

Literally going to a few LGB point motors six in total and two LGB signals

 

[Greg Elmassian]

No problem then.... it's a common question, and worth asking as you learn the basics.

 

[Jayarmin]

Great, last thing I wanted to do was blow them up

 

[Jayarmin]

Now I’ve wired them up and the point is only throwing the switch one way and won’t return. Any ideas

 

[Greg Elmassian]

you do realize normally you use AC... do you have your circuit diagram?

the search function can often answer your questions, try this thread to explain the operation:

LGB 5080 Control Box Question

I'm not sure that I understand how the 5080 control box is supposed to operate, or should I say be wired. In the LGB instruction pamphlet, the diagram shows running power to the terminals marked 1-2 or 3-4. AC or DC can be used as per the instructions. All well and good so far. Now if I...

www.gscalecentral.net

Greg

 

[Jayarmin]

Yes I’ve just built my own transformer. And my old one did have an AC outlet for the points.

 

[Jayarmin]

It’s literally positive - negative from the transformer straight into the box and the points are each individual wired into Each switch

 

[Jayarmin]

 

[Jayarmin]

Sorry for the crude drawing basically yellow circle go straight to the transformer. White circle goes to each individual point

 

[phils2um]

Great, last thing I wanted to do was blow them up

If you use a 5080 on a points motor you will blow it up! The 5080 box has on/off switches. If you continuously power a point motor you will burn up its windings.
The 5080 can switch an ac or dc input voltage. Whether you use ac or dc depends on what you want to turn on or off.

But, I see from your photo you are actually using 51750 switch boxes for your points which is good! This is a momentary contact switch box. However, the LGB switch boxes, 5075, 5075N, 51750, etc. that operate points and signal motors require an ac input. They do not "swap the leads" to change the polarity of the voltage going to EPL points. These boxes instead use diodes to select whether the positive half or the negative half of the ac voltage wave is sent to EPL point motors.

 

[Jayarmin]

If you use a 5080 on a points motor you will blow it up! The 5080 box has on/off switches. If you continuously power a point motor you will burn up its windings.

But, I see from your photo you are actually using 51750 switch boxes for your points which is good! This is a momentary contact switch box. However, the LGB switch boxes, 5075, 5075N, 51750, etc. that operate points and signal motors require an ac input. They do not "swap the leads" to change the polarity of the voltage going to EPL points. These boxes instead use diodes to select whether the positive half or the negative half of the ac voltage wave is sent to EPL point motors.

Ah dam never noticed that I put 5080
Long day !

 

[PhilP]

So you have actually fed DC into this?

You need an AC feed from the 'transformer'. - A transformer will only give AC out.. What you have built is either a 'power supply' (giving a fixed DC voltage) or a 'controller' (which can give a variable DC output).

Just tap the AC side of the power supply (before it goes into the rectifier), and feed this out to the switch box..

PhilP.

 

[Dan]

At least 18 volts AC is needed to activate the EPL drives. LGB also sold a 'booster' which gives a stronger signal to throw the switch (actually a motor which can only do a 1/2 revolution).