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Offline efel  
#1 Posted : 30 January 2017 15:44:57(UTC)
efel

France   
Joined: 23/02/2005(UTC)
Posts: 800
Hi,

Using servo instead of solenoid motors in C track turnout requires precise positionning of the servo under the basement.
Here is a solution that avoids that difficulty: it consists in fixing the servo directly on the turnout. That necessitates a rather big hole in the basement, but does not require any precision. Furthermore, that hole is smaller that the one many modelists make for fixing the standard solenoid motor, leaving the point in place.

DSCN2733-redim1024.JPG

If necessary, the servo can be removed for fixing:

DSCN2734-redim1024 - Copie.JPG

Regards,

Fred
thanks 9 users liked this useful post by efel
Offline kiwiAlan  
#2 Posted : 30 January 2017 16:49:34(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
So, as I see it, you have mounted the motor on the plastic cover of the point mechanism, is that correct?

How well does it work, i have wondered about doing a similar thing myself.
Offline efel  
#3 Posted : 31 January 2017 11:27:24(UTC)
efel

France   
Joined: 23/02/2005(UTC)
Posts: 800
Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Go to Quoted Post
So, as I see it, you have mounted the motor on the plastic cover of the point mechanism, is that correct?

Yes

Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Go to Quoted Post

How well does it work, i have wondered about doing a similar thing myself.

That works perfectly, but, as it's new, I can't say anything about reliabilty. I guess it's at least as reliable as the mounting under the basement which is very often used.

Fred

Offline rbw993  
#4 Posted : 31 January 2017 13:59:43(UTC)
rbw993

United States   
Joined: 19/08/2008(UTC)
Posts: 954
Hi Fred,

Who makes these servos and what do you use to control them, M84 decoders?

Thanks,
Roger
Offline jvuye  
#5 Posted : 31 January 2017 15:10:22(UTC)
jvuye

Belgium   
Joined: 01/03/2008(UTC)
Posts: 2,881
Location: South Western France
That looks like an excellent idea!
That looks exactly like what I should do to replace a number of failing Märklin motors in my hidden station area!
Do I see it right that you have preserved the spring loaded action of the blade so that points can still be taken backwards without being set?
Cheers

Jacques Vuye aka Dr.Eisenbahn
Once a vandal, learned to be better and had great success!
Offline kiwiAlan  
#6 Posted : 31 January 2017 15:58:42(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: rbw993 Go to Quoted Post
Hi Fred,

Who makes these servos and what do you use to control them, M84 decoders?

Thanks,
Roger


The servos are small radio control servos. ESU market them along with a decoder/controller, and I have a feeling uhlenbrock do too.

The r/c servos are also available on eBay, and several other decoder manufacturers make decoders that will drive them.

One advantage of using such servos is that you can set the limits of motion for the servo arm, and the speed of operation by setting up the registers in the decoder. Great if you are using servos for things like crossing gates, or semaphore signals where you can have the arm give a little bounce to simulate the slack in the point rodding.
Offline efel  
#7 Posted : 31 January 2017 20:17:34(UTC)
efel

France   
Joined: 23/02/2005(UTC)
Posts: 800
Originally Posted by: rbw993 Go to Quoted Post
Hi Fred,

Who makes these servos and what do you use to control them, M84 decoders?

Thanks,
Roger

Hi Roger,

Any RC modelism shop sells such servos. Also ESU, Uhlenbrock and others.

To drive servos, I personnally use ESU Switchpilot Servo, controlled with an intellibox.

Regards,

Fred

thanks 1 user liked this useful post by efel
Offline efel  
#8 Posted : 31 January 2017 20:32:30(UTC)
efel

France   
Joined: 23/02/2005(UTC)
Posts: 800
Originally Posted by: jvuye Go to Quoted Post
....
Do I see it right that you have preserved the spring loaded action of the blade so that points can still be taken backwards without being set?
Cheers



Hi Jacques,

Presently, the link between the servo and the turnout is a 0.5mm piano wire, and the spring effect is too strong. I'll make some trials with 0.4 or 0.3 mm piano wire in order to improve that function.

Regards,

Fred



thanks 1 user liked this useful post by efel
Offline Minok  
#9 Posted : 03 February 2017 00:31:10(UTC)
Minok

United States   
Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,310
Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
Originally Posted by: rbw993 Go to Quoted Post
Hi Fred,

Who makes these servos and what do you use to control them, M84 decoders?

Thanks,
Roger


Servo's have a 3 wire connection (Brown red orange, or black white red, typically), and their own signals - PWM (pulse width modulation).
The way PWM works is you have a period of signal time and the % of that signal period the signal is high, vs the time it spends low (duty cycle), determines the degree of rotation the servo is presently in.

So _|-----|___________ is one angle
and _|--------------------|_ is a much further angle.

The range through which the servo can rotate (its not 360 degrees necessarily, typically its 180 degrees) is servo dependent.
The changing of that high time vs low time signal ratio determines how fast the servo prepositions.

So a servo controller is required - something that can repeatedly feed a square wave signal with varying high and low levels that can be changed on the fly easily.
Servo decoders are the ideal solution.
Toys of tin and wood rule!
---
My Layout Thread on marklin-users.net: InterCity 1-3-4
My YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/@intercity134
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Minok
Offline efel  
#10 Posted : 07 February 2017 17:45:04(UTC)
efel

France   
Joined: 23/02/2005(UTC)
Posts: 800
Originally Posted by: efel Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: jvuye Go to Quoted Post
....
Do I see it right that you have preserved the spring loaded action of the blade so that points can still be taken backwards without being set?
Cheers



Hi Jacques,

Presently, the link between the servo and the turnout is a 0.5mm piano wire, and the spring effect is too strong. I'll make some trials with 0.4 or 0.3 mm piano wire in order to improve that function.

Regards,

Fred


Hi,

With a 0.25 mm piano wire, the spring effect is roughly the same as the original one (i.e.without motor or with marklin motor).
I think that a 0.3 or 0.35 mm should also work

Regards

Fred.
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