I'll be looking for it

Does this new drive arrangement leave enough room for the boom cables and associated motors?

Up date

I just discovered why Geoff used relays to control the three motors on his crane. DCC decoders have only one motor output. The other function ouputs are only on/off. No way to reverse a second or more motors from one decoder. So much for DCC. Looks like the project is stalled until I can find a method other than relays to control the other two motors.

@Ken,

I'd be able to get 3 more motors in to control boom, big hook, and small hook. I'd still have enough room for an R/C board like I used on my first crane I built. Perhaps that's what might happen here. Seems like DCC has a short coming when it comes to controlling more than one motor from one board. Makes R/C a bit better at animation. A lot less electronics involved.

Back to the drawing board.

Bernd

NCE R/C?

The simplest way I can think of to drive a bi-directional motor on the function outputs of a single decoder would be to connect them via transistors or relays in an H-bridge.  that would require two functions per motor (one per direction), meaning six functions for the three motors, and as many more as you like for lights.  There might be a better way, but that's all that comes to my mind at the moment.

I note that NCE does make at least a couple 6 function + motor decoders, the D14SRP and D15SR.  They might not be all that interested in having a radio controlled model not demonstrating their products!

NCE decoders

I was looking at the NCE N14SR. It's a four function decoder. I don't have room for relays like Geoff did on his. I was thinking after I posted about using FET drivers. The kind used on the decoder chips for motor drives. Here's an example: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/SI4500BDY-T1-E3/SI4500BDY-T1-E3CT-ND/1656952

It would entail designing a circuit board. I have to many other projects ahead of this to work on. This one may sit in on the back burner for a long time.

I wasn't going to put an R/C in the crane for NCE. I meant that R/C is much better for something like this than a decoder. The decoder's were designed for single motor drives. The R/C's I use from DelTang can operate at least four motors using a board smaller than a decoder.

Bernd

Crane Update

Looks like I'm back at finishing the crane up. Jim, a friend of mine and dealer for NCE came up with a solution of using 3 decoders to run the motors. I agreed as long as he did the electrical instalation. So onward I go.

I mounted the boom motor and hook motor, plus installed the wipers on the turret ring. Here are some pics.

Next is a set of spools for the motors and get the boom rigging installed.

Bernd

Athearn 200 Ton Crane #2

What are you using for motors and where are you sourcing them from?

Did you mention it and I missed out?

Thanks.

Doug

Micro Motors

Doug,

I got them from an e-bay seller, Chinese of course. Here's a direct link to them:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p4712.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=Micro+Gear+motor+Black+gear+box&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Bernd