DCC Panel No.1

I've posted some of these pictures before but here is a more detailed description of the electronic gizmos. 

 Due to the design of the layout I am lucky to have access to the back of my backdrop.  This is a perfect place to mount all the control systems that the layout needs to operate.  No crawling under the layout for this camper to access these panels.  Ok - there is some stuff that has to be under the layout, but if I can minimize it I will.

Documentation, Documentation, Documentation

First off, I spent considerable time planning the layout of the panel in MS Visio.  I made shapes of all the components (called stencils - similar to blocks in AutoCAD) with the correct dimensions. 

 This allowed me to plan the layout of the panel ahead of time and at the same time I built the drawing using Layers.  That way I can isolate and view only the wires for a particular circuit if need be.

And don’t forget to label.  Label everything.  Even if it’s a just on a piece of tape.

Andrew

Great work

I wish my wiring was as tidy as that Andrew What product are you using for the cable trays?

Wire Duct

Thanks Peter, its  2" x 2"  and 1" x 2" Wieland Wire Duct, Im sure there are other brands out there but its what my local electronics store stocks.

Andrew

So thats what Wiring is Supposed to look like

I'm a complete novice nob at electronics so no comment on your electronic system - but wow - your wiring does not look like the plastic spaghetti under my layout. 

But whatever the functionality - it looks super. 

@David

Oh trust me, there is some spaghetti under the layout.

Andrew

Its good to see nice wiring.

As a former Telephone Exchange installer I was taught neat wiring and it bugs me when I see layouts where the wiring has no rhyme or reason. Point to point wiring is just plain dumb! You dont have to use anything extravagant like Andrew has done although it is the sort of job I would do. Simple wire ties or even bread bag ties will keep your wire neat and therefore easier to fault find. And as Andrew says document everything and put the documentation in some sort of folder or book where you know where it is!!

I was called on by a club member to help find a wiring issue on his 10x16 N scale layout one time and when I looked under the layout I was appalled to see all the wire was point to point but to make it even worse it was all the same color!! Purple no less!! He had bought a roll of 1000' of Purple wire cheap and had done it all with that roll. No documentation. No Plan No nothing. We ended up just pulling out the lot and starting again!!

Wiring can be complex but for the most part you do the same thing over and over. Once you get it right once you are set. And of course DCC is simpler in some ways but more complex in others. if not experienced get one of the Kalmbach wiring books. These are mostly pretty good. Set up a color code for your layout and STICK to it. Don't have a wire that starts of red then changes to blue and ends up yellow!!

I'll get down off my soapbox now!!

good advice Graeme

Thanks for getting up on the soap box Graeme - I need the encouragement.  Wiring is not one of the highlights of the hobby for me (yet - maybe if I'm happy with the end result I'll change my tune).  

Got me a nice hard cover note book - "the red book"  Starting to document my decisions.

As I'm just getting restarted it will be used so I know what I did if and when I ever need to go back to it.

Keeping to the same colour makes sense for me.  I'm using salvaged Network PC wire (the kind with eight wires bundled inside, 10BaseT I believe it is called) to connect each of my powered switch machines to my control panel.  As these are solid wires I know they can be break - but they do have the advantage of the bundle - only need six of the wires (three for the PL-10 switch machine and 3 for the PL-13 accessory I'm using to light up LED's on my control panel to see show the route selected).  Aim is to be consistent in my wiring of each of my switches so that the solid orange is connected to the same spot on each of the dozen powered switches, and so on.   This one cable will then go from the switch machine across the bottom of my layout (held up with those "P" shaped wire-holder-upper clips).  I will then connect them to a terminal strip near the control panel.  My thinking here is that I'll install, and test, and if good, and it is being held in place nice and tight I don't think it will break - plus I use these cables at work all the time and never had one fail they seem pretty good.  Nevertheless I'm going to use stranded wire from the terminal strip to the control panel as the panel may be opened and close bending the connecting wires so I'm thinking solid wire is not optimum there and that will make it easier to connect to the LED leads and button, I'm thinking 18 gauge may be a bit big though for LED connections. 

But not sure about your "point to point" point.  I'm running one of these network cables "point to point" from the switch, under the layout to the central control panel.  Keep in mind I'm talking about a 40"x110" sized layout (slightly reconfigured 4x8).  

I'm also thinking of using the same sort of wire for the lights on my layout  (street lamps to be installed and lights in buildings).  

For the DCC track power that will be on a 14 gauge bus with 18 gauge feeders going up to the track, using what is called "suitcase" clips in the model rr world - but something else by others.  (insulation displacement connectors). 

I'll have a couple of other items to wire, including a turn table motor and some fun electronic things I've picked up, have a flickering fire one for the campsite for example.  I also will have a small amusement park in one corner with plans to have motorized rides and lots and lots of lights.  

My goal is to avoid the plastic spaghetti but been there done that, for us novices it is not easy. 

...

Good wire discipline is the result of adequate planning and ample foresight...

Wiring Color Codes

Dear Graeme,

T'ain't nothing wrong with that, the modeller should be congratulated for deploying a color coding scheme...

"...if it's purple, it's wire..."

Happy Modelling,
Aiming not to get my wires crossed...
Prof Klyzlr

More Electrical Gubins

I have installed the second Digitrax SE8C board into Panel 1 and wired the Beaver creek turnout to it and got around to replacing the temporary labels with something more permanent.  I am pleased to report that it works like a charm.

I lucked out when I built the panel for the LED Lighting power supply, I ended up with a piece of plywood that would be the perfect size for panel No 2.  So I bit the bullet and ordered the parts for the new panel and installed them.  I have also relocated of all the power supplies to one area as well and installed a master on/off switch to turn the layout on and off.  But before I hook everything up I have a BDL168 and PM42 that I have to develop a wiring plan for.

Thanks for reading!

Andrew

Programming Track Control Panel

The Programming and Isolation Track has been installed and wired up and I only released the magic smoke from one part (don’t ask).  For the programming track I used the circuit from the May 2014 MRH.  The only changes I made to the circuit was to substitute a DPST switch to control the relay and turn on the power to the PowerPax programming booster at the same time.  The other change was to add a LED on the programming track -- it blinks when you read/write from the track, otherwise it indicates DCC power to the track.

For the Control panel I drew up the artwork on the computer and printed off using a Inkjet.  I tried some laser printers but the black was not black enough. I then made a metal plate from 22 ga steel sheet and glued the artwork to the metal part.  Finally an overlay of 1/8 in plastic sheet to protect the artwork was made up. 

It’s not perfectly square, and there are some things I might do differently in the future, but for a first attempt I think it turned out OK.

Thanks for reading

Andrew