How to: Control Panel

[Alex3410]

Just wanted to say thank you for the very informative post - will defiantly come in useful

[Flashbang]

Hi
Here's one I've just made for my local MR club layout.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z311 ... G_2688.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z311 ... G_2691.jpg

[teflontony]

I have opted for the single wire plus return to the points motors. Each motor has a capacitor 4700 mfd in my case, and a couple of diodes, and a single wire back to the switch to either charge or discharge the capacitor via the motor. More info is available from BL's site here, right down towards the bottom. http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Electrical.html#One
It also means I can use 'normal' two way switches, not momentary on ones. Reducing the number of wires by as many as you have point motors helps dramatically when there are a lot of motors to wire. The switches I use are two pole, so I can use the other pole to show the road set via a little row of SMD leds.. Once it's up and running I'll post a picture or two.

[pete12345]

I use this method too. It's especially useful for live frog points as you can use the second pole of a DPDT switch to control the frog polarity. This frees up the switch mounted to the motor (peco PL-13) to operate route confirmation lights on the control panel. Using the switch on the panel to do this looks nice but doesn't give any indication that the point has actually thrown correctly.

[catchgame]

This a great forum

[End2end]

I have had an idea for my proposed control panel although I don't know if its completely possible.

My end to end layout will have a hidden fiddle yard.
You can see my plan here - http://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Fo ... 44&t=44866

Now my idea is to add some small cameras at each end of the fiddle yard, hooked upto some small screens on the control panel.
My problems are:
A) I cannot seem to find any small sized screens.
B) If I could find the small screens, how would they be wired up to the cameras.

The soloution albeit rather ungainly is to use 2 small cameras and 2 small TV's.
Spy CMOS Colour Camera

cmos1.JPG (8.42 KiB) Viewed 3155 times

Spy CMOS Colour Camera Tiny Video CCTV IR NIGHT VISION

cmos2.JPG (5.19 KiB) Viewed 3155 times

The TV's I have found are the Casio TI-STA Color Television TV-970 with AV input, available really cheaply as they cannot pick up a TV signal anymore due to digitisation.

CasioTV.JPG (13 KiB) Viewed 3155 times

Does anyone else know of a small screen that could be attached to the control panel as the casio tv's screens are small enough, just the casing is too big.
I cannot take them apart and glue the screens to the rear of the panel as I have no knowledge of electronics as such.

Has anyone tried this or the use of cameras on thier layout?
End2end

[TimberSurf]

Have a look for reversing cameras, they do kits of camera and TV for less than £100
I need something similar for my under base board storage yard, but was thinking of using a couple of IP cameras and feeding them to a multiscreen on a PC(cheap old PC would be sufficient to display the webpage generated by IP cameras)

[End2end]

Have a look for reversing cameras, they do kits of camera and TV for less than £100
I need something similar for my under base board storage yard, but was thinking of using a couple of IP cameras and feeding them to a multiscreen on a PC(cheap old PC would be sufficient to display the webpage generated by IP cameras)

Yes I have already looked at some reversing cameras but i've found that they have a flaw.
Even if the screen does have 2 video inputs, most change view when reverse is engaged (in a real car).
I think this is a componant that is internal to the unit and unable to be removed to see both cameras at the same time on one screen thats why I started looking at the small tv's although your idea of an old pc is very good. Problem is the screens are still too big even in 15 inch versions and the further away from a pc I can get the layout the better.
No matter how good pc's are they are still only just tools, albeit a swiss army tool, but a tool nonetheless ready to fail just when you need it.
I have 6 pc's and have worked with and on pc's for many years knowing how easy it is for them to fail.
But saying that, if you find a soloution please do share with us your endevours, wether it be pc based or not.
Thanks
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[End2end]

I've just started reading this post again and can say that the information here will be invaluable when I come to make my panel.
Excellent article.
Many thanks Hulldude15
End2end