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DC - Electrical

Berrett Hill touch toggles and the Arduino

Sat, 2015-07-25 18:12 — Jim at BSME

DC - Electrical

Since Kevin at Berrett Hill Trains (a MRH sponsor) sent an email about a once in a lifetime sale, I thought I would let people know they can easily use the touch toggles with the Arduino.

If you are not familiar with his products he makes touch sensitive controls (touch toggles) and control boards that connect to the controlled accessory. He has boards to control stall motor switch machines (e.g. tortoise), snap action machines (e.g. atlas twin coil), servo control and servos for turnouts or other animation, and a relay base to turn on/off heavy loads.

Favorite soldering products

Sun, 2015-07-19 16:04 — MikeM

With all the various types/brands of solder, flux and cleaning products available, what are peoples favorite brands of each? Please discuss but differentiate between soldering track and electrical connections from soldering brass models and locomotives. Or any other situation in which you had to resort to solder...

If you want to include comments on specific soldering tools you have come to know and love, please add commentary on this too. I have a resistance soldering unit I have yet to learn how to use correctly so...

10 comments

stuck in a bind with how to power my layout

Wed, 2015-07-15 13:44 — kaitlin4599

ok so im stuck in a bind i use life-like power loc track for my layout because thats what came with the train set it was an xmas gift. any how here the problem as u can see from the picture the terminal track uses wire attached to metal clips that slide onto the terminals prongs to power said layout but the metal clips broke off and all im left with is the wires since its impossible to find power loc track is it possible for me to solder the wires onto the terminal tracks prongs so the track can be powered or am i better off trying to source out a replacement terminal track?

Power Supply Cradle from PDC.ca - for Railpro and more!

Tue, 2015-07-14 08:21 — Bill Brillinger

I kinda' hate power bricks. They are always a pain to keep tidy and to mount.
Depending how you truss them up, they are difficult to remove later too.

Faced with mounting yet another power brick, this time for my RailPro system, I came up with a tidy little mount that allows you to easily slide the brick in and out with no other tools.

Available now from PDC at $14.50 including shipping in the US or Canada...

wire size #AWG

Thu, 2015-07-09 21:05 — cslewis

What size wire (#AWG) should be used for DC & DCC? From the transformer to the rail?

20 comments

SMA18 DCC Control for Random Building Lighting

Wed, 2015-07-08 09:56 — geoffb

Many modelers have used Arduino Pro Mini’s to get great animated lighting effects in their buildings (MRH November 2014, Starting from Scratch with an Arduino Pro Mini (or Moteino) http://mrhpub.com/2014-11-nov/land/#99 and SMA8 Starting Projects and Virtual Rooms for Modeling.

Weller iron and soldering to frogs

Wed, 2015-07-01 04:53 — Chuck P

As work progresses on my new layout (old was DC), I've now soldered my first feeder to the frog of a Micro Engineering switch, that little nub underneath.

So how does one go from schematic circuit to circuit board?

Mon, 2015-06-22 16:11 — Michael T.

I ask this here because I know there are certain folks that can answer. I've never been quite clear on what it takes to get schematic diagram to finished PCB or at least to PCB art. I've always been able to order a board for a pre done project or point to point wire my stuff. My eyes are not what they used to be though and point to point is taking it's toll. I have a circuit I need that is driving me crazy trying to point point wire it and/or troubleshoot it.