Recently, through various channels, I acquired some DCC Concepts Turnout Motors (Point or Switch Engines) with DCC adapters built-in and some Dapol LMS Home and Distant signals with the intention to add them (slowly) to my current layout under construction.
After a brief conversation with the proprietor, and one of the other customers, at The Train Shop in Morecambe, Lancaster, UK (they're at 22 Pedder Street, check opening times, it's well worth it!) I'm pretty sure I know how it all goes together.
The idea is that when I use my PIKO controller to activate the turnout (point or switch), the Cobalt will move the tie-bar, and switch the signal from Stop to Go, or vice versa. Not terribly prototypical, but in my case quite handy, as I have a siding (goods) and platform (passengers) and wanted something that would work and look acceptable.
The first phase was to get the Piko kit (controller and decoder) working with the Cobalt point motor (switch / turnout engine). That didn't go quite as smoothly as I'd expected, so after much experimentation, here's the rundown.
Step 1 : Connect the DCC Decoder (Track) to the Cobalt
Actually very easy. It doesn't matter which way round the wires are connected, I just connected them to the wires coming from the Piko IR receiver/decoder unit.
Step 2 : Program the Cobalt from the Piko DCC Handset
This step got me hunting for the Piko manual. After decoding it, I finally got it right. The first thing to do is set the Cobalt from 'run' to 'set'. There's a little dip switch underneath the connection blocks, and it slides from left to right. Make sure it's set to the right.
Now, use the handset to perform the operation that you want to control the point. Oddly enough, I found that only the following actually works : first press the accessory selection button, then the address (i.e. 001), then the accessory button again, and disconnect the DCC IR receiver/decoder.
If you're wondering which button it is, it's the one that looks like a single turnout/point/switch. The double one is for programming locos, and the one with a loco on it is for selecting locos (!)
Step 3 : Activate the Cobalt from the Piko DCC Handset
Again, I got unstuck, and had to refer to the manual. First off, though, set the dip switch on the Cobalt from 'set' to 'run'. That's right to left on the current (2013) model.
Now, I assumed that pressing button-address-button would activate the motor, but I was wrong. You have to use the little red/green buttons at the bottom of the handset to activate the turnout motor / switch engine.
So, if you assigned address 001 to the motor, it is activated with the first set of buttons.
Step 4 : Connect the Dapol LMS Home Signal
Finally, it was time to check the signal connection.
It has two sets of wires. Red/Black for connection to a 16V AC power supply, and two yellow wires to connect to a push-button switch. At this point you have two possibilities. One is recommended by Dapol / Cobalt, and one appears to work okay, but may damage your signal.
The first is to attach a push-button to the Cobalt motor, in serial with the Dapol Signal (using the yellow wires).
The second is to connect the Dapol Signal yellow wires to the Cobalt 6,7,8 terminals which represent a SPDT switch. The issue here is that the SPDT switch, according to the wiring diagram provided by Cobalt, will be 'always on', as it's break before make.
This may, according to Cobalt, damage the components in the circuit (including things like the auto-reverse polarity circuitry) so they strongly discourage it. You have been warned.
If you choose to connect the signal directly to the Cobalt, you will need to split one of the wires so that there is one going to 'Common' and the other going to both LHS and RHS. It's probably better for the health of your signal to use a Berko/Eckon type LED signal instead...
That's about it - now all I need to do is drill a hole for the signal, install the Cobalt, and take photos!
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