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BillytheKid

9v remote controlled switch

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traintech1.jpg

Call me lazy, but is there already a topic for a remote controlled 9v switch?

I've designed one by myself. I saw at brickshelf that most designs have the similar problem. When the 9v motor runs, it can damage the structure. I've made a safety in it, where the 9v motor can run forever without damage the structure of the switch. I will explain it later with pic's of my design.

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If there is a topic on this, it's long gone - I guess that justifies starting a new topic.

I bet there are many people out there, including me, interested in your design, more spesifically the safety aspect of it. It's particularily interesting in use of semi-automatic train-layouts, where switching must be done by motors rather than hand, while wanting the device to function without breaking anything.

So do tell us, we're all ears eyes! :classic:

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MLCad, which is available here, is a good one. It's anything but fast, but is relatively easy and gives the user pretty much total control. Plus it has most bricks that have probably existed.

Edit: Oops. My bad! :blush:

Edited by Freddie

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MLCad, which is available here, is a good one. It's anything but fast, but is relatively easy and gives the user pretty much total control. Plus it has most bricks that have probably existed.

I like Bricksmith better ;) Very good control, no large bugs detected so far. But it only runs on fine unix systems and not on inferior computers ;)

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I like Bricksmith better ;) Very good control, no large bugs detected so far. But it only runs on fine unix systems and not on inferior computers ;)

I'm sure this was very useful information for Panda9001100 :)

Edited by Aliencat

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MLCad, which is available here, is a good one. It's anything but fast, but is relatively easy and gives the user pretty much total control. Plus it has most bricks that have probably existed.
Or is it me or something else, but that doesn't work. Are you sure this is the right link? If I've installed MLCad, then I can show you how mine design is.

And most pc's (including mine) running with Windows XP ;) .

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Or is it me or something else, but that doesn't work. Are you sure this is the right link? If I've installed MLCad, then I can show you how mine design is.

Haha I think Freddie made a little copy/paste mistake. Here's the link to the MLCad website ;)

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I use MLCad, but it does have some issues. The software renderer looks bad and slows down to a crawl when you have thousands of pieces on the screen, even on very fast processors. If they ever make a Windows port of that Bricksmith program, I'll need to check it out.

There is another program out there called Leocad which has a better renderer and interface, but it doesn't run off the LDraw parts library and has a more limited selection. LDD has a nice renderer but its parts selection is very limited and only has the parts that are on PAB at the time.

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you got the link in some other forum, use the second one since the first was no good.

don't be lazy, just try first www.ldraw.org gives more than enough information, I could give you a lecture of course, but then you might need to enroll at our College (Zwolle so not so far ;)).

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Some parts need to be downloaded separatly from the program; this is also done at LDraw's website, via the Parts tracker. Pay attention to where you put the files, as not all of them, especially the sub-parts, go into the parts-folder. This is indicated at each part's download page (and in the list as well, I think).

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Finally I have the design made. The white tooth clutch I used is the safety part, which protect that the structure can't be pull apart through the power of the 9v motor.

60c01.gif

Then I used some tooth for a slowdown the switching part and tooth bevel to show me where the train will go. I've put this part at top, used in 12v trains:

3245bpx1.jpg

Here the pic's of the design:

technic_design_panda_-1.jpg

technic_design_panda_-2.jpg

What you people think of this design? Only I'm not very happy with the little house I made around it. I would like to know what you people think also of the little house around it.

Edited by Panda9001100

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it will work that way of course, but it is a huge switch, if you have let's say 20 switches on you track then it is starting to draw too much attention, isn't it?!

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I'm guessing that most of the switches will be permanently set, so the course won't be altered much. Not that it makes it useless, oh no! It'd be very useful in automated layouts, where switches at train stations need to be set whenever a train stops and a new train is due to enter the loop. I probably would have used a wormgear for the reduction needed, plus it would compact the entire design. I do like the fact that this one has a display to show how the switch is set.

Two questions though; is the clutch strong enough to overcome the torque needed to set the switch? And how, exactly, does it operate the switch?

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Well, I didn't have a wormgear. Otherwise I used that piece, maybe in near future I try with it. Hopefully the building will be much smaller then it's right now.

I've modified the switch like this:

03-smooth-slider.jpg

So, it's strong enough overcome the torque needed to set the switch. I use mine own design to change the polarity for the power:

i_-_control_panel_for_9v.jpg

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The nice thing of my design is, the 9v motor can run forever. Even when the switch thing is finshed.

When I look at your design, I wonder what happens of you keep the 9v motor running? Is the motor you used a strong one? You need a lot of force to change the switch without modify it.

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Finally one switch is connected to my controlpanel and it works beautifully. When the switch is finished with switching, the 9v motor can run further without damage the little controlhouse beside it.

I will make a movie to show how it works, but I can't upload it at brickshelf. Just send an email to me and I send the movie to you.

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Sorry. I can't make a clear video form how this switch works. But you can visit me to see how it works :grin: .

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