WIMorrison Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 I want to switch a couple of relays using an accessory address, but I can't find anything under around £30 for 2 addresses, which seems expensive to me. I could use a DR4018 which would switch 16 relays working out at £2.25 per relay, however I don't (currently have a need to switch that many). The relays cost a couple of quid each. Does anyone know of a cheap accessory decoder, or a DCC controlled relay that would fit the bill - specifically cheap Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevora Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 could you use this https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/sma20-low-cost-17-channel-dcc-decoders-ver-6-01-with-soundtriggered-soundstepperdual-motorled-and-12201920 arduino plus relay after the dcc interface £5.00 worth of bits 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted February 14, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14, 2022 I may be way off the mark here as I don’t know the voltages or current involved but could you use the auxiliary outputs from a cheap loco decoder.? Yes, the two relays would use the same address but switched by different functions of that address. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadLeaves Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 How about a Digitrax TR4, at £17.20 from https://www.digitrains.co.uk/tf4.html That has four outputs rated at 125mA continuous as per https://www.digitrax.com/media/apps/products/function-decoders/tf4/documents/TF4.pdf , which should be enough to drive a small relay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIMorrison Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share Posted February 14, 2022 I did think about function only decoders, however that means I need to control them as a loco and select the function I want and operate it, which isn't as easy to control as a DCC Accessory - but it does have its attractions LAIS sell a 4 function decoder (860011) which is around £10 with 100mA per function which might prove useful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted February 14, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14, 2022 What about the NCE Switch-IT? It's designed for two Tortoise motors but I would have thought a couple of non-latching relays would work just as well. There's a couple of new ones on Ebay at the moment for £15. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NFWEM57 Posted February 22, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 22, 2022 On 14/02/2022 at 19:57, WIMorrison said: I did think about function only decoders, however that means I need to control them as a loco and select the function I want and operate it, which isn't as easy to control as a DCC Accessory - but it does have its attractions LAIS sell a 4 function decoder (860011) which is around £10 with 100mA per function which might prove useful. What are you trying to control? A fixed item or something in rolling stock? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIMorrison Posted February 22, 2022 Author Share Posted February 22, 2022 2 minutes ago, NFWEM57 said: What are you trying to control? A fixed item or something in rolling stock? As I said in the original post, it is for the control of relays. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted July 31, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 31, 2022 Hi Iain This topic seems to have died! Are you still after a DCC accessory decoder operating relays? How about using an Arduino? You can get relays suitable for using with an Arduino and you can configure the Arduino as a DCC accessory decoder Buy an Arduino Nano clone, some stripboard and the opto coupled relays and away you go. You'll need some way of providing the Arduino with 5v or so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAF96 Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 Any solenoid suitable acc decoder will work as all you do it fire the pulse < > into the coil of a latching relay pair. I have used the method for firing the output of a CDU thru’ the relay main contacts as a method of having DCC control and parallel manual switching of solenoids. In my case the relays are non latching as the pulse pulls the relay in long enough to discharge the CDU. Several folk market single motor control acc decoders , e.g. Train-Tech. Or you could use as suggested a loco or function only decoder, in which case the directional lighting output would drive either way according to loco direction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted August 1, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 1, 2022 2 hours ago, RAF96 said: Any solenoid suitable acc decoder will work as all you do it fire the pulse < > into the coil of a latching relay pair. I have used the method for firing the output of a CDU thru’ the relay main contacts as a method of having DCC control and parallel manual switching of solenoids. In my case the relays are non latching as the pulse pulls the relay in long enough to discharge the CDU. Several folk market single motor control acc decoders , e.g. Train-Tech. Or you could use as suggested a loco or function only decoder, in which case the directional lighting output would drive either way according to loco direction. IMHO Terribly old fashioned Many years ago I was using Thyristors (using DC & CDU) or triacs (using AC) to operate solenoid motors, much more elegant than relays.🙂 (I was using chunky Hammant & Morgan point motors) Again you could use an Arduino as an accessory decoder to operate the CDU system. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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