Building a Powerbox - Part 3. More switches and sockets

 

One feature I've always built in to my layouts is an extra direction switch below the controller socket. 

You see, I'm not that good at making sure my kit built locos all operate the same direction when you drive them, and since it's easier if the switch on the controller is matched to the direction of travel, the extra one sorts this out. 

I'd like to say I note those models running reversed and swap the motor wires when back at home, but I'm usually more interested in doing something else. Besides, I have a switch, so I might as well use it. 

From my electronic bits drawer, I found a nice chunky slide switch and wired it in. I like chunky switches, they are so much more satisfying to use. 

This one has a centre off, which has already caught me out once, but I'm sure it's a good idea. 

While the output posts are nice, I thought some chocolate block style versions would be useful as well, and I have some that are pushed to grab/release the wire. 

I know these came from a show because I'd never seen them before and knew there would be useful for something. As well as track power (red and black wires) I've connected the second 16V AC output from the transformer, just in case this is handy one day. 

Finally, the same input that goes to the controller is wired to a chocolate block poking out the side and operated through a couple of holes in the top of the box using a long flat-bladed screwdriver. This isn't an output, but an input. If I don't have access to mains electricity for the transformer, I could feed some 12V DC in here from a lead acid model boat battery. Obviously, not at the same time as the 16V AC is going in, but I made this, I know how it works, so (hopefully) I'll not cock it up. 

There we go. A useful tool made up that I'll hopefully use for many years. There's plenty of space in the box too, if I find more gizmos to add!

Building a Powerbox - Part 2. A pretty, but useless voltmeter

I love light up gizmos, and what better, and potentially more useful, than a voltage readout on the panel? 

Component Shop sell something suitable, but I went down the eBay route as I wanted one with bezel and ordering from weird people was part of the fun of this project. How you can have a business that sells components so cheaply, including minimal or no postage, and make a profit is a mystery. 

Anyway, the meter needs a feed from the track output that is the correct polarity, so it's fed through a tiny bridge rectifier. 

You're supposed to solder these to a circuit board, or some veroboard. Mine floats in mid air, although I have used some heat shrink on many of the connections to both support them, and avoid short circuits if the wires move around.

Track power goes in through the inputs that would normally take the AC power, and it ensures the outputs are always the correct polarity. 

The good news is, the panel lights up and changes value as you twiddle the controller knob. 

The bad news is that according to my old dial multimeter, it's reading 2V too low. Are those volts being lost in the rectifier? I don't know, but I'm not losing much sleep over this, the display is mostly for show anyway. 

You'll notice that I've added a couple of LEDs which hadily tell you when you've reversed the polarity to the track, in case you didn't notice you'd flipped the switch. They are petty though.

Talking of switches, I've added another one...

Building a powerbox - Part 1. Basic ideas

The Problem: I use a Gaugemaster handheld controller and transformer on all my layouts. Both have 5-pin DIN plugs on the end. Handy for the fully wired layout, but no good when I need to test a model on a new product or a rolling road. What I need is something to plug them in to with suitable outputs for the track. 

My solution, the Powerbox. 

16V AC in. Track power out. All controlled from a Gaugemaster handheld. 

The thing is, my favourite section of the old Maplin catalogue was the one full of lights and switches. 

Anyway, the basics: 

I found an old plastic box in the garage and decided to make use of it. In the side, I fitted the transformer input and on the top the controller connection. For the track output, there is a pair of post connections designed for stereo speakers, I think. 

A lot of this stuff came from odd places on eBay. I tried to stick to UK suppliers, but this was being done on the cheap with the risk that stuff bought in might be rubbish. Sadly, I haven't enjoyed an electrical components supplier locally since Maplin, and before them, Tandy, vanished from our high street. Once or two bits are from the stash of electrical items bought at shows though.

The basics are really all I needed, but then the box is quite large, so I added a few extras...

Michael Campbel faced a similar problem and developed a little box to deal with it. Needless to say, I saw this just after I had finished my version.