scott Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 It's turning out to be a little confusing for more son and other kids that our Kato switch controllers are all "straight-up/curve-down", even if the actual switch looks to be the reverse of that. Is it possible to open the controllers up and do something to reverse the way they operate? That way I could just make labels that make it clear which way they work. Otherwise, I may eventually need to create little line diagrams with small toggle switches at the appropriate points (heh), but honestly I have no idea how to do that. Link to comment
CaptOblivious Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 I know the Tomix controllers allow you to insert the cable from the switch in either orientation (although you have to cut a little orienting nib off first) to solve this sort of problem. Can you just plug the Kato connectors for the offending switches in upside down? If not, is it, like with the Tomix cables, perhaps a simple case of cutting off a small orienting nub thingy? Worst case: Cut off the connectors and solder them back on opposite the way they were… Link to comment
scott Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 Hmmmm....that's worth a try. Is there any danger from flipping the wiring like that? Link to comment
CaptOblivious Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Hmmmm....that's worth a try. Is there any danger from flipping the wiring like that? Nope! It just reverses which direction is "straight" and which is "curve" :D Link to comment
cteno4 Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 nope. the switches are a single coil design and all you are doing is applying a pulse of dc current in one polarity or the other! you can always just snip the wires and reverse them to reverse the switch direction on the controller if you can get the plug to reverse. another option is to use a very cool little circuit that does a capacitor discharge pulse (better for the coil) that you can then wire to spdt switches on a control panel diagram. the capacitor discarge is probably the best way to fire coils like this as its a very good momenary pulse that wont burn out the coil (if a controller hangs some) and is just what the coil wants to see to power it). also has options for adding led indicators to show current switch direction, do ladders, and also do default switch settings. very cool little design called the BCD circuit by George Stillwell. he will email you a pdf of the design if you want it (he is not putting it on the web yet as he wants to publish it and some places will not publish if its been posted on the web). yell and i can put you in touch with him if you are interested. i hope to build a few of these and experiment some this summer with these. very simple circuit that anyone with just a tad of electronics could assemble. he even has a design that you just wire up on a small screw terminal strip so no soldering or pc board, etc. someone on the ttrak board just offered to make some pc boards maybe for the circuit as well so it would be even easier to build these. ok this one is getting more into propeller head territory... cheers, jeff Link to comment
scott Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 Well, it sounds like at least reversing the wires is within my mental capacity. Link to comment
to2leo Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Scott if I understand your problem, I think you are using the Kato DC converter into your transformer. You just got the polarity wrong, switch it back and the switches should work as suggested. Link to comment
scott Posted June 24, 2009 Author Share Posted June 24, 2009 Well, they're working as designed--but the design just doesn't match reality. In some cases, "straight" is up on the controller, but "down" (or closer) on the layout, so it's confusing to kids and hard to explain. I'm trying to reorient the controllers so their toggles correspond with the actual routing of the switch. Link to comment
cteno4 Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 scott, to make any individual controller flip its direction for that switch just clip that switches wires and reverse them. dont think the kato plugs can be reversed as they have a male/female corner cut off i think (sorry im too lazy to go look in the garage at the kato plugs). cheers, jeff Link to comment
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