Ciruitron AR-2 and DT-4

[katoftw]

Anyone tried Circuitron AR-2 and DT-4 products?

 

http://www.circuitron.com/index_files/ins/800-5401ins.pdf

http://www.circuitron.com/index_files/ins/800-5204ins.pdf

 

AR-2 is a auto reversing unit, and the DT-4 allow 4 stops with delay between the reversing stops.  Also more DT-4s can be added for more stops.

 

[cteno4]

ive installed an ar2 for a friend, not too bad, but a bit cranky. it did blow out in like 2 months or so but they did replace it. i think once i had the second one wired in it worked fine for him from then on and i think he moved it around a couple of times.

 

i looked at doing the dt4 for him and did not look bad from the instructions. basically the same things can be done with the ru 2-1.

 

the big difference i found was that the ru 2-1 trims all the sensors when you turn it on automatically (just have to make sure a train is not over one of them) to what ever the light level currently is. with the circuitrons you have to go in and adjust the trip pots on the board and its a really fiddly procedure that you then need to repeat if the lighting is changed! turn the ru21 on/off and reset!

 

also the circultron requires both an ac and variable dc power supplies. while you can get most off most throttles it needs another throttle. the ru21 has a single wall wart that does everything and the board has a slider pot to adjust speed. plenty of amps to drive any of my trams.

 

ru21 also has a nice acceleration/deceleration where ast he circultron is just on/off/reverse.

 

price ends up the same for the two and i think the ru21 has more features and was super simple to get going.

 

circuitron has some other block control and detection stuff that i think can also be wired.

 

cheers

 

jeff

Edited May 8, 2014 by cteno4

[katoftw]

Thanks.  RU2-1 it is.

[nscalestation]

I used 2 channels on a DT-4 to create a "train pause for a period of time" setup on a large Ntrak module.  It was a double track setup that was separate from the 3 Ntrak lines.  The tracks came out of one tunnel, crossed a bridge, then entered another tunnel.  The pause was while they were in the tunnel and I think we had it set for about 30 seconds giving the illusion that the trains were traveling some greater distance.  

 

I had set up structures made of brass strip to mount the lights and sensors ahead of time on my work bench and then installed everything on the module on site.  These ran without fail throughout the 3 days of the National Train Show in San Jose in 2000.