Switches
Hi Rob,
I have been thinking for a while about switches and the LED lights. While I have a few of the On/Off Pushbutton switch and it works well in the base of the ET and as an overall switch for my entire layout, I have a want for more...
First I would like to see a Pushbutton switch that is thinner. I want to put one in the sidewalk of my OnePru building, using a manhole cover as the button. Trying to hide it in plain sight. I only have 4 plates tall to work with (including the manhole cover), hence the current option did not work.
Another switch I've been thinking about and bought one from Fry's Electronics is a SPDT (Single Pole, Double Throw) On-Off-On Toggle switch. I want to use it to control the lights in my signal tower and bridge. The thought is that when the switch is toggled left, the left side Green light is on and the right side Red light is on. When toggled right, they are flipped. When in the center they are out, not my ideal but what I think can work right now. Ideally when toggled in the center, both red lights are on. I can just cut power to be dark.
Thoughts?
- JimP
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Hi Jim, thanks as always for your input. Great ideas. I've looked for thinner pushbutton switches and we are actually using switches in our new model pushbutton switches that are much thinner. Here are the switch dimensions:
(those numbers are in mm) Would this fit into your space?
For your signal tower, we could support this using a standard SPDT switch like you mentioned, combined with a software solution in a LEC. We have a new LEC coming out soon that will have 2 inputs and 4 outputs (this is actually the same LEC I showed you in 2015 at Cantigny to control signals automatically). Both inputs would be connected to the switch-- one input to one side of the switch, and the other input to the other side. Then the LEC would translate both inputs into logic for the signals. The LEC has 4 channels, so it would work perfectly for 4 LEDs in a 2-track signal bridge. When the switch was in the center position (off), the LEC would turn on both red LEDs. When it was thrown to one side, green/red, and when thrown to the other, red/green. Based on your description above, this seems like it would work. What do you think?
Love the suggestions-- keep 'em coming!