electronic relay

[Dennis]

Does anyone know of a electronic latch relay a person can use in place of using a atlas snap switch to light indicator lamps for a turnout? Using snap relays is too expensive and takes up lots of room.

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Dennis,

Have you considered a Tortoise or competitor slow motion turnout motor?  There are relays built in for just that purpose.

"2 Sets SPDT Provided for Powering the Frog or Signals."

http://www.circuitron.com/index_files/Tortoise.htm

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[pdlethbridge]

you also could try magnetic reed switches.
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/RSW-27/SMALL-REED-SWITCH-N.O./-/1.html

[Nigel]

Does anyone know of a electronic latch relay a person can use in place of using a atlas snap switch to light indicator lamps for a turnout? Using snap relays is too expensive and takes up lots of room.

Dennis;

Any electo-mechanical with the correct voltage rating relay will do the job.

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/category/500/Relays/1.html

A magnetic reed switch will not perform the function you desire - it needs a magnet to be moved into close proximity to function.

[Dennis]

My track work is complete so I didn't want to change any thing. Adding the snaprelay works perfect but as I said it takes up room and is too expensive when I need 15+. I was hoping there was a latching relay or some way to do this for less in the way of money and room. I thought we had something with the reed switch, but the need for the magnet stopped that. Thanks guys. Dennis

[Jim Banner]

Sorry, Denis, but latching relays fall into two types:
- electrical latching relays which are pairs of relays where one is normally open and when powered, keeps its own coil powered, while the other relay is normally closed which allows the above to happen until the second relay is powered, then it interrupts the coil circuit for the first relay.  Like the electronic flip/flop, it loses its information when power is shut off.

- mechanical latching relays with one coil to set the contacts one way and a second coil to set the contracts the other way.  The latching action is mechanical and no information is lost when power is shut off.  The Atlas snap relay is the cheapest one of these that I am aware of.

If you did not already have dual coil switch motors installed, the Tortoise machines are a great way to go, but tend to be expensive.  They also take up a lot of room, although the room is often available under the table.   

[daveb]

Dennis,

Try this site for an electronic switch for turnouts

http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/Index.html

Dave.

[Jim Banner]

The ELECTRONIC TURNOUT SWITCH available from that site would do exactly what you want to do and costs less than the snap relay.  Take off the cost of two push buttons or a SPDT momentary toggle, which the ETS does not need, and the cost drops to half the cost of a snap relay.

Thanks, Dave, for the link.  I have bookmarked it for my own use.