# Track Wiring



## ohno50 (Dec 30, 2008)

I am to the point where I need to decide on the wiring and the driver's stations. I have looked around and can't seem to find exactly what I want. So I decided to push the "easy button" and ask for input.

I've got a Power Supply on the way for central power. I would like a central location for reversing direction. I don't want the kids to be pushing the switch randomly. I would like to put in a brake switch at each station. I have seem some pretty good ideas on some of the modular jack stuff on the site. Any suggestions are welcome.


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## Dyno Dom (May 26, 2007)

For drivers' stations, contact Steve at Slot Car Corner. His sight is informative w/ many options. He carries parts or can custom order to your needs. He is very helpful & Workmanship is Excellent!!!


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## Crimnick (May 28, 2006)

Cheap, easy, if your kids are old enough not to put thier head in the oven...


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

Couple of decent articles here on wiring up drivers stations etc.

http://homepage.mac.com/pmarchand/Simpler_Driver_Station.htm

http://www.slotcarillustrated.com/HowTo/ControlPanel.html

http://slotcars.carlsoncomputers.com/articles/slotcar_powerbase/variable_power_base.htm


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Crimnick said:


> Cheap, easy, if your kids are old enough not to put thier head in the oven...


Crim! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaha!


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## slotnewbie69 (Dec 3, 2008)

yeah that was pretty funny,especially because my boy is the age where he tries to put his head into just about everything!


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

slotnewbie69 said:


> yeah that was pretty funny,especially because my boy is the age where he tries to put his head into just about everything!


Noob,

That's just Crim walking the tightrope for those of our group who believe that slot tracks should have saftey oversight on par with a nuclear missle silo. It's an age old debate around here.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

> for those of our group who believe that slot tracks should have saftey oversight on par with a nuclear missle silo


Yeah, missile silos are vastly overrated, which is why I store my nuclear missiles out in the lawn shed alongside the lawn tools, toys, and various insecticides in clear, unmarked containers, and leaky propane tanks. I figure if I marked the chemicals the kids would only find them more attractive or try to bathe our pet raccoon with them. I firmly believe in unrestricted access to my outdoor entertainment equipment. Just be a little careful when you're out there digging around for the Slip-n-Slide. Try not to bump those gray things along the back wall that are marked "Please Stand Back 20 Miles Before Detonating" plus some drivel about required hearing and eyesight protection, not staring directly into the fireball, wearing flame retardant clothing, making sure your will is current, and all that standard stuff that anyone who isn't oven-door-stupid knows anyway. Safety - schmafety, just another impediment to our need to cull the herd.


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## slotnewbie69 (Dec 3, 2008)

wow....!didn't see that coming!then again,i have non insulated splices on my wall warts!


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## Crimnick (May 28, 2006)

Heh heh:thumbsup:

Stand back...I have lawn darts!


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

*Now who would debate safety 'round here?*



Bill Hall said:


> Noob,
> 
> That's just Crim walking the tightrope for those of our group who believe that slot tracks should have saftey oversight on par with a nuclear missle silo. It's an age old debate around here.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

> an age old debate


More like an _old age_ debate. 

Do not run with Lawn Darts, sonny boy.


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*And then...*

The thread took a possibly evil turn and had the chance of sinking straight into a slug fest.
Can this discussion be saved?
Stay tuned.
Same Bat time.
Same Bat channel...

Scott


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

Uh... Scott, ... you do know we are just passing jokes back and forth, don't you?


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## slotnewbie69 (Dec 3, 2008)

whatever happened to gary coleman,anyway?


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*What?*



AfxToo said:


> Uh... Scott, ... you do know we are just passing jokes back and forth, don't you?


Those are all JOKES???? Jeez.... Why didn't someone tell me. Heck, I didn't even get the memo...
And yes, I know about the new cover sheet for my TPS reports...
Yeah, yeah.. I know... It won't happen again. Sorry. Really...
Sheesh...

Hey guys,
wanna go to Chotchkie's, get some coffee?

Peter Gibbons


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## ohno50 (Dec 30, 2008)

*Cool Terminal Block*

A friend who builds industrial starters turned me on to these. They are made for machines with a lot of vibration. What I think makes them nice is that each post can carries four connections, which means a lot less jumpers when wiring. The actions on the buttons is very tight, so instead of a screw vibrating loose the wire is spring clamped. The five post is pictured. They also come in 2, 3, and 4 post. They are made by WAGO.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=77603&stc=1&d=1236139237


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## ohno50 (Dec 30, 2008)

Hornet said:


> Couple of decent articles here on wiring up drivers stations etc.
> 
> http://homepage.mac.com/pmarchand/Simpler_Driver_Station.htm
> 
> ...


Thanks for the guidance Hornet. Here is my wiring panel. Anything wrong with it?


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

If the red is the negative and the black is the positive from your power supply and the black wires leading to your drivers station hook to the white wires of your controllers,and the green wires in the diagram are the black power to track feeds from your controller,it looks good 50,except your common should go back to the negative side of the power supply,unless i'm reading the colours wrong.Looks like you have a set of terminal blocks in the middle that you wouldn't really need,whats in the gold boxes could probably be eliminated,as you can go directly to the track direction switches from your controller,and back to the negative side of your power supply with your common from the switches


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

*Shirley you're not serious.*



AfxToo said:


> Uh... Scott, ... you do know we are just passing jokes back and forth, don't you?


Dave of course. If I was getting my undies in a wad would I resort to Gary Coleman? LMAO. I know Crimnik is joking too and I think he's got a great sense of humor. The ironic thing is, I made a huff for those outlet hookups that one day and I don't even have kids. So if you could reach the back of my head would you slap it now? Sometimes I just don't know when to shut up. :hat:


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## ohno50 (Dec 30, 2008)

Hornet said:


> If the red is the negative and the black is the positive from your power supply and the black wires leading to your drivers station hook to the white wires of your controllers,and the green wires in the diagram are the black power to track feeds from your controller,it looks good 50,except your common should go back to the negative side of the power supply,unless i'm reading the colours wrong.Looks like you have a set of terminal blocks in the middle that you wouldn't really need,whats in the gold boxes could probably be eliminated,as you can go directly to the track direction switches from your controller,and back to the negative side of your power supply with your common from the switches


Thanks for the help.

Actually NO! I copied some of this diagram from Professormotors web site. 

http://www.professormotor.com/wiringschematic3.shtml

The wire colors are confusing because this is the way he did it. I added the terminal blocks where he had intersections of wires.

Also I don't want to put reverse switches on the controllers or the drivers stations because I don't want the grand kids and their cousins moving switches. The DPDT switches are to the right. The intent is to have a separate central control box with all of the wiring mounted on a panel inside a project box. This way I can control when the track gets reversed at a central location.

I loaded a new picture showing the station wires.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=77665&stc=1&d=1236212572


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## JLM Racing (Apr 12, 2008)

Crimnick said:


> Cheap, easy, if your kids are old enough not to put thier head in the oven...


Crinick:
I think you are a genious! Your soderless track connections using a standard terminal track is a master stroke.....

Question, do you use the same technique to create jumper tracks?

Yo!


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

50,if i'm reading things right,you have your controller wired into the negative or common side of your track rails,and you're feeding full voltage to the power rail,using your common rail as your switch or controller side.
I'd personally switch the power side of the track,nothing really wrong with switching the common side of things,it just keeps full power at one rail all the time,so you have to be careful about laying anything across the rails that would short them out.
Your diagram works if you flop the red and black from your power supply around,and run your common rail back to the negative side of your power supply,this will put your controller on the positive side of things.
It almost looks like you have the black wire from your controller going to your power supplies negative side.The black wire from your controller goes to the drivers side rail,and the positive feed from your power supply hooks to the white wire of the controller,the passenger side rail is your common,and it goes back to the negative side of your power supply.
The white wire is power in from your power supply,the black wire from controller is power out to track rail,the red wire or brake wire goes back to the negative side of your power supply.
If you want to use a computor to run timed race programs,you'll need to install a relay on the positive output side of your power supply.
For a relay,look for a continous duty relay,they'll last longer,i use heavy duty 24 volt continous duty relays from Napa on my track,they are a bit overkill,but you'll never burn them out,next option is using a good quality headlight relay


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## Crimnick (May 28, 2006)

JLM Racing said:


> Crinick:
> I think you are a genious! Your soderless track connections using a standard terminal track is a master stroke.....


Aw shucks *blushes*

It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention....it's not..laziness is...

"there has GOT to be an easier way of doing this":thumbsup:



> Question, do you use the same technique to create jumper tracks?
> 
> Yo!


hmmm....well...yes...I used the same technique to do the power taps all around the track...


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Crimnick said:


> Aw shucks *blushes*
> 
> It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention....it's not..laziness is...
> 
> ...


Crim, I have simple criteria for "the better way of doing things".

Do I have to get off my butt, or is it in arms reach?

If not in arms reach and I have to get off my butt; can it be procurred in my big shop or whittled from something laying about the property?

If I have to get off my butt, put my boots on and leave the property....then there has got to be a better way of doing whatever the heck it was!!!


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