I will be needing an N turntable [motorized] in a couple of months. I don't know what is available. [I am not interested in any difficult kits] I only really know of Atlas but my past experience has been the motor is very noisy. Any help is appreciated, thanks.
Turntable
- Thread starter Charles Mark
- Start date
I also am looking to fit a motorised N gauge turntable to my layout, i know peco sells turntables, and show a picture of a some maccarno being used to make it spin?
- but i dont under stand how a normal maccarno motor would be accutrate enough at locating it, surely it would need a steper motor??
daniel
- but i dont under stand how a normal maccarno motor would be accutrate enough at locating it, surely it would need a steper motor??
daniel
Daniel: I'm using the Peco OO turntable with the motorizing kit from Frizinghall. (the first version) It has a motor and a pile of gears and a rubber band in the reduction system. The indexing is by trial and error -- back and forth. I'm not that happy with it, and I have 2 of them. I would do it with the manual system (crank on a long shaft) next time.
Fleishmann make (or used to make) an N gauge turntable. I had a manual, but I think there was an electric.
Fleishmann make (or used to make) an N gauge turntable. I had a manual, but I think there was an electric.
We have a thread on motorizing here somewhere. I think the stepper motor doesn't give a smooth turn -- more like instant jerk from postion to position.
There's a lot of things about Atlas stuff that people dislike but the bottom line is their stuff works! There was an article in MR that showed how an Atlas turntable was set low in the baseboard and a proper looking turntable was built on top. The guy liked the fact that the Atlas indexing was so simple. Me too. Finding a quiet motor and gearbox would be a lot easier than building an indexing system. I rarely turn more than a couple of locos per session so I don't mind the howl.
ALso, i wonder if you could do somthink with a point sonide and indexing hole for each posstion
- if you powerd it round with a geared down motor, and then, when you got near to the right line up, you gently energize the point motor (say at 8v) which would then fall into the indexing hole stoping the turn table at the right place?
daniel
- if you powerd it round with a geared down motor, and then, when you got near to the right line up, you gently energize the point motor (say at 8v) which would then fall into the indexing hole stoping the turn table at the right place?
daniel
a better way is to arrange the electrical contacts in a way that when the turntable motor is switched off, it shorts itself out. The back emf generated by the motor will stop the motor dead and remove any overrun. It actually works and the turntable will stop dead immediately. Just be 200% sure that you first disconnect the motor supply before shorting the motor, that's all.
having said that, the atlas tt uses a Geneva movement which gives intermittant but accurate movement.
having said that, the atlas tt uses a Geneva movement which gives intermittant but accurate movement.
I had one of those really inxpensive Walthers tables with their motor setup. I don't think you really need indexing. I just wired a sprung On-off-on DPDT that I could hold over and turn the table.... when it got close it was usually a couple of bumps on the switch to get it alligned. It is easy to do by eye and saves a bunch of bux.
I have seen a layout where the electric motor is powered at 2 voltages.
#1 standard speed, to move the bridge close to the track
#2 slow speed, reduced voltage, to SLOWLY align the bridge "by eyeball"
The guys told me that at the slow speed it was easy to eyeball position the bridge.
Gary
#1 standard speed, to move the bridge close to the track
#2 slow speed, reduced voltage, to SLOWLY align the bridge "by eyeball"
The guys told me that at the slow speed it was easy to eyeball position the bridge.
Gary
OK, i'll have a go with a motor, without any indexing. what motors do people use? the turn table i have is the peco one.
thanks, daniel
thanks, daniel
daniel:
If I were starting again, I would not put a motor on my Peco turntable. Mine are close enough to the operator that I could use my finger.
I asked a friend that was coming from England to buy the kits for me, and he gave me the Meccano units (at a horrendous price apiece). They may have better ones now.
If I were starting again, I would not put a motor on my Peco turntable. Mine are close enough to the operator that I could use my finger.
I asked a friend that was coming from England to buy the kits for me, and he gave me the Meccano units (at a horrendous price apiece). They may have better ones now.