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A few very premature pics of what I hope might eventually become a unit to mimic an actual signal cabinet/backpanel, that I can then use to get one of my GammaTronix controllers hooked up to some actual signals for operational display.

http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z34 ... 20cabinet/

The red aluminum case used to hold an elderly piece of hospital/medical equipment. I made a simple MDF 'tray' that slides in/out (like the original chassis in the box did) with 4 loadswitches mounted to it. Room to the side for a transfer relay/flasher (maybe?) or more loadswitches (if I get more?) or ??...room to the rear where I'll figure out something for connection terminal boards, and I'm gonna have to find a little 24V power supply of some sort to go in there somewhere, I guess...?

What else might I want/need to try to include? (am I forgetting anything important?) Suggestions/comments WELCOMED!

and to all youse guys up and having fun all over NE OHIO...if there are any little bits/chunks of anything laying around unclaimed on the "free pile" that I could use for this project -- would somebody PLEEEEASE claim them for me?

Cool custom design!! I had one of those blue HGI switchpacks but got rid of it. I think I gave it to Dan when he came by. Is the Gammatronix a NEMA spec with low voltage I/O at the connector? Cause then it should have a 24 volt pin already that connects to the 24 volt pins on the switches.

I'm gonna have to find a little 24V power supply of some sort to go in there somewhere, I guess.

You shouldn't need a power supply unless you need power for rack detectors or something. The controller will provide the 24VDC source for the loadswitches.

Cool idea, Tim.

You shouldn't need a 24 volt power supply. All NEMA controllers have a "24 Volt DC" output that can be used to power other equipment in the cabinet. You would connect this output, along with the R-Y-G outputs of the appropriate phase and logic ground to the loadswitch.

Thanks everyone -- the "AHA" moment has occurred!

Indeed, there's 24v (well, 23.7-something) coming from pin "B" (relative to pin "W") as measured just now with my handy DVM. (WHICH, of course, I can check thanks to Nick's very handy pinout chart! )

That'll certainly make things easier...!

HEY -- I admitted right off the bat that I'm a TOTAL novice at all this NEMA-ese...???

In other mental meanderings, I've got this thing too, which I can't help but to wonder if I can finally make useful. I don't know what its truly supposed to be, (other than a nice panelful of 32 3-position mini toggle switches that just happens to fit perfectly in the red aluminum box...?) but I know I'll probably want/need at least a few switches (or indicator lights?) for something or other...anybody gots any inspirations??

EagleSignalFan wrote:Cool idea, Tim.

You shouldn't need a 24 volt power supply. All NEMA controllers have a "24 Volt DC" output that can be used to power other equipment in the cabinet. You would connect this output, along with the R-Y-G outputs of the appropriate phase and logic ground to the loadswitch.

That applies to all TS1 NEMA controllers old and new. TS2 does not have 24 volt DC at the controller and need the shelf power supply.

Resurrecting this old thread, now that I've actually got enough of it going to make signals work...!




http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z34 ... 20cabinet/

Been thinking today about how to 'finish it off' so to speak. Think I'm going to go ahead and try to add a 204 flasher, (since I have one, and think I now understand what I might need to do to wire it in...?) and I obviously need some sorta 'front panel' with a few control switches, as well as some further labeling and tidying.

This is what I've been imagining the control switches might be:
[120V]
MASTER POWER (self explanatory, kills everything, maybe a breaker?)
SIGNALS ON/OFF (controls loadswitch output)
FLASH/CYCLE (maybe a center-off switch incorporating 'signals off'?)
(optional?)
CONTROLLER POWER
FLASHER POWER (both these so either one wouldn't have to be powered on, when the other is running the lights)

and momentary-contact switches for:
[24V inputs]
VEH/PED DETECTORS (one each, ph. 1&2)
MANUAL ADVANCE (aka 'police button')

NOW, a couple QUESTIONS...

For the 'master power'. Should I think about also trying to incorporate a mercury contactor relay into this, (as I think I have one, and maybe even half an understanding how it works now...?) or would that be needlessly overcomplicating things?

For the 'flash/cycle'. Am I correct that I can (functionally) do this with potentially as little as a DPDT switch (connecting respective red/yellow signal terminals between the flasher/loadswitch outputs) withOUT the need for an actual 'flasher relay'?? (since I'm not sure if I have one of those...??)

For the 24V inputs -- are there others available in the basic NEMA A-cable (thanks again to NICK for the pinout chart!) that would be useful (or even entertaining?) beyond the basic detector inputs??

FUSES (breakers) -- should I have some of those in there too, and/or for what?? (after all, this thing will plug into my bedroom wall outlet...not hardwire to a power pole on a streetcorner out in 'public utility-land'??)

Is there ANYTHING ELSE that I'm overlooking which should be otherwise painfully obvious...??

Thanks in advance for any of y'alls thoughts/comments/advice/etc -- ALL will be gratefully considered as I keep on plugging away at this project!

The MASTER PWR switch is good, that or unplug the cord. A mercury contactor is used in the flash circuit not the main pwr feed. When the cabinet goes to FLASH operation the mercury contactor breaks the AC feeding the loadswitches so that the indications go dark.

For flash/cycle you need more than a single DPDT switch because you will be switching your yellow-red circuits to the flasher but the other indications will still be running, hence the MC.

The SIGNAL ON/OFF is a good idea, let's you program the controller and watch it cycle without all the heads lighting up.

Look at your pinout, determine the use of each input/output. You mentioned MANUAL ADV, on NEMA that input also needs MANUAL CONTROL ENABLE active to work. STARTUP or INITILIZE is nice to reboot the controller cycle. A STOP TIME input will do just what it says. Not sure what inputs your controller has. Output wise, the lamp drivers are about all you need.

BigTbird1974 wrote:Is there ANYTHING ELSE that I'm overlooking which should be otherwise painfully obvious...??

Maybe use the whites for the 2 signal head neutrals.

And the blacks for the yellows.......

NICE PROJECT!!!!

Suggestion for your detectors... Instead of using just push buttons to trigger the vehicle inputs why not use motion sensors? All you need is a standard patio/porch light sensor-head. Instead of wiring it to lights you would wire it to a relay with 120 volt coil to switch the low voltage circuits. Then set the sensor to "TEST" mode and it will close the circuit for less than 5 seconds or until motion ceases.

Some require a load in parallel with the coil to beef up the current draw, but I think someone here found a version that was strong enough to close a relay without a load