Digirails DR 4018 Digiswitch

[Innovationgame]

I have been away from model railways for more than 25 years.  I would like to continue where I left off, using N-gauge using Peco code 80.  DCC seems the best way forward and I am taken with the Gaugemaster Prodigy Advance DCC controller.  Seep point motors look appealing and economical and the accessory interface that looks best is the Digirails DR4018 Digiswitch.  However, I have three questions:

1.  Can the DR4018 be easily programmed from the Prodigy Advance?
2. Will the DR4018 drive Seep point motors?
3. Will the Seep point motors operate Peco code 80 points?

I would value some advice.

[Newportnobby]

HI, and welcome to the forum
Sorry, but being an old DC fart I can only answer question 3 - Yes

[bluedepot]

sorry mate I can only answer question 3 as well!

best of luck with your new layout


tim

[Griffo]

DCC Supplies are a UK distributor of "Digirails" who, from personal experience, are very helpful. Worth dropping them an email.

http://www.dccsupplies.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=6038

I suspect you've already seen this .pdf of the manual. If not then it, too, is worth reading.

http://www.digirails.com/en/fileuploader/download/download/?d=0&file=custom%2Fupload%2FFile-1341400859.pdf

[port perran]

Welcome aboard.
I'm afraid being a DC Stick in the Mud, I can only answer point 3 as well !
Someone will pop up with your answer.

[Steven B]

1. Will be programmable from the Prodigy Advance - no idea how easily though.
2. The manual says it will control up to eight solenoid point motors so it will work quite happily with the Seep point motors
3. Yes the Seep point motors will work with Peco points - it you're using the type with built in switches you'll need to be very carefull with regards to mounting them as the spacing between the switch contacts is designed more for OO gauge points than N Gauge ones.

3b. Please consider Peco code 55 - it's only a few pence more expensive than code 80, isn't much harder to work with but is mechanically a lot stronger and as the rail profile is smaller it looks a lot better. It's no harder to put stock on code 55 rail than it is on code 80.

Happy modelling.

Steven B.

[Innovationgame]

Thanks to everyone for your help.   It looks as though I it will work, although I take the point about code 55 track. 

On this subject, I have detected a problem with Peco's spec for points.  The code 80 medium radius and the code 55 small radius are almost identical if you compare the Peco turnout plans.  Indeed, Peco state that there is less than 1mm difference in the length.  But they have the code 80 radius as 457mm (18") with a turnout angle of 14 degrees, but the code 55 radius as 305mm (12") with a turnout angle of 10 degrees.  Now this is strange, because you would expect the one with the smallest radius to have the largest turnout angle, although the plans show them to be identical.

I have measure the distance from the tip of the point blade to the end of the frog as 102mm.  I have calculated the radius and angle in both cases to be 422mm (17") with an angle of 13.9 degrees.  I am a mathematician but I won't bore you with the details.

With Regards

Laurence

[Newportnobby]

Thanks for that detail, Laurence.
It is one of the reasons I have used the small points on my branch line and all fiddle yards although I have kept to the large points for the main lines. All code 55