Simple wiring diagram for leds on control panel.

[The Sligo Rover]

Mr electricial novice here. Help please, I hope to control my points via switches on my control panel which will operate red/ green leds to indicate which way the point is set. I have searched and searched and cannot seem to find in simple terms how to do it. A simple easy to understand wiring diagram is what I need please. Remember I am a novice and need something easy to understand. Hopefully one of you experts will be able to point me in the right direction. Thank you in anticapation.

[Rog (RJ)]

What points and point motors are you using?

[The Sligo Rover]

I will be using PECO electrofrog points, I am not sure yet which point motors - it may depend on what the advice and guidance is that I get with my request for help on here.

[Tinker]

If you used Cobalt Digital PM's they have a choice of 2 way to light LED's, a latching relay flipped by the control switch would work.....i use a LED with a resistor (2k) attached to test the frog is powered the right way, this could be another way to control LED's......

[Tinker]

This is a surface mounted Cobalt with 2 LED's plus 2 resistors changing as the points in the back ground reverse....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBfOhcOmNT8

[Ron S]

Read this

https://brian-lambert.co.uk/Electricalpage2.html#Mimic

[RAF96]

Remember that operating a point from a switch and having your indicator led driven by that switch setting is no guarantee that the actual point is where the switch and led say it is.

The only definite way is to have the led operated by a switch at the point, either as an integral part of the point motor or as an add-on. Then if the point doesn’t throw correctly when selected the led will confirm this.

Rob

[Chris]

Since your using electro frog it does add some complexity to you, as you need two switches one two switch the frog and one to switch the indication

electrically the simplest is to use a relay it is switched by the point motor switch and proves the extra contact needed although its the simplest in terms of components used it does mean that all the wiring needs to be hooked up and it wont come with a handy diagram of connect this to that etc. so there is more thinking involved. (not much) and its pretty inexpensive

an alternative is to utilise some of the developments that have made more complex point motors like the cobalt linked to above which have the connections all built in and you just run the wires to the right terminal, these are more complex in terms of the electronics inside them, but that doesn't matter as someone has put it all together for you, but you do pay for it.

finally you can utilise some of the DCC accessory decoders, things like the DCC concepts ADS 8SX is basically the complex electronics from their point motors put on a separate board, although its desinged to be DCC controlled it still provides push button operation, LED position output, frog switching so it doesn't have to be and you can then use cheap solenoid point motors inculding surface mounted which dont have the abilty for a switch. downside its an expensive piece of kit.

[Rog (RJ)]

Since your using electro frog it does add some complexity to you, as you need two switches one two switch the frog and one to switch the indication

You don't necessarily need to use frog switching. The Peco Electrofrog points will work well without frog switching straight out of the packet. However, for maximum reliability it is recommended to use frog switching. I think this is more important if you ballast and/or weather the track as this can cause bad contacts between the switch blades and fixed rails.

[Tinker]

I use a LED with a resistor on one of the legs the test the frog to see if its live in the direction the points are set, must a simple task to wire in 2 LED's so they light when the points change......this would show the direction there set to......