Model Railway Forum

The DCC80 only needs three wires to connect it, no other mechanical or physical connection.
One wire to the frog, the other two to the stock rails or bus wires.

I'm going to try the DCC80 and if they work for me will swap the peco micro switches over time for the DCC80.

Just wondered though - I have cut the link wires and soldered bridges across as recommended for live frogs. I can't see why this should affect anything but am I right?

It shouldn't matter at all. You just need to ensure the two DCC feed wires are the correct way around on the DCC 80 to match the point blades then the frog will be switched correctly. If you do get a short circuit on the DCC system reverse the two feed wires and retry.

Hang on Brian, not sure that is quite right.

If the link wires etc are left as supplied by the factory then no additional form of frog switching is needed, be it autofrog or mechanical switch.
As the autofrog is designed to detect the short created by the wheel bridging the gap to the isolated frog and leaving the wires in place effectively means it is never isolated, then surely an external switch is unnecessary?

I'm hanging on. Not sure onto what though?
#Steve, you may be absolutely correct... Though I think for a different reason...
All Electrofrog points work straight from the box, except the Electrofrog 3 way point which needs to have frog switching used. They just need Insulated Rail Joiners added to their Vee rail ends normally.
However, as in this case the stock rail has been bonded to the closure rail each side, and the links bridging the two closure rail gaps have been cut away. Then to carry out this modification the frog MUST then be switched by some method - Auto frog, SPDT micro switch, PL13 or other means. As without this there is no power reaching the frog and Vee rails!

Working on the assumption (I don't own one to test) if DCC 80 is connected to the DCC Bus pair or the rails and is connected the opposite way around to the point blades position, then thinking about it, it will probably auto flip to remove any short!
I was initially thinking on the lines of the wiring for a bog standard SPDT point motor operated frog switch, which would produce a short when a loco bridges the gap in the closure rail if wired 180oout of phase to the blades!

I suspect we are both right.

An unmodified point (apart from the three way) wouldn’t need a switch at all therefore saving Andy a fiver.

Steve M wrote: ↑Mon Dec 10, 2018 6:17 pm I suspect we are both right.

An unmodified point (apart from the three way) wouldn’t need a switch at all therefore saving Andy a fiver.

Agreed.
However, adding a frog polarity switch or Auto frog etc to any Electrofrog point can only improve power (and data for DCC) through the point. As sole reliance on the point blade to stock rail isn't always 100%

I must admit Brian, that I would never have thought to add a switch to an unmodified point, but I can see how it would be an advantage.

I didn't expect to stimulate such debate!

As I am still a relative novice I'd like to summarise what I think my current 'status' regarding this thread is. please feel free to correct any errors which are forthcoming!

As already stated, the stock rail has been bonded to the closure rail each side, and the links bridging the two closure rail gaps have been cut away. Therefore I must use some system of switching frog polarity. I am going to leave my Peco PL13s in place and replace as/if required. I am going to wire in a Gaugemaster DCC80 to my two remaining points not switched by Peco PL13s. I will do this by soldering the 'F' to the frog feed and the two 'R's to my BUS wires.

Am I ok so far please? Mockery is fine providing I learn something!

Forgot to add - I will insulate at the vee.

Spot on. Learning fast Andrew.