PM1 point motor problems

[sandy]

I fitted all my points with frog switching using the PM1 point motors which worked fine with the Peco Electro frog points I had. Then three of them within few weeks of each other stopped switching the frogs on the left or the right. Have I made a foe-par using these motors for all my points or have I been just plain unlucky. Anybody else had problems like this. This is the first time I have used frog switching it just sounded like a good idea at the time when I was building Sandy Hills. The new layout. Got to get underneath again.

[Steve M]

Sandy, Seeps are fundamentally tricky to set up, particularly the in built switch. Personally I use autofrogs for polarity switching and keep the seep switch for mimic board lights. But I am DCC but I’m not sure about you.
You may have to recentralise the motor but you might get away with very slightly loosening the mounting screws.
If you watch the motor as it throws, I suspect the central switch is not going all the way in one direction.

[Brian]

Hi Sandy
Unfortunately not uncommon where Seep PM1 are used. The switching on the PM1 and PM4 is extremely basic. - A washer pressed down by spring pressure wipes across the Seeps circuit board copper tracks and connects F to either D or E . However the fitting of the Seep to the underside of the point is critical to get F to make correctly to both D & E when the point is thrown one way then the other.
Double check your Seep fitting and positioning under the point and adjust as necessary I have previously in the past opened up the two fixing holes in the Seeps PCB to allow a little more side to side adjustment.

TBH the Seep PM1 / 4 is not the best and if you can afford to change consider Tortoise or DCC Concepts Cobalt slow motion motors - No CDU needed and locking switches are used, instead of sprung switches or passing contact levers. I have now moved over to Servo operation, but thats even more complex needing Servo control boards.

[Walkingthedog]

I had lots of electrofrog points but never had frog switches. Didn’t need them. Was I lucky?

[sandy]

Brian.............I think you are spot on Brian about changing the seeps for one of the other types you mention. What I have done for the time being is I have reverted back to the points working in out of the box mode removing the wiring to the PM1s. If the point need replacing I will follow your advice as and when they fail.
Steve @ WTD.......... I don't think your just lucky because I have used them out of the box for years I just thought with my new layout I would bring it up to date and be clever. Seems it is not so clever after all.

[Walkingthedog]

Sandy I like my layout to be like me……….simple. The most complicated electronic item on my layout is the controller and that’s because it has four knobs.

[Goingdownslow]

I had lots of electrofrog points but never had frog switches. Didn’t need them. Was I lucky?

You mustn't be using any slips, diamonds or 3 way points then.

[Walkingthedog]

No diamond but slips and 3 ways yes. Not DCC.

[Walkingthedog]

Thinking back I did have a couple of diamonds at one time.

[sandy]

I use 3 way point and a double slip . DC switched no problems. Using PM 1 seeps without electro-frog on the double slip because it uses 2 controllers..One controller no insulated Fish plates necessary.