Which Way The Wiring

[Slider]

Tassie is the only state that legally allows you to marry your sister. NZ is the only country that legally allows you to marry a sheep.

 

But if you had meet my sister you would understand

[Sports Racer]

Now there's a line that is going begging.

[Fergy]

Good, I feel better. And you guys are all crazy!

 

... BeeJay should be along soon to make a comment on Canadian moose ...

[markus42]

You know I used to tell NZ/sheep jokes all the time, but I had to go over there for work recently and the bosses sheep was actually quite good looking...

[kalbfellp]

I have noticed that Sydney is the only place where the slots seem to be running backwards! Does this tell us some thing!

 

Phil

[slotbaker]

I have noticed that Sydney is the only place where the slots seem to be running backwards! Does this tell us some thing!

 

Phil

 

Exactly...

[SlotsNZ]

Good, I feel better. And you guys are all crazy!

 

... BeeJay should be along soon to make a comment on Canadian moose ...

 

Fergy . . . um . .err . . we didn't like to say LOL

 

Best explanation and story about "us" I ever heard was actually from a Canadian girl.

She said "you two are like two sibling brothers, you can't get along together, and you can't get along without each other", then she told me this story, which she swore was pure unadultered truth, not a "porky" in sight.

 

She was living in London, and she used to drink at a pub that was mostly inhabited in the evenings by ozzies and Kiwis, and every night they used to insult each other, argue, sometimes even get into a few wee scuffles.

One night, in walked a group of skinheads, the usual hobnail, chain dragging mob with the attitude of rabid pit-bulls. She couldn't recall whether it was a kiwi or an ozzie they actually picked the fight with, but every kiwi and ozzie in the place rose as one, beat the living crap out of the skinheads, wrecked the bar in the process and tossed the skinheads in the street. Then all these ozzies and kiwis walked home, bloodied, arm-in-arm, arguing the usual arguments as they walked, . . to the the flats and houses they lived in and shared together. (ie, both 'species')

 

I thought that pretty much said it all.

 

 

OOPS, and the addedndum I forgot, and the next night, they were gathered in a new bar,insulting each other, arguing, "as per normal"

Edited May 4, 2007 by SlotsNZ

[slotbaker]

ANZACs

[kalbfellp]

Fergy is luck that we don't play test cricket against the Canadians!

 

Phil

[RePete]

I was just wondering if itis because we are in the southern hemisphere

 

You know how our water spins in the opposite direction when in runs down a plughole

 

Maybe it has to magnetic fields

 

I think I might have caught a dogs disease

[Fergy]

Phil, cricket? You're joking, right? A wussy game at best, might as well play checkers! Please... let's do football, lacrosse, or better yet... hockey!

 

RePete, you have a point... maybe my positive wired car will run the other way down there...

[slotbaker]

... maybe my positive wired car will run the other way down there...

 

It will on the 1/24 commercial tracks in Sydney.

[Terry]

Too many hot dogs Pete!

[dangermouse]

Ok I will post this here and hope I can make sense of this all

 

I am trying to work out if I have a positive or negative wired track. As I am planning on getting an electronic controller.

What determines this?

 

Here is what I have - I use a Triang 2 amp PS it does not have negative or positive symbols on it. I run this into a CDA throttle that I used for my train - it take 17v AC in and outputs 12v DC it doesn't have + or - symbols on it. It has a reverse switch and and slider for varying the speed.

 

One wire from the throttle goes to the track - it has the red brake wire from my Parma controller spliced into it - the brakes work.

 

The other wire goes from the throttle into a socket where the black and white wires from the parma connect - I can't recall which one takes it in and which one feeds it out. I would have followed the diagram on the parma controller box. Is this what determines if it is positive or negative?

 

cheers

DM

[kalbfellp]

None of that is any help,you will need to know IF the fiid to the controller is Positive or negative, best way is to use a multimeter, about $10.00 for a very cheap one. You will not be able to use the reversing switch once you use an electronic controller. You wull have to switch polarity at the connections going to each lane.

[SlotsNZ]

LIke Phil said, you'll need to test the output wires with a multi-meter.

The acid test is - if the positive wire is the one fed through the controller, your track is wired "positive polarity" - and vice versa of course.

- The black and white wires are the two connected to the resistor!

Basically, in your parma controller, when the trigger is at rest, this is when the red wire which is connected the a metal plate just past the end of the resistor comes into play, because the black wire is connected from the track to the wiper button, and the wiper button comes to rest against that metal plate, creating a dead shot across the track rails. VOILA! brakes!

 

Meanwhile the white wire carrying the power from the other side of the power supply will actually be isolated at that time, because it is only connected at the other end of the resistor, not to the metal plate at THIS end of the resistor at all.

 

Since you have the opportunity to decide how your track is wired at the point where you test the outputs of the supply with a multi-meter, you COULD reverse them now if desired, to set your polarity the way you want it from now on - and I suggest you ensure it is positive, to stay in sync with the majority, and ensure you have access to the broadest range of controller models.

 

And to keep the Parma colour code wiring correct, you SHOULD ensure the negative is connected to the red wire of the parma . . . THAT will mean you are wired positive polarity.

Then, - again, for positive polarity - the positive output of the power supply should go to the white wire, and the black wire becomes the output of positive FROM the controller, and goes to the track.

 

With the Parma controller it won't have mattered whether the red was connected to the positive or negative feed from your power supply, but of course for electronic controllers it does.

Also, with the Parma it didn't matter whether the black wire got the power supply feed or the white wire, and which one of those two went to the track, because the resistor just does it's job either way.

With an electronic controller, THAT matters as well. You can't stuff the power backwards through an electronic circuit!

For electronic controllers such as Professor Motor, it is usually the white wire which receives the positive feed from the power supply.

 

Diagram below should help clarify correct wiring for a positive polarity track (2 lane)

 

 

SO, I am suggesting you test with a multi-meter, and if neccessary, swap the wires out of the power supply so that the negative one goes to the red wire of your Parma. That means the track will be positive polarity wired.

[munter]

I used this diagram from Professor Motor whan I got back into slots and built a track about ten years ago.

It was so simple even I could follow it.

 

I consulted it again when wiring my latest 3 lane track last summer.

 

The dear professor even recommends positive wired tracks as the desired way to do it but strangely some people wire their tracks -tive.

 

regards

[dangermouse]

thanks for the advice everyone - I have a brother who is an electrician so I should be able to find a multimeter - I am getting a slot.it controller - common ground polarity which I understand to mean +ve wired.

next thing is to stop buying slot cars and buy a new PS (and give the existing PS/throttle back to my trains)

cheers

DM

[SlotsNZ]

.. I am getting a slot.it controller - common ground polarity which I understand to mean +ve wired...

 

Yep, that's right, Slot.it chose to use different terminology, but "common ground" is a "positive polarity" controller.

[dangermouse]

sounds like I would be best to bypass the throttle and just go direct from the PS to the track / control panel - I wasn't sure what you meant Phil can you not use any form of reverse switch with electronic controllers (not that I run the track in reverse much anyway) or do you have to set up some special reverse switches like I have seen in the controller set ups.

 

would be handy to keep the speed adjust some cars go better with the power dialled down a little - or will the slot.it controller take car of the need for that as well

 

cheers

DM

[SlotsNZ]

Hiya

 

the Slot.it controller has enough bells and whistles to HELP if you didn't have a variable voltage controller - you can use the blue knob as a max speed control in one linear mode - but a variable voltage supply is always better

- Not everyone has a Slot.it controller !

 

To reverse direction, you simply put the reversing switch between the output of the controller and the track.

 

Like this, except that the black and red wires are coming from the controller. not directly from the power supply

 

[kalbfellp]

The above diagram is is not actually correct, in that only one wire comes from the power supply direct and the other comes from the controller wiper. Positive comes from the wiper in a positive wired track and the negative from the power supply and vice versa in a negative wired track. But the reversing switch MUST be after the controller so that the polarity of the feed into the controller remains the same regadless of track polarity.

[MOPARGREG]

LIke Phil said, you'll need to test the output wires with a multi-meter.

The acid test is - if the positive wire is the one fed through the controller, your track is wired "positive polarity" - and vice versa of course.

- The black and white wires are the two connected to the resistor!

Basically, in your parma controller, when the trigger is at rest, this is when the red wire which is connected the a metal plate just past the end of the resistor comes into play, because the black wire is connected from the track to the wiper button, and the wiper button comes to rest against that metal plate, creating a dead shot across the track rails. VOILA! brakes!

 

Meanwhile the white wire carrying the power from the other side of the power supply will actually be isolated at that time, because it is only connected at the other end of the resistor, not to the metal plate at THIS end of the resistor at all.

 

Since you have the opportunity to decide how your track is wired at the point where you test the outputs of the supply with a multi-meter, you COULD reverse them now if desired, to set your polarity the way you want it from now on - and I suggest you ensure it is positive, to stay in sync with the majority, and ensure you have access to the broadest range of controller models.

 

And to keep the Parma colour code wiring correct, you SHOULD ensure the negative is connected to the red wire of the parma . . . THAT will mean you are wired positive polarity.

Then, - again, for positive polarity - the positive output of the power supply should go to the white wire, and the black wire becomes the output of positive FROM the controller, and goes to the track.

 

With the Parma controller it won't have mattered whether the red was connected to the positive or negative feed from your power supply, but of course for electronic controllers it does.

Also, with the Parma it didn't matter whether the black wire got the power supply feed or the white wire, and which one of those two went to the track, because the resistor just does it's job either way.

With an electronic controller, THAT matters as well. You can't stuff the power backwards through an electronic circuit!

For electronic controllers such as Professor Motor, it is usually the white wire which receives the positive feed from the power supply.

 

SO, I am suggesting you test with a multi-meter, and if neccessary, swap the wires out of the power supply so that the negative one goes to the red wire of your Parma. That means the track will be positive polarity wired.

 

I have just been reading this thread. Im a bit confused now. I wired mine up positive polarity, least I thought I did.

 

* The red '+' positive wire from my power supply is going to the white wire on my Parma Econo controller, which is at the end of the resistor(ie when you press trigger on full throttle, that end)

 

* The Black '-' Negative wire from my power supply is going to the Red wire on my Parma controller, which is at the start of the resistor(ie the trigger is not pressed at all, ie car not moving)

 

* The Black wire on my Parma Econo controller is going to the metal plate on the controller(ie not on the resistor, it is connected near where the spring go's)

 

So am I 'POSITIVE' , This electric stuff is just jargon to me, I no understandy. I remembered when I first wired the track up it maxed out on the amp meter & tripped the circuit breaker. I changed 2 wires around on the controller & sorted it. Im best to sort this out as im upgrading to cop this a 'Slotit' controller soon.

 

A few last questions. I run my track anticlockwise for my oval, how does this affect polarity? Also how do you use a multi meter? I have 2 different ones with all switches & do hickeys on them. What do you set it to & how do you test it?

 

I hate electrics & dont under stand it(cant you tell), give me power tools & wood any day!

Edited October 28, 2009 by MOPARDEVIL

[Badbilly]

Mopar... u build me track ill wire yours up!!! lol

Edited October 28, 2009 by Badbilly

[kalbfellp]

The red '+' positive wire from my power supply is going to the white wire on my Parma Econo controller,

This is positive controlled.

The Black '-' Negative wire from my power supply is going to the Red wire on my Parma controller,

This red wire is the Brake wire on the brake band.

 

The Black wire on my Parma Econo controller

this is connected to the wiper contolled by the trigger and should go out to the track.