About a month ago, I installed nine new toggle switches on my control panel for Tortoise control of Shinohara turnouts. Each is also wired to two LEDS, one for indicating mainline direction, the other for the divergent route. All the wiring is securely soldered to the poles of the switches and to the other related wiring.
Recently - and after having operated flawlessly for several weeks - one switch began moving the turnout only for the mainline route and lighting up the respective LED. When toggled to the divergent route, nothing happens. No movement, no LED.
For another switch - which I replaced after the first one didn't work at all - I have to jiiggle the toggle handle just a bit to get it to move the turnout to the mainline route and for its LED to light up. It works fine for the divergent route.
I bought most of these switches from All Electronics, others from Megatone Electronics, an eBay store. On a previous layout I used Minatronics switches for three years or more and never had a problem.
I'm hoping I don't have to remove them and re-install Minatronics switches, but will depending on the feedback I get from the collective brain trust out there.
Update: Just before sending this, I decided to take another stab at that inoperative switch. When I flipped the toggle, the mainline LED lit up (the turnout was already pointing in that direction), but it still did not work for the divergent route. Until, that is, I pressed down vertically on the toggle handle and - voila! Turnout movement and a lighted LED. I've tried it several times now, and it's still going strong. But for how long?
Are these switches then just of inferior quality, leading to the internal contact mechanism failing to make physical contact with the respective pole and, thus, the absence of electrical flow? How common - or uncommon - is this problem? A bad batch? Maybe. Likely not though. And are Minatronics simply that much better than the ones I am using?
Recently - and after having operated flawlessly for several weeks - one switch began moving the turnout only for the mainline route and lighting up the respective LED. When toggled to the divergent route, nothing happens. No movement, no LED.
For another switch - which I replaced after the first one didn't work at all - I have to jiiggle the toggle handle just a bit to get it to move the turnout to the mainline route and for its LED to light up. It works fine for the divergent route.
I bought most of these switches from All Electronics, others from Megatone Electronics, an eBay store. On a previous layout I used Minatronics switches for three years or more and never had a problem.
I'm hoping I don't have to remove them and re-install Minatronics switches, but will depending on the feedback I get from the collective brain trust out there.
Update: Just before sending this, I decided to take another stab at that inoperative switch. When I flipped the toggle, the mainline LED lit up (the turnout was already pointing in that direction), but it still did not work for the divergent route. Until, that is, I pressed down vertically on the toggle handle and - voila! Turnout movement and a lighted LED. I've tried it several times now, and it's still going strong. But for how long?
Are these switches then just of inferior quality, leading to the internal contact mechanism failing to make physical contact with the respective pole and, thus, the absence of electrical flow? How common - or uncommon - is this problem? A bad batch? Maybe. Likely not though. And are Minatronics simply that much better than the ones I am using?
