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Anyone Collect (Or Want To Collect) Traffic Signals?

Started by Ian, September 13, 2009, 09:01:08 PM

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Crazy Volvo Guy

Quote from: DaBigE on March 20, 2012, 09:51:43 PMI've already looked into an LED conversion, but the sequencer freaks out with that low of a power draw (and I'm not that electrically-inclined to modify it).  Plus LED's are a bit too bright for my liking indoors. :-o

Yeah, they are bright.  No denying that.

However - the fact that I can run the light with all 3 on at once without heating the room is kinda nice.

I'd actually like to try to get my hands on a matching set of the newer style Dialights.  Preferably the first run, where all the lenses were colored according to their light output color.
I hate Clearview, because it looks like a cheap Chinese ripoff.

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Mdcastle

Happened to see this topic so I'd chime in and keep this thread going.

Yeah, Dialights are very cool. My area uses them a lot.

Currently I have zero traffic signals, but I hope to take care of that soon. I do have three pedestrian signals, an Optisoft insert in a Econolite E8 housing, An ICC modular neon, and a polycarb Eagle dual 9" from St. Paul

I've tried contacting Phil, but he is either really busy right now or doesn't seem to want to sell anything to me (we did have trouble completing an eBay transaction, but in the end it worked out). He gave a vague response to an email and Facebook post asking if he had specific things, and hasn't responded to subsequant messages for a couple of days. My local surplus store (they sell stuff pulled down by St Paul, mostly Eagle poly stuff for reasonable prices, the clerk told me there source retired and for a while the city was crushing the stuff, but now they have a new contact. I also picked up an old electro-mechanical controller- the actual switching is done by solenoids and contactors, but the timing is generated by vacuum tube electronics. The connector is unobtanium, but I found male molex pins stuck in work.

My eventual goal is to get a real 3+ phase traffic cabinet for the garage, and use the Electro-Matic for a couple of 8"s in the basement, all I have room for there. I don't share the fetish for 4-ways a lot of collectors seem to have, but I would like a few older ones as well as a 3M M-131. I just missed getting a Marbelite ped from eBay, but I presume something like that appears from time to time. My ultimate fantasy would be an exposed tube neon ped, though I realize that'll never happen.


Scott5114

How difficult is it to set up a light with a controller board?
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signalman

Quote from: Scott5114 on October 25, 2012, 03:26:32 AM
How difficult is it to set up a light with a controller board?
Not very.  If you have a basic understanding of how electricity works and can follow a schematic, it can be done quite easily.

Mdcastle

Well, I got my first light, an 8" AluSig with the 3M SA-130 adapters installed. It was retrofited with "screw-in" LEDs, and the city apparently pulled it because the yellow failed and the red was dim, and screw-in LEDs apparently aren't available new anymore. It looks crummy with incandescent bulbs because the red coating on the optics has failed, so I'm waiting for the modules to appear on eBay.

Wiring a controller board- THey do have full mains voltage and it helps if you have a basic concept of how an electrical circuit and wire color coding works, but it probably isn't strictly necessary if you follow the directions to the letter. The single board controllers I've seen require about a half dozen connections, you just strip the wire and screw it into the terminal. There's two or three connections for the mains cord (depending on if it uses a grounded cord or not), and four connections for the lights. The hot wires color coded or with a tracer on the wire from the lamps each go to a terminal, and the neutral wires (the plain whites) go to another.

For a typical LED or incandescent light any of the single board sequencers I've seen should work, but if you want something oddball like neon or low voltage halogen you need one that uses relays as an output. A lot of them use triacs without the extra components that enable triacs to be used for unusual loads.

Mdcastle

#30
My Electro-Matic controller




State of the art in the 1950s. One of the tubes has a date scratched on it: 10/18/64. The actual switching is done the old-fashioned way, with a rotating drum opening and closing contacts, but the timing is generated by electronics. The knobs on the front are variable resistors that control how fast a capacitor gets charged. When it reaches the magic voltage the flash tube, working like a zener diode, conducts and empties the capacitor, triggering the solenoid to move the drum. Each phase can be actuated or not.

DaBigE

Moved a couple months ago, so my light is mounted a bit differently than it was in my old place. Also included is a close-up of the timing board that runs it (resides in the housing behind the yellow signal lens). One minor modification was made from the "stock" controller, the tiny switches were removed, (where the group of wires are on the lower left portion of the controller), and converted to larger external switches, which control cycle vs. flash and flash yellow vs. flash red.

       



"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

Mdcastle


My flock of Eagles: Eaglelux Long Fin, Eagle Flatback, Eagle Alusig with 3M PV adapters, Eagle Durasig, Mark IV


GE Groove Back, ICC, Optisoft Insert in an Econolite housing.

Mdcastle


My test setup in my basement workroom.


Closeup of the Econolite neon pedestrian signal in action.

US 41

I have a stoplight on a pole in my bedroom. I mostly use it as a nightlight.
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ctsignguy

Just a little one i picked up at a train show of all places.....

http://s166.photobucket.com/albums/u102/ctsignguy/<br /><br />Maintaining an interest in Fine Highway Signs since 1958....

Mdcastle


basilicon89

Wow I have not been on this site in a while but here is a photo of my basement intersection.

It is essentially 2 intersections, four ways in front, and back wall/side walls as the second.

This is as close to real world as you can get minus the actual traffic! Video detection for the traffic signal timing, pedestrian buttons for the walk signals, multiple timing patterns, flash mode promptly at 9:30pm




...and in the cabinet is the brain of the operation which was a project in itself to rebuild. I received an Intelight X2 controller with color touch screen that is the brain of the operation. I have my cabinet connected to my home network so i can access controller status and programming anywhere in my home




I have had traffic lights around 20 years, and built up this collection over the last 16 or 17 years. A long process, met alot of people, made friends and contacts with manufacturers and contractors, other collectors and even some municipalities.

Videos and demos of my collection are on youtube and I am happy to answer any questions people may have


-Nick

Ian

UMaine graduate, former PennDOT employee, new SoCal resident.
Youtube l Flickr

kphoger

Um.

Wow.

You have achieved roadgeek level "grand high master," and all must bow at your name.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
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Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

basilicon89

Thanks Ian! Nice to see a familiar username around here!

Kphoger - I'll wear that title with pride! I have been into traffic signals and traffic engineering in general more so than general road geekery but I appreciate that as well. I know this forum is more tailored towards that, but I'll pop in from time to time

jeffandnicole

I gotta agree.

Wow!

Very impressive!

I have 2 lights and a walk/don't walk sign that I can control via equipment I normally use with my Christmas light display, but nothing compared to what you got!!



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