[2 Pack] DC 6-30V Timer Relay Programmable Delay Relay Module Cycle Timer with LED Display / 5V Micro USB, Smart Home Controller

I used this relay as a timer on Lionel train display. My gateman is hooked up to a short piece of track, so he would toggle in/out in between the trucks of the cars. I used this relay with 0.7s delay using the P1.2 mode, so that it would trigger when the first car went by and reset the timer as the remaining cars went by. Worked perfectly. Now my gateman comes out when the first car comes by and stays out until the last one passed by. Very happy with this purchase.Programming:A bit awkward, but it works. I had to read the manual a couple times to get the programming of the time correct. Overall though, there are a lot of options, this is an extremely flexible design. My only gripe is that the instructions are not printed. In case this listing is ever removed, I saved the instructions in a text document.Power:For power, I hooked the 18VAC from the train accessory into a KBP310 bridge rectifier, which yielded 15VDC. I then added a 470uF capacitor. Note, if the capacitance it too low, the unit will not power up.Trigger:I ran the 18VAC train accessory power into the "Trigger" input. I ran the ground trigger from the track to the "GND_t" input. No optocoupler needed. Nice. On the output, I ran track ground into the COM and the NO (normally open) output to the gateman. So when the unit is triggered, the relay will close, the gateman will be grounded, and the gateman will come out (assuming you hook up power to the side of the gateman).

As other buyers have already said, this is a great little device but it is challenging to learn. The instructions could be clearer but once you learn what they are trying to say you find it is a fantastic device. It retains memory after being powered off and that is very important.Unfortunately I needed this device in a hurry for a Halloween prop and I was not able to learn the programming in time so I had to do without. After Halloween I was able to sit down at my work bench and do like everyone else said and tinker with the options. Having the flexibility of full minutes or decimals of a second is very useful but it adds a layer of complexity. It is not worded well how this works, in the instructions they say to press the stop button to rotate between xxx, x.xx or x.x.x. It took me awhile to realize that when I press the stop button it doesn't show xxx, x.xx etc. it shows my number (60 seconds) as 060,0.60,0.6.6.0, etc. It was a "duh" moment for me.Also, figuring out the wiring if you wish to have a start stop button could be better explained. Thankfully one of the previous users posted a photo and I was able to see how they did it. I'm a visual learner so something a drawing or schematic would better server than their broken English explanation. You ultimately need to run a jumper from your power inputs to the start stop terminals, then your button will complete the circuit. My suggestion would be for the circuit board to have a separate tap specifically for start/stop.Overall very good to use once you learn it, opportunity for a V2 for sure. This will be my new standard for timers now. Away with the old potentiometer adjustment style where you don't know if you are making the delay longer or shorter.Oh, very well made circuit board too.

This two pack timer seems to work very well. I am using one of the timers in P 3.2 mode to automatically start the timer as soon as power is turned on. I am using the 5v USB power source. The written instructions on the Amazon page are pretty good but watch the video on you tube for more details. I am using the timer to start and stop a model train layout for viewing purposes without having it running all the time. It turns on for 5 minutes and off for 10 or 15 minutes depending on how often I want it to run. Keeps the wear and tear down on the locos. It switches the DCC signal fine and I am running 4 trains. One thing to watch out for is if you press the stop button on the board when the timer is running, it stops the relay function but not the timer. That may be why some users said the relay was not switching on/off. If the stop button is pressed it will go to off and the relay will not activate. Press the stop again and the relay will turn back on. I plan on using the other timer to turn lights on/off for the display.

The media could not be loaded. I used it to automatically disable the start/stop function in my F150. I used program #2 with 3 second delay and 3 second loop.The unit is affordable, easy to program if you read the description on amazon and most of all it is compact and works with minimum voltage and current. I highly recommend it. For my project I save $90 when compared to commercially available options that do not have cycle hence disable the remote key starts. This timer uses cycle to release the contact he makes to disable start/stop and this makes it the perfect device for the application.