The PCB Stick has three parts. The stick, a double row header, and a disc that the signal mounts to.

This is what the assembles PCB Stick looks like.

The top of the PCB Stick is a 3/4" round disc that the signal is mounted to. We recommend some kind of glue like 5 minute epoxy. There are 8 solder pads for 4 wire from each head. The fine wires are kept between the round disc and the bottom of the signal, protected from getting snagged.

NOTE: This disc us upside down, ERROR

There are three connector options for connecting your signal driver to the Signal Mount. First there is a Modular 4P4C Jack (J3 and J4) for plug and play ease using a Big Ditch Designs Signal Driver. We included a 0.10" (2.54mm) spaced set of solder pads to take a pin header or a screw terminal. A fourth option would be to solder wires right to the board on the pads.

Place the double row header on the top of the PCB Stick. The long pins onto the stick is preferred but not required. Solder both sides.

We make a soldering jig to help hold the PCB stick while soldering the parts onto it. The double row header it stays in the stick and it not bad. But the next step is to solder the PCB disc onto the top of the stick. Placing the stick in the jig makes it easy to keep the PCB disc square to the stick. If the round is not square to the disc, your signal will lean.

One side of the PCB Disc has one square on it, the other side has two squares on it. The side with the one squares goes up. See the image below. Place the stick in the jig, place the PCB Disc on top of it. Be sure the disc is level and solder in place.

You can use the jig to hold the assembled stick while you solder the signal wires onto the stick. Then glue the signal onto the stick, watching to be sure the signal is vertical.

NOTE: This disc is upside down.

On the top are the laser cut rings, the bottom are the base pieces. There is also a small dowel included.

There are 10 round rings and one square ring. By changing the order of the rings the mount can be adjusted in 1/8" (really closer to 0.12") steps to accommodate different thickness of module tops (bench work). The system is adjustable between 5/8" and 1 1/4". When measuring your bench work thickness remember to include the thickness of your scenery material where the signal will be mounted.

Note: Two of the rings (2 and 5) are a little fragile and sometimes break, so I include some spares rings, not shown in the image.

Ring Markings

The rings are not all the same. The rings are marked (numbered) on one side with small score marks (lines). These indidate which ring is which. The top five rings IIIII, IIIII, IIII, IIII, III are required. They must be in the correct order to have room for the top of the stick to fit into the base. Rings marked II can go above or below the large square ring marked I. This is to adjust for the thickness of your benchwork.

Ring Assembly

You can do a dry fit without glue to check the height of the stack to your bench work, the fit on the dowel is very snug. Be careful, you can break the rings putting them together and taking them apart.

In this example I am assembling a mount for module top (bench work, sub-roadbed) that is 5/8" thick. This measurement is the distance from the of the module top to where you want the base of the signal to sit including scenery material.

Take the small dowel and cut two pieces about 2" long. Stack the discs, in order, onto the two dowels placing a small amount of glue between each disc. From top to bottom the discs go in this order.
IIIII, IIIII, IIII, IIII, III, I, II, II, II, II, II

(two 5, two, 4, one 3, one 1, five 2)

NOTE: the image below only shows four number 2 rigns, but 5 are used, plus one extra 5 and 2 ring.

After the first set of discs put the rectangle on. This is the mounting plate, it will be screwed to the bottom of you sub-roadbed.

In order place the rest of the rings onto the dowels.

NOTE: The arangment shown is for 5/8" thick bench work, sub-roadbed, if you need it thicker, move the number 2 rings up to between the Number 1 (rectangle) and number 3 ring one at a time to get the desired depth up to 1 1/4"

This stack is now placed onto the base. I use a q-tip to mop glue onto the sides of the base and slip the rings down on. Be sure to seat the rings all the way down onto the base. The first of the top rings keys down onto the base, look down into the top to ensure it is seated all the way down.

In this example I made the shortest mounting base possible with only the 5 required rings on the top. You can see that the 5 required rings make a mount for 5/8" thick sub-roadbed. This measurement includes any scenery (dirt, ballast, etc.) that will be under the signal base.

When the glue dries use a knife to trim the dowels flush.

To make a mount that is taller, move one or more of the rings from the bottom to the top of the rectangle piece.

The one on the left is setup for 5/8" the one on the right is setup for 1".

You should have soldered in your resisters and connectors (Modular 4P4C, pin header, or a screw terminal) you choose to use. The picture below does not have the connectors or resisters installed on the Bottom PCB

The part you will need are:

Install the 4 machine screws from the side with the components and put a nut on the back of each screw. Tighten the nuts down snug.

Place the Bottom PCB onto the Main Base assembly and place one washer and one nut on each or the mounting machine screws, do not tighten these yet, leave them loose.

Note, there will be some play this will allow the Bottom PCB to move around a little.

Place a PCB Stick into the Main Base assembly from the top. Use it to align the Bottom BCB, then tighten the nuts. You should be able to remove and insert the PCB Stick with just a little force. Loosen, realign, and tighten the nuts if needed.

At this point you should have:

• The Main Base assembled for your thickness of bench work where you will be installing the signal.
• Your resisters installed on the Bottom PCB
• Your choice of connectors installed on the Bottom PCB
• The Bottom PCB aligned and installed on the Main Base
• The PCB Stick, double row header, and PDB Disc soldered together.

Time to connect your signal to the PCB Disc on the PCB Stick. Solder the signal wires from your signal head to the corresponding solder pads on the PDB Disc.

You should test your signal head before gluing your signal to the PCB Disc.

This system is designed to have the flat side of the PCB Stick facing the track, see the image below.

After you have tested your signal, tuck the extra wire up into the base and glue the signal base onto the PCB Disc.

Signal NOT included.

The System requires a 3/4" hole in your bench work. Bring the Assembly up from the bottom and screw it into place. Ensure that the PCB stick is aligned correctly.  

Place your signal on the PCB stick into the mount and press down gently on the PDB Disc to set it into the base. To remove the signal, press up in the bottom of the PCB stick to lift the signal slightly out the layout. Then lift the Signal out by the PCB Disc.