DCS wiring issues - please help!

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry if this has been posted elsewhere or discussed at length previously, but I need help. This is the 4th time I've rewired and I still can not get MTH DCS to consistently work. I've called technicians at MTH. I've called their R&D center. I'm at the end of my wits!!

What I need is a step by step guide to rewiring my layout that will guarantee that everytime I power up my layout I am going to get consistant performance. Please respond here or send to my email at [e-mail] I've been trying to find a post on Barry's 10 commandments (?) but I can't find it.

Thanks,

LS

Details on my layout and problems for those interested:

The layout is T shaped; The top of the T is 60x15 and the bottom is 30x10. I have about 4 main lines running all over the layout (but essentially interconnected through switches) and two stock yards.

This latest rewiring project focussed on an oval track that runs on the top part of the T. It has runs for approximately 50' and both curves have a diameter of about 12 (a total of a about 120 track feet). I split the oval lengthwise into 2 districts (call them North and South).

The North district has it's own TIU with a star pattern wiring, the power rails and wiring are isolated from the south side. I can run engines through here, but I frequently get check track warnings. The signal is not good.

The south zone has common bus wiring; I get excellent signal through here (10 most of the way).

When I run these TIUs in Super Mode I get "Out of RF range" from my remote and there is a tremendous delay while trying to use the remote (I scroll for 15 seconds and I only register an increase of 5 scale MPH).

LS

[MartyE]

From the OGR forum...

QUOTE: Barry Broskowitz...

Being one of the early adopters of DCS (way back in April 2002!) I learned a lot of things the hard way. At the risk of boring some of the forum members who have heard this before, there are several things I strongly recommend to make DCS effective and fun to operate.

While these items are geared towards a large layout, they will also be very effective on smaller layouts. If your wire runs are very long, use the larger indcated wire gauge, e.g., 14 rather than 16.

• Locate the TIU’s centrally to all points on the layout to which they will be
connected;
• Run 14-16 gauge wire from the transformers to each of the TIU inputs;
• Run 14-16 gauge wires directly from the TIU outputs to the center of each of
the areas of the layout that each channel supports;
• Place a terminal block at each of those places;
• Run 16 gauge wire to each track location directly from the associated terminal block. DO NOT use a second tier of terminal blocks;
• Place an 18 volt bulb across each terminal block’s inputs (one bulb per
terminal block). Alternately, lighted Lionel #260 bumpers work fine for me,
one per TIU channel;
• All wire should be either paired (like speaker wire) or, even better, twisted
pair, to reduce signal loss on the longer runs. The OGR wire is the best 16 gauge wire I've encountered for this purpose;
• Solder all connections to the tracks. If you have the time and patience
(frankly, I did not) crimp spade connectors to the end of every wire that gets
screwed into a terminal block, unless you use terminal blocks that place the wire in a hole and then screw down on top of it. Regardless, the intention is to get a very tight connection.
• Isolate all sections of track that get a DCS signal from all other sections of track that get a DCS signal. Basically, each becomes a block. Do this by ensuring that the center rails of each block are isolated from adjacent blocks. It's NOT necessary to isolate the outside rails from block to block.

If you follow the above process I'm certain that you will have a much more
effective and fun DCS experience.

Barry
DCS Ambassador

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

When wiring a layout into regions or zones, are there any tricks to improving the communication between TIUs when running them in super mode?

[MartyE]

Well that would be beyond me as I only need 1 TIU. From what I understand there may still be an issue with Super Mode. You may want to post this to Barry himself on the other forum. Sorry couldn't help more.

[winrose46]

There are issues with super TIU mode. By reading the OGR forum, I have decided not go go to super TIU mode until MTH's next software upgrade. I get around the crossing of TIU boundaries by having a controller for each block with all the handhelds using the same ID for each engine. Have fun, getting DCS to run is worth the issues (7 loops 3 TIU's and 4 transformers and one 180 block).

[Anonymous]

I'm also having a signal problem with dcs. I have a 12 x 12 layout that uses 2 channels from the tiu. I have 4 yard sidings that run to a on/off switch on my control panel. I have the tiu wired to a terminal block. The sidings are pulled off the terminal bock.
I have another problem...If I turn on a siding after the tiu has been power up, the photosound engine will turn on automatically, I have to shut down the engine and restart. Does dcs work with on/of sidings?