I run a DCC Prodigy Advance Wireless system and it works well with locos. I use Lenz's LS150 accesory decoders to switch my Peco twin coil turnouts
When selecting individual accesories in any randon order they work perfectly. I programmed several routes with 2 to 6 tournouts each. When selecting one route most times one accesory don't work (no even any noise, so it dosn't receive the order). After one accessory in a route fails it keeps failing when traiing to switch it with the individual accesory addres.
I shall switch off for 30 seconds the LS150 AC power input to reset the failing accesory.
Every voltage, wire section and cables as well as programming seems to be OK as all turnouts work weel when selected individualy by its Accesory address and the routes woks well a few times
Any idea about how to solve this problem?
FAZ
It sounds like you don't have sufficient power going to the turnouts to throw them all at once. I'm not familiar with the Lenz LS150 accessory decoders you reference, but my experience with other brands is that you have to have a separate power supply for the actual turnout motors instead of drawing the power off of the DCC system's output. Either way, you're probably trying to throw too many turnouts at once and your power supply can't handle that much of a load.
EDIT: I just checked Tony's Train Exchange to see what a Lenz LS150 is, and confirmed that it requires a separate AC power supply for the actual switch machines. You probably need a power supply with a higher Amperage output than the one you're currently using.
I agree. It sounds like not enough power to throw that many turnouts at one time.
Someone told me Atlas machines can draw 2-3 amps momentarily when switches are flipping. Multiply that times 5 turnouts and that's a heck of a lot of power. I don't know how many amps the Pecos draw, but that's probably your problem.
FAZ,
I have the NCE PowerCab and the same thing happens with it. There was a discussion on the NCE Yahoo forum about this, and the reason that was given was the method that the NCE command station sends out the route commands. Instead of sending them out one at a time, the command station sends all of the route changes out at once, and it does not resend them. Since the LS150 can only handle one command at a time, the second switch does not get set correctly, and the LS150 will not send anymore commands to it. I bet the MRC PA works the same way.
I have two LS150's set up, and I set up my routes so that I never need more than 2 switches set in a route (each switch has to be connected to a different LS150). Since I have done this, I have never had a problem, but it is definitely a work-around and not an ideal solution.
I just upgraded my PA with the wireless conversion set at Christmas. Mine works great EXCEPT I have issues communicating with one locomotive with an older Lenz decoder. I'm still investigating this issue, but I am wondering if there is an issue between the wireless and these Lenz decoders. Its worth checking out.
Ron
Owner and superintendant of the N scale Texas Colorado & Western Railway, a protolanced representaion of the BNSF from Fort Worth, TX through Wichita Falls TX and into Colorado.
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No, it's not a lack of power: LS150 has external DC power and it holds the commands of a route and them it switches turnouts one by one.
How can you explain that once a coil fails in a route it doesn't work with individual accessory orders till you switch off the AC power for 30 seconds and then, once switched on this accessory worsks perfectly?
As far as I know LS150 stores all the orders it receives and them processes them one by one.
I have the same problem with a route of only 2 switches in the same ls150
What astonish me is that once a coil in a route fails it don't answer to individual accdessory command till I switch oo the AC power for 30 nseconds and switch it on again. Them it works again.
By turning off the AC power, the LS150 resets itself, so the commands will then be set again (at least I think that is what the manual says). I don't think that the LS150 stores the commands. I think that it can only handle commands sent one at a time.