Digitrax Zephyr wiring

[Blind Bruce]

Hi all,
I have acouple of questions that may or may not be important.
1) When or where is the groung terminal of the Zephyr used?
2) I want to use a siding on the layout for programming as wellas running. Can I just use s DPDT switch and throw it one way for programming and the other way for normal running? Is there another way?
3)How can I check the "F" modes of my TCS T1 decoder?
Many thanks,
BB

[wrumbel]

BB

The ground is to go to a good ground in your house, like to a cold water pipe if you have city water, or to power ground for house. When we were using DC layouts most of us only had 1amp power packs. Some times larger layouts had higher amps and for safety they would be grounded. The Zephyr is a 2.5 amp system and should be grounded. The power pack should be plugged into a ground fault outlet. It's the amps not the voltage that can stop the ticker. If it doesn't hurt it sure will scare you if you're not good with electricty. I've been working the layout and had the power on and layed my metal watch band acrossed the rails, it gets hot real fast.

I wired my program track with a DPDT switch. I've read the only problem with this is not to run an engine into the siding when it"s set for program. I'm not sure if it's the controller or decoder that gets fried but some else can tell you.

I haven't used anything but Digitrax decoders so far so I can't help with your third question.

Happy Railroading
Wayne

[rrinker]

In all honesty I would NEVER ground my model railroad to the house wiring, not EVER. The system is isolated by the transformer in the power supply, why go around that? A more important use for the ground is to ground the various DCC devices so they have a common reference point - multiple boosters, certain accessories like the PM42, etc. all should be connected with a fairly hefty ground wire. Othrwise, the only common ground is the rather thin wire in the Loconet cable. The potential with respect to ground is used to detect shorts and trigger the auto reverse in a PM42, for example.

Yes, a DPDT switch will work for what you want. Wire the center two terminals to your isolated track section (there MUST be gaps in BOTH rails!), one side to the track power, and the other side to the program output. This is exactly what I have done on my layout. Always make sure any locos or cars with metal wheels are COMPLETELY past the gaps, otherwise you WILL broadcast programming information to the entire layout.

Not sure what you mean? The TCS manual lists the CV settings to adjust functions and remap them and activate the effects. What are you trying to do?

--Randy

[wrumbel]

The Digitrax Zephyr system has no ground. The only way to ground it is to a GOOD ground, that being what?

Wayne

[rrinker]

The Zephyr does indeed have a ground terminal - the one between Prog A and Prog B is Ground.

--Randy

[wrumbel]

That's the question. That is not a ground unless you hook it to ground. That's the point. That is where a GOOD ground is to be connected.

Wayne

[dave9999]

The ground teminal on the Zephyr is for use with the Jump Ports. One wire
from the extra power pack goes to Port A or B, the other goes to the ground.
It DOES NOT ground to your home wiring or any other ground. Dave

[wrumbel]

Then it's not a ground' it's a common. The DC power packs are not neccessarily grounded either. If they only have a two prong plung they are not grounded. In the days of common rail and cab control you did the same thing, one side to common and the othe rail was gapped for cabs. If it's not a ground' don't call it a ground.

Sorry BB but it's just a point to be made.

Wayne

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Blind Bruce

2) I want to use a siding on the layout for programming as wellas running. Can I just use s DPDT switch and throw it one way for programming and the other way for normal running? Is there another way?

Blind Bruce,

Joe Fugate (jfugate) has posted a clinic on his DCC experiences and one of his posts detailed a method for using a section of regular track for programming.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=2&TOPIC_ID=36389

Look for Joe's post titled "TOPIC THIS POST: Setting up the programming track"
posted on 03 May 2005, 00:33:32.

Doug

[kansaspacific1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

The ground teminal on the Zephyr is for use with the Jump Ports. One wire
from the extra power pack goes to Port A or B, the other goes to the ground.
It DOES NOT ground to your home wiring or any other ground. Dave

See diagram on page 36 of you Zephyr manual. It shows these connections
that dave9999 describes. Note: One wire from each power pack goes to
Jump 1 or Jump 2. (The instructions on page 35 describe them as Jump A and B,
but the diagram shows them as Jump 1 or 2, which is how they are labelled on
the back of the Zephyr itself.)

[rrinker]

This is all true but it is ALSO the same as the terminal so labelled on the DB150 and DCS100 boosters and command stations.

I still say it should NEVER be hooked to your hosue ground.

OK, technically is it just a 'cuircuit common' but it is also traditionally represented ona schematic witht he 'ground' symbol and is so labelled on the device. 'Ground' does not necessarly refer to 'earth ground' - sometimes our friends across the pond do a better job with stuff like this, when they label true ground connections as 'earth' .

Some people do advocate connectign this to a water pipe ground - I say no. You SHOULD hook it to the like terminal on those devices that have it, such as the PM42. If you have a seperate signalling system - do NOT connect the grounds in common, the independent signalling system should have its own common wire, not use the same one as the DCC system.

--Randy