I'm sure this question has been asked before so forgive me for asking you to repeat answers you may have already posted. I'm getting ready to make some purchases and would like to know if anyone has experience using the Atlas signal system with the Digitrax Super Chief 5 amp system. Curious as to whether I should get the Atlas detection products or just the signals and go with the Digitrax detection stuff. I will be modeling in HO and am looking to incorporate a basic block detection system. Maybe 10 blocks or so.
Any info you can pass along would be great.
Thanks,
Mainetrains
'there's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear' Modeling the Hard Knox Valley Railroad in HO scale http://photos.hardknoxvalley.com/
The Atlas documentation indicates that the 'signal system' is for DC only. The signals will work with other signal systems as long as they can handle 'common cathode' signals(which the Atlas ones appear to be). The Tomar Industries, South Bend Signal, and NJ Int signals are 'common anode' configuration.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
I have the Digitrax SuperChief, and several DS-64s. I do not yet use signals but plan to in the future.
I am posting here because I am interested in seeing the answers that others post to your question.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
In order to do signals with the Digitrax products (BDL168 detection board, SE8C signal driver board, etc.) you also need a computer and an interface between the computer and the DCC system. It definitely costs money to do this. For instance, the club I belong to is planning to add signals to the layout. Just for the electronics alone, it's going to cost us around $1200 for everything we'll need.
Then there's the issue of setting up the software to read the status of each block and set the signals accordingly. Fortunately JMRI (http://jmri.sourceforge.net) makes it a bit easier to do without having to write our own software for signal control. Still, it's going to take a lot of work to get it up and running properly.
For a club layout, I can see doing all the work, but for a home layout...I'd much rather find a cheaper/easier solution. How many of our home layouts have 34 mainline blocks, anyway?
Robert Beaty
The Laughing Hippie
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The CF-7...a waste of a perfectly good F-unit!
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the
end of your tunnel, Was just a freight train coming
your way. -Metallica, No Leaf Clover
The SE8C can be configured to drive either common anode or common cathode signals, so it can be used with the Atlas signal heads. The Atlas block detection won't work on DCC, so you'd have to use some other detection, like a BDL168.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
You have several different options on how to integrate the Atlas signals. One thing that is important to rememeber is that there are three parts to the Atlas Signal System: the signal, the signal control board, and the block detector. There are at least three questions you need to ask yourself. Do you ever plan to implement Transponding? Do you want to use a computer to control the signal logic? If the answer to both of these questions is no then, do you still want occupancy detection reported by Loconet?
The simplest solution would be to use a DCC compatible block detector, such as the Digitrax BD4, and have it input to the Atlas Signal Control Board to control the signals. This solution does not give you the option of Transponding, does not need a PC, and does not give you Loconet feedback of block occupancy. There is an auillary output on the Atlas Signal Control Board that could be used as an input to a SEC8 to add Loconet feedback at a later date if needed.
If you plan on using Transponding, then you have to use the Digitrax BDL168 for block detection. The BDL168 has LED outputs that could be used as inputs to the Atlas Signal Control Board so that you would not have to use a PC for signal control logic. If you do want the PC to control the signal logic, then you would use an SEC8 to control the signals and not use the Atlas Signal Control Board.
If you want to use a PC for signal control logic and do not want Transponding, then you can use the BD4 block detectors(or any other compatible block detector) as inputs to the SEC8 and not use the BDL168.
There is also another option that can replace the PC control of the signal logic using Lconet block detection and signal control, and that is the SIGM20 by CML Electronics(http://www.cmlelectronics.co.uk/products/sigm20.htm), avalable here: http://www.sodigi.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi ).
These solutions assume that the various inputs and outputs are compatible with each other, or that you have the know how to interface them if not, and these are not all of the possible solutions.
Robert,
Thanks for the info. Let me give you a little more detailed idea of what I want to do with the signals. All I am looking for is to have the signals wired for block detection based on block occupancy. Also wired for block ahead occupancy. I have no plans to hook computers up to the layout. There will be no dispatcher. Just a small 9x12 home layout basically for my enjoyment. If I use signals for turnouts they will be wired to the turnout control...probably manual throw...maybe some tortise machines.
I guess the long and short of what I want to do is when a train is in the block the signal will show red...when it isn't the signal will show either yellow ( if the block ahead is occupied) or green.
If you have any input on this it would be great.
Gate 5
mainetrains Robert, Thanks for the info. Let me give you a little more detailed idea of what I want to do with the signals. All I am looking for is to have the signals wired for block detection based on block occupancy. Also wired for block ahead occupancy. I have no plans to hook computers up to the layout. There will be no dispatcher. Just a small 9x12 home layout basically for my enjoyment. If I use signals for turnouts they will be wired to the turnout control...probably manual throw...maybe some tortise machines. I guess the long and short of what I want to do is when a train is in the block the signal will show red...when it isn't the signal will show either yellow ( if the block ahead is occupied) or green. If you have any input on this it would be great. Thanks, Mainetrains
For this situation, the easiest thing to do would be to use DCC compatilble block detectors feeding into the Atlas Signal Control Boards driving the signals. There are several PDF's at the bottom of the Atlas Support Page that show how to wire the signals to do what you want. There is even one that shows the Atlas Signal Control Board wired to a DCC compatible detector(an NCE BD-20). The Digitrax BD4 detector would be a lower cost solution, but the NCE BD-20 would make for neater wiring because the BD4 does 4 sections per board and the BD-20 does one section per board.