Hello all, I am getting ready to start a mid-size HO layout and I am debating using Digitrax radio throttles. I am wondering if there is any lag time between throttle movement and locomotive movement compared to a tethered throttle. I have used the tethered UT-4 with a Chief system and found the throttle response instant but I vaguely remember when the Digitrax radio system was introduced you would get a noticable lag in response time. I am wondering if this is still the case or if it has been fixed. Anybody have any positive or negative comments on the radio UT-4?
Thanks for your help,
Andrew C
There is a slight lag compared to tethered operation, but not bad. I would consider adding plug-ins anyways, as most any radio system is not 100% rock-solid, and if something goes goofy, plugging in usually takes care of it.
The UT-4R works fine. Nice to have, some operators shouldn't have all the buttons.
Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com
There is one thing to remember with radio throttles: It doesn't send the message until the knob stops moving. This means that if an operator is a "knob twiddler" or "button holder" , there is a noticable lag time. Normally, the lag time not even noticed.
Martin Myers
i and most of my club members have dt400r's or ut4r's or both and we have not noticed any discernable lag time when using them untethered. there may be somewhat of a lag if you have the system maxed out with the number of throttles which may delay the signal update packets a little. when you fire up the system you need the dt400r to turn on the track power or mu locomotives. you can't do that with ut4r's. i have made several extension cords for my throttles so when i'm programming or my battery gets weak i can plug in and can still move around a bit. i use my throttles on the super empire builder and cheif systems and they operate the same. by the way if you make extension cords, depending on the connector you use you may have to reverse one of the modular plugs so the polarity of the loconet is correct.
retsignalmtr by the way if you make extension cords, depending on the connector you use you may have to reverse one of the modular plugs so the polarity of the loconet is correct.
It doesn't matter if the extension cable to a throttle is reverse wired. The throttle and the front jacks on a UP panel short the wire pairs anyway.
what kind of a short are you thinking of? i have had several conversations with digitrax tech folks and they said polarity of the loconet does matter. that is what i go by.
Polarity matters ONLY for the railsync lines. Those are the only two that actually carry a 'polarized' signal. The two grounds tie together, and throttles tie the two loconet lines together - you can see this easily if you use the LT-1 tester and unplug everythign else from your command station (loconet cables - track wiring can stay). Plus in the LT1 and turn things on - only 3 of the LEDs will light. Plug in a throttle to the other Loconet port - voila, all 4 LEDs will be on.
Even the railsync polarity only matters if there are downstream devices that use it for something - additional boosters use it, as do BDL-168's used with transponding detectors. Flipping railsunc by using a telephone cable instead of a data cable will have no effect ont he operation of throttles plugged in past that flipped cable. However, if you forget about it and later extend the cabling to add another booster you're goign to be puzzled why the train shorts when crossing from one booster's track tot he others. Of course, you might have that issue even with proper cables as there are those infamous DB150's with the internal wiring flipped at the track terminals.
At any rate, always make the cables the right way, it will avoid confusion in the future. Unless you have one of those backwards boosters. In that case, for that ONE conenction, make a flipped cable and LABEL IT CLEARLY so it never gets used elsewhere or gets replaced with a straight one causing the shorting problem crossing the district gaps.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I am not very technical, but my UT4r is the funnest toy in the train room. I have them on a Chief and it seems to work fine. The biggest problem I have is, when I try to run three trains at a time, remembering which throttle works which engine.
retsignalmtrwhat kind of a short are you thinking of? i have had several conversations with digitrax tech folks and they said polarity of the loconet does matter. that is what i go by.
What Randy said. In this case "short" means the two wires are connected.
Phase does matter on loconet cables. Those are the ones connecting all of the devices together and yes it's a good thing to keep them all the same. However, if just adding an extension cord to a throttle, data or telco style is OK. This is true of any device plugged into the front socket s of a UP3 or UP5 because the only thing that gets plugged in to those sockets is end of the line items.