I am getting ready to install my PSX-AR auto reverser and from what I gather the polarity of the wires does not matter as long as I get the buss into the input side and the tracks on the output side. Am I right? Also I have already got the rails gaped when I got the PSX-AR and reading the instructions it says to make the gaps about 1/8 inch apart, I did not do this, is that going to hurt anything much? Thanks, Mike
P.S. I am running N scale with a Digitrax Super Chief if that matters.
Yes, it doesn't matter...it does the figuring based on what it is getting from both sides of it, and corrects the one side, the output side as far as I know...so that would be the side powering your gapped section.
I made it a point to wire everything on the layout the same way, so the wires of one colour go to one rail and the wires of the other colour to the other rail, and that applies to the terminal inputs to the AR. I also kept the orientation from the AR's outputs to the correct track orientation on my reversing section to keep it standardized.
About what I think you are meaning with the gaps...actually staggering them and not making them transverse across both rails at the gap, I had read about it and did stagger them between the two rails. If you have a problem, you could make a patch by removing a length of rail and re-cutting, or remove 1/4" of one rail and replace it with a piece of styrene. Or, if you can, cut out a bit of rail on one side of the gap, and see if you can solder it to the other side of the gap, thus effecting your stagger. If you nip the sliding rail, you can perhaps slide the piece back across the gap and abut it to the other side, and solder it.
-Crandell
I did not stagger the gaps on my two reverse loops. I started with differend reversing units that did not make that suggestion but have since replaced both of them with PSX-AR's. No stagger...no problem.
I have 4 PSX-ARs installed. Only one has staggered gaps (and that's only at one end) and all of them still work great.
Greg
Greg Amer
The Industrial Lead
Thanks, I now have them installed and up and running, all is well, No staggered gaps. Mike
I am getting ready to wire a PSX-AR into a DigiTrax Zephyr HO system. What about using the soft insulating rail joiners we use to use for our blocks in DC for the gaps or will that not be enough gap.
d91 N&W Merger Era
The same insulating joiners you use for gaps on a DC-powered layout will work just fine. So would just cutting a slot in the rail and filling it with styrene.
-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.http://www.pmhistsoc.org
Thanks Fritz. I have another question. I completely confused them at Tony's trying to explain this. I have a single switch coming off a main into a large industrial, town, yard area with 2 cross overs that both access the main on one side and the industrial area on the other. I think all I need to do is gap both rails between the 2 switches at each cross over and wire everything inside this district off the PSX-AR. I am not wiring any switches to operate off the AR unit at this time.
Thanks
A diagram would really help. I don't see why you should be worried about reversing polarity for the crossover image I have in mind, but I may not be seeing what you see.
I appologize for so many entries this is new to me.
Okee doke. I don't see a problem, not where you show your apparent concern. However, elsewhere, why the goose egg at the bottom with the crossover to it from a main track? I can't imagine a purpose for it.
You would only have a reversing problem for polarity if the top arm of the top Y configuration in the diagramme were actually extended to, and joined to, the same tail where you have drawn your circle. As you have depicted it, don't see a problem.
Maybe someone else will pipe up and say differently. Please be patient.
Being a disabled rail roader I tend to think about rail layout and then figure out the wiring. So the goose egg at the bottom is a caboose service track and the crossover above it is to be a run around track. This new image may be confusing but when I follow the outside rail these 2 spots look like the outside rail goes to the inside.
Thanks to Crandell and Fritz. IT WORKS, I quess an old dog can learn something new. I reveresed the polarity on the tail track and works great. Thanks agian.
Ed