Hello all, I'm looking for an old Digitrax throttle. If you happen to have one, great, please cdontact me, but all I'm askingfor from the forums is a list of what I should be looking for. I want an old throttle (cheaper), that I can permanently plug into the club layout to turn track power on and off with. There are a few of us who run with UT4s, and are holding off on the 402s until we get our own systems, and the club 402 (donated from a deceased member's family) is often going to shows as a spare, leaving us without any way to turn the trackpower on. Don't need it to do anything else, the layout's too big to run a train from a stationary position, it just needs to serve as an on-off switch. There's a UT2 on the Bay, will that do the job? Or should I be looking for a different version?
-Morgan
Why not just have the track power come on when you power up the command station? Thats what we do at my club.
Op Sw 33 - Restore track power to prior state at power on
Op Sw 34 - Allow track to power up to run state
Peter
CNR378 Why not just have the track power come on when you power up the command station? Thats what we do at my club. Op Sw 33 - Restore track power to prior state at power on Op Sw 34 - Allow track to power up to run state Peter
We were of the understanding that you couldn't do that. You can provide it with the power from the wall, but it was not wise to turn off the "Brains" without first plugging in the throttle and hitting Power>>N- . (Which is the step we're getting hung up on). When we shut down, you plug in the throttle, then begin turning off the tortoise and the block sections ( I forget their designation), then actual main unit, turn off the tap-strip it's on, then go throw the on-off light switch that stops power from going to the fusebox to the outlets the layout is plugged into.
We have been doing it this way for years. Single switch powers everything up at the same time as well with no issues.We were using a DCS100 and now a DCS200. I'm not sure we even have a working throttle around to turn track power on, I would have to boot the computer and turn the power on with JMRI.
A DT100 can turn the track power on and off, and the buttons are actual buttons not membrane switches like a DT400. You can sometimes find them cheap on eBay. Many times they are being junked because the encoders are shot, and repalcement parts are not readily available. A dead encoder hs no effect on being able to push the Run/Stop and + buttons to turn on the track power though, so even a broken one is useable for your purposes. Want to really get fancy, remove the knobs and other buttons leaving only the Run/Stop and + and - buttons. Or mount it behind a panel with extensions on the Run/Stop, +, and - keys. Label them Power, ON, and Off. Leave instructions next to the buttons: Press Power and ON at the same time to turn on the layout, Power and Off at the same time when finished running trains.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
If you have a PR3/Computer or MS100/Computer, you can use Decoder Pro as a Digitrax throttle.
You can pick up lots of old Digitrax throttles on Ebay. I would keep one with the layout for testing the layout after track work.
Jim, Modeling the Kansas City Southern Lines in HO scale.
CNR378 We have been doing it this way for years. Single switch powers everything up at the same time as well with no issues.We were using a DCS100 and now a DCS200.
We have been doing it this way for years. Single switch powers everything up at the same time as well with no issues.We were using a DCS100 and now a DCS200.
DCS boosters will power up the way you set their option switches. The problem comes in when a DBxxx booster is in the mix. It will usually come up with track power off when connected to a DCS command station. Cycling track power with a throttle is the only way to get them to turn track power on. Any old DT throttle will do the trick. A Zephyr or JMRI would work too. BTW, it's a known issue but Digitrax can't seem to "fix" it.
Martin Myers
My setup exactly. When I turn on my layout power, the track has pwoer but no signal, as the DB150 supplies track power with just Idle packets. My sound locos start up, but I can't control anything until I actually turn power on (I have a Zephyr as the command station). I turn analog conversion off in my decoders so I never have any runaway issues, I just live with it as "that's the way it works". It doesn;t hurt anything. I coudl flip the track power switch ont he DB150 and then only return to Run after turnign ont he Zephyr, but why bother?
jamnest If you have a PR3/Computer or MS100/Computer, you can use Decoder Pro as a Digitrax throttle. You can pick up lots of old Digitrax throttles on Ebay. I would keep one with the layout for testing the layout after track work.
And we've done that too, but not many of us are keen on carrying computers to the club. Convienence, damage...
Oksy, yes I do recall there being a DB150 mentioned. I don't knoww the high ends of it, just the user side and a bit of eavesdropping.
mfm37 CNR378: We have been doing it this way for years. Single switch powers everything up at the same time as well with no issues.We were using a DCS100 and now a DCS200. DCS boosters will power up the way you set their option switches. The problem comes in when a DBxxx booster is in the mix. It will usually come up with track power off when connected to a DCS command station. Cycling track power with a throttle is the only way to get them to turn track power on. Any old DT throttle will do the trick. A Zephyr or JMRI would work too. BTW, it's a known issue but Digitrax can't seem to "fix" it. Martin Myers
CNR378: We have been doing it this way for years. Single switch powers everything up at the same time as well with no issues.We were using a DCS100 and now a DCS200.
We use a DCS200 for the command station, a DCS200 and 2 DB200+ for boosters. One switch turns everything on at the same time and no track power cycling required. This has worked for a long time (except we have upgraded our 100s to 200s).
Flashwave...I want an old throttle (cheaper), that I can permanently plug into the club layout to turn track power on and off with...
Another option would be a DS54 stationary decoder(there are some available on ebay right now). You can configure an input to the DS54 to turn track power on and off.
CSX Robert Flashwave: ...I want an old throttle (cheaper), that I can permanently plug into the club layout to turn track power on and off with... Another option would be a DS54 stationary decoder(there are some available on ebay right now). You can configure an input to the DS54 to turn track power on and off.
Flashwave: ...I want an old throttle (cheaper), that I can permanently plug into the club layout to turn track power on and off with...
Hmm. If it can be hooked up to a toggle switch, that'd be a possibility. Otherwise, it'll require a 300 or a 40# to input with anyway.
Not a toggle but a pushbutton. It indeed can send GPON and GPOFF commands when oen of the inputs is triggered.. Make a little control panel with a pushbutton and a bicolor LED with a 1K resistor. The LED/resistor goes across the track power output, push button, LED comes on, track power is on and people can runs trains. Push button again, LED goes out, track power is off, turn off building power and lock up.
Great guys! I think I like this last idea best, but I want to watch ebay prices a little bit to see how much more it might be than the controllers. Thanks for the help!