Hi Everyone -
Please take a look at this YouTube video I made. I am having issues with a Digitrax DS64. I am about 99% sure I have a faulty DS64 but any advice you can give me is appreciated. I am also going to email Digitrax support to see if they have any suggestions. I am willing to try anything to get this to work before I send it back. Thanks!
http://youtu.be/H4CD8BlxPhQ
Watched your video, and noticed you said you changed "Switch 1" to closed (at about 4:20). Is that the same as setting Option Switch 1 to closed?
Now, I don't have the Digitrax system, so maybe you meant that you closed "option switch" (Opsw?) 1 (although, based on the display, it LOOKED like you were throwing Switch/Turnout Output 1, and not setting the OpSw).
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
I've worked with a lot of DS64s, and from what you're showing, if the DS64 is "new out of the bag", you simply have a defective DS64. Your diagnostic technique appears solid to me. I wouldn't spend much more time on that particular DS64, I'd recommend sending it down to Florida.
From the video, it looks like you might be setting yourself up for another type of failure in the future, however.
If you are planning to use the contacts on the Tortoises to route power to the frogs or points, I strongly advise against using edge connectors on the Tortoise. Tortoises manufactured in the past "many" years (at least the last five to ten) have contact pads that are poorly spaced to be used with edge connectors. The tolerances are wrong, and there's just not enough non-conductive space between the pads to reliably prevent unwanted shorting if an edge connector shifts to either side just a little bit.
If you use the Tortoise's onboard contactors to switch frog and points power, at least one of the pads immediately inboard of the pads you connect the DS64 to will most likely be carrying track power at some point. Unless you do a lot of work to ensure that there is absolutely no way that the edge connector can shift either way and thereby prevent its contacts from shorting two pads on the Tortoise, you run the risk of the connector shifting and shorting across the track power and DS64 output pad. This is especially a risk for layouts in rooms with great temperature swings, or layouts that are moved a lot.
If that happens, you'll blow out the output on the DS64-- they're not designed to withstand being back-fed track power. The symptoms will look a lot like what you're seeing on your DOA DS64.
** This is only an issue if you plan to use the switched outputs on the Tortoise. If the only two pads/pins that you are going to connect are the outer two pads/pins to a DS64, you shouldn't be at risk of a problem. **
Edge connectors shorting track power across pads on the Tortoise and back-feeding the decoder is the most common failure mode I've seen for the DS64. I expect that this would affect other accessory decoders as well, but I haven't worked with too many others.
This isn't just theory or speculative hand-wringing-- I've spent an awful lot of time replacing DS64s that have had outputs blown in this manner, and no longer support this kind of installation for my customers. I find it far more reliable to solder the wires to the pads on the Tortoise.
-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.http://www.pmhistsoc.org
When Digitrax says set an OpSw value, it means putting the device in a program or learn mode, adn then throwing or closing the Option Switch by sending normal switch commands from the throttle. So he's programming it right.
I'm not so sure it's actually accepting things though, I THOUGHT the flashing light went out when it got a valid program command, but it's been a while since I set up any of these. The almost no voltage reading makes me think it may be set for solenoid motors not stall motors, so it's not putting out a constant voltage. If you have a PC to Loconet connection (PR3, Locobuffer, etc), download a copy of Loconet Checker. As long as each DS64 has a unique board ID, it will find them and display all of the settings. JMRI can do it too, but for this sort of activity, Loconet Checker is actually the better app. You can configure all of the options, and assign the switch addresses for each port on the DS64 with this.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thanks, everyone! The Digitrax technical support got back to me and told me to send it in. There must be an issue with the DS64.
Thanks, fmilhaupt. I appreciate your insight on wiring the Tortoise and the possiblity of shorting them out. Right now, I am just using input 1 and 8 on the Tortoise for power and am not using the internal switches in the Tortoise. My turnouts are atlas snap swithes with plastic frogs. If I ever upgrade and power-route the frogs, I will take your advice and directly solder the feeders to the Tortoise to prevent the issues you discussed. Thanks again for your thoughts on this!