I have a throttle DT400R that I like very much except having to either remove the battery or "switch" it when I am finished running trains. Has anyone come up with a simple On/Off switch for this throttle?
Joe
Several, but all will void the warranty. Pictures are in the Digitrax Group on Yahoo..
Simplest thing is to 'roll' the battery - flip the plus and minus terminals. The throttle circuit has a diode in it that will protect it from damage and the battery will be in essentially an open circuit as if there was a switch. Do NOT flip the battery end for end, the springs opposite the terminals will be a dead short across the battery and while this won't electrically damage the throttle, it can get VERY hot or possibly even catch fire, or leak all over the inside of the throttle. Just roll it over, so the + on the battery goes where the - is supposed to.
--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 for the info Randy. I usually remove my battery completely rather than rolling it so that I make sure that I didn't leave it in the throttle (my 70 year old forgetfulness). I'll give the Yahoo group a look.
I am 49 and I forget. I buy 9V batteries in bulk. A pack of 12 will last me a couple of years (unless I forget too often)..
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
you could always invest in a 12 volt DC supply and leave the dt400 plugged in to a UP5 with the 12v supply keeping it alive. the battery wouldn't be used until you unplugged the throttle.
Locoworks:
You have a good point. Thanks. I'm going to give it a try. I thought that this was only an option with rechargable batteries.
JoeinPA Locoworks: You have a good point. Thanks. I'm going to give it a try. I thought that this was only an option with rechargable batteries. Joe
have a read of the instructions first, but my understanding ( which may be wrong???!! ) is that the battery only takes over when the dt400 is unplugged,( i assume there is some circuitry that uses the battery like an emergency generator ay a hospital? mains off, genny on ) and there are no warnings ( that i can find ) about plugging a DT400R into a UP5 or whatever with a keep alive power supply and a non rechargeable battery installed in the 400R to acquire a loco?? i'm not clear on whether the command station needs to be on too?? but i would think not, again more reading of instructions or perhaps an email to digitrax???
For the keepalive to work, there has to be power to the UP5 you plug the throttle into. Either from a dedicated power supply, or by leaving the command station turned on but with the switch ont eh front set to SLEEP. This shuts everythign down except voltage on the Loconet, which will feed the throttle and keep it from using the battery.
rrinker For the keepalive to work, there has to be power to the UP5 you plug the throttle into. Either from a dedicated power supply, or by leaving the command station turned on but with the switch ont eh front set to SLEEP. This shuts everythign down except voltage on the Loconet, which will feed the throttle and keep it from using the battery. --Randy
thanks for the clarity Randy, i think i'd go for the smaller 12 volt keep alive PSU option, it means leaving on a small few hundred milliamp PSU only. to leave the command station on in SLEEP, would mean leaving its 5 or 10 amp PSU switched on, maybe not an issue? but i'm not a fan of leaving large transformers switched on. is it the keep alive option that puts IDLE in the display of the throttles plugged in??
I'm pretty sure the throttle will show IDLE any time it has power but there is no Loconet signal.
I too do not like leaving anythign powered on around the railroad when I'm not there. I don;t use radio so I'm content just to shut everything off before I leave the room. If I get a radio throttle I will use rechargeable batteries, and I'm sure I will occasionally forget to remove one when I'm done and it will go dead, but that's why you have more than one. I don;t go weeks without doign somethign around the layout so it's unlikely that a battery will sit in a throttle long enough to either discharge the battery so much that it is no longer usable (happens with rechargeables), or damage the throttle in some way.