Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

is this a dirtywheel or a lack a feeder sign ?

1295 views
7 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Sunday, January 23, 2011 11:50 AM

TA462

If you have one loco on one throttle and you try to aquire the same loco on a different throttle it will ask you if you want to "STEAL" it.  If this happens then you need to dispatch it from the first throttle or just hit the + yes button to steal it on the second throttle.  You can't have the same loco on two different throttles at the same time. 

 With Digitrax, yes you can have the same loco on more than one throttle. It's called 'Slot Following' and it's in the manual. This allows, say, an adult to supervise a younger operator and override their throttle if they are goign too fast, or are not stopping before hittin another train or something. If all throttles are encoder throttles, liek the DT400/402, this works pretty well, because the two throttles don;t fight each other unless one person is trying to speed up and the other person is tryign to slow down at the same time.  But when one throttle is a potentiometer, like a UT4 or the Zephyr, it will fight agaisnt the other throttle because every time the potentiometer throttle sends a control packet it sets the speed for the knob position, whatever that might be. The encoder throttle accepts this as the new setting . In Jerry's case the Zephyr throttle was set on 0 so as he increased the speed on the DT402 all was fine but as soon as he stopped touching buttons ont he DT402 and the Zephyr throttle sent out a packet, it set the speed to 0 and instantly stopped the train.

 Correctly following the instructions in the manual for releasing locos from the throttle will prevent this from happening accidently.

                                             --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Westchester NY
  • 1,747 posts
Posted by retsignalmtr on Sunday, January 23, 2011 7:23 AM

Using option switch #39 occasionally will clear the throttles memory of all locos that have not been properly dispatched or are running on more than one throttle. You should also use it if you get a SLOT MAX display on the throttle.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Morris, Illinois USA
  • 283 posts
Posted by rockislandnut on Saturday, January 22, 2011 4:54 PM

Oh so your the guy that sent bad Mo Jo to my layout eh BIG JERR? I just had that happen 20 minutes ago with the same two Digitrax. Hmm

 

NAAH just kidding about the Mo Jo. Big Smile  But I did have an engine on both throttles and the 2nd engine did exactly the same thing. I finally figured it out right after the problem. Not hard to have an engine on both throttles though, I just have to be more careful.

Sure like the Zephyr-xtra and the DT402-------Nice!!

 

Wadda ya mean I'm old ? Just because I remember gasoline at 9 cents a gallon and those big coal burning steamers.

  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: high desert so cal
  • 997 posts
Posted by BIG JERR on Saturday, January 22, 2011 1:37 PM

oh Randy ,you just hit on something .there was a faint clicking sound coming from the zephyr when I was trying throttle up on the 402,and I do keep the brake on the zephyr even when the zepher thottle is still on ,when not in use ....You the man Randy

  • Member since
    May 2008
  • 4,612 posts
Posted by Hamltnblue on Saturday, January 22, 2011 1:19 PM

Strange.  The fact that the sound doesn't miss a beat suggestts that it's getting power.  I wonder why the throttle is showing 0.  I assume no buttons are being hit while this is going on?

Springfield PA

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Saturday, January 22, 2011 1:17 PM

 That's a sign that you still have the loco selected on the Zephyr as well as the DT402. With the loco operating on your DT402, bring it to a stop, make sure the speed says 0. Then hit Loco and Exit to dispatch it. On the Zephyr, select the same loco, and make sure the speed knob is all the way at stop, and put the direction lever in Brake. Press Loco then Exit to dispatch it there. Now go back to your DT402 and try running it again - should be fine now.

 When the sound keeps right on goign, that's not a sign of lost power. The speed suddenly dropping to 0 in the DT402 display - that's the Zephyr throttle also trying to control the same loco address.

                            --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: high desert so cal
  • 997 posts
is this a dirtywheel or a lack a feeder sign ?
Posted by BIG JERR on Saturday, January 22, 2011 1:06 PM

odd question from someone who's been reading here for a couple a years but here goes. I'm in the stages of gluing track down  after over a year of track just thumbed tacked down for testing . never had this problem when thumb tacked and no solder and feeders @ 6-10' .

I just added a digitrax 402 hand held to my Zephyr and am using two trains for testing as I glue down & solder track as I go .but I'm only using 1 set of feeders @ this point.  when using the 402 and setting the throttle to say 45 it goes fine for a bit then on its own train stops and throttle says 0  but the sound from the qsi doesn't miss a beet . is this a sign or dirty wheels or lack of feeders or may be both ? please tell me its not my new 402 throttle ...

now I did clean the loco wheels but they looked clean & new and it did seam to solve the problem, oh I'm HO,p2k s w/qsi locos .

some how I pictured a sputtering type a action from dirty wheels ...thanks Jerry ....

PS Ill be adding feeders today and that just make this a moot post

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!