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have to reset digitrax dcs200 everytime we start up system

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  • Member since
    May 2009
  • 44 posts
have to reset digitrax dcs200 everytime we start up system
Posted by norcalmodeler on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 8:51 PM

On our club layout we have a dcs100 and 3 db150 boosters.  These are all pluged into one power strip and  the powerstrip plug is on a switch on the wall.  We meet once a week, turn the switch on the wall on and the system comes on.  the problem i am having is that the track power does not coming on. the dcs100 and boosters come on but no track status light.  I have to switch the run/op switch to op and back to run and it works again.  it was working fine before and now this problem just started. Could the battery be dead in the dcs 100? do the db150's have batteries?

thanks for your help

 

  • Member since
    October 2002
  • From: City of Québec,Canada
  • 1,258 posts
Posted by Jacktal on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 9:24 PM

Not being a pro with DCC,that is indeed what I'd check.The batteries are there to keep memories alive while powered off so that would make sense.The DB150 having batteries...sorry,I can't tell.

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: sharon pa
  • 436 posts
Posted by gondola1988 on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 9:35 PM

The Dcs 100 does have a battery, the 150's do not, just take the four screws out of the case and the battery is right inside. Any watch battery store or walmart should carry them, simple fix, did you set the ops switch 5 to closed  to make it the master mode? The track power should come on when you turn it on.Jim.

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: SE Michigan
  • 922 posts
Posted by fmilhaupt on Wednesday, August 24, 2011 5:34 AM

The battery you'll want is type CR2032.

I make it a point to change mine annually, though in the past I've gotten three years' life from one.

-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.
http://www.pmhistsoc.org

  • Member since
    May 2002
  • From: Massachusetts
  • 2,899 posts
Posted by Paul3 on Wednesday, August 24, 2011 10:39 AM

The DCS100 has a OPSW that allows the layout to power up with the track power on.  Look in the manual for OPSW34.  It says, "Allow track to power up to run state, if set to run prior to power on."

Oh, and for what it's worth, Digitrax has told us that we should always power up the DCS100 first, allow a couple seconds, then turn on everything else.

Paul A. Cutler III

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 1,206 posts
Posted by mfm37 on Wednesday, August 24, 2011 7:56 PM

Change the CMOS battery in the DCS200.  If the battery is low or dead, the DCS200 will power up in its default state. Default is power off. Default is also 22 slots so in a club setting, you might see a Slot=Max message.

I would change that battery at least once a year, dead or not. In this case, instead of doing the hot swap method, I would remove the old battery completely,. Let the unit sit for ten minutes or so then install a fresh battery. This will force your DCS200 to start up in its new out of the box condition. From there, close the appropriate option switches that your club wants.

You will definitely want to close Option Switches  5  and  44. This will make  the DCS a Command station and extend the slots to 120.  Close option switches 33 and 34 to fix that power off problem.

I also close option switch 20 to disable zero stretching. That should be a club decision.

Martin Myers

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