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Stationary "mobile" decoder

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Southern Quebec, Canada
  • 868 posts
Stationary "mobile" decoder
Posted by Guy Papillon on Saturday, January 5, 2013 3:20 PM

I it possible to use a Digitrax DH123P decoder as a stationary decoder, for lights or R/R crossing or whatever you can thing of.  Where should I look for information.

Guy

Modeling CNR in the 50's

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Saturday, January 5, 2013 3:28 PM

 Yes, but it means to activate whatever you connect it to, it will use a loco address. Loco addresses and stationary decoder addresses are not the same thing - you cna have a loco 567 AND an accessory 567. As long as you remember that to control said crossing flasher, you will need to select some loco address and turn on a function, it will work just fine.

 To program, most mobile decoders require a load on the motor. A resistor can be used as a temporary measure, the one that comes in the LT1 Loconet Test Kit is one I've used before, somewhere around 20-50 ohms, 1 watt. It's also a good idea to set CV2 =0, CV6 = 1, and CV5 = 2, so that even if you do forget or accidently select the address and increase the speed, not much voltage will go through the resistor, minimizing heating. I've done this sort of thing with a Soundtraxx LC diesel decoder I installed in a B unit dummy, the motor drive is unused but it still works as a sound only decoder.

                --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

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