Thanks for all of your wonderful input. I like the psx-ar and have had 2 ar1 and did not like them at all. I think the problem is that i am running to many loco's at start up and it is tripping the unit. I took my challenger off the layout and started up the tracks and all was fine. Maybe the challenger itself draws to much power. I need to go back and do a little rewiring so i can turn my layout on in blocks. The inital power turning on is for sake of better words blowing the fuse just like a circuit breaker when you plug in 3 or 4 space heaters and then turn them all on at ounce its overloading it.
CNR378 Recently I did the same to another layout that was having reset issues with a PM42. 30 seconds with JMRI (the PM42 was connected to the LocoNet) and the problem was gone. Peter
Recently I did the same to another layout that was having reset issues with a PM42. 30 seconds with JMRI (the PM42 was connected to the LocoNet) and the problem was gone.
Peter
And there's another issue. The set-up may or may not matter. With my 4 PSX-ARs, I left them at factory default. Only in the one case did this prove troublesome and then only over several year's use. So the PSX-AR is pretty darn close to plug and play in my book.
I won't question the Digitrax version experience other than to note that I think everyone is trying to achieve plug and play in DCC reversers. It's a simple thing -- you'd think -- but the fact that it was only this most recent generation of reversers where this is generally the case says a lot how difficult it can be to do in the real world. YMMV
But it does help to read the manual when things don't go quite right, automatically.
In the case that Peter talks about here, whoever installed or last adjusted the settings may not have done the correct settings, or perhaps did the recommended settings, but the reverser's behavior wasn't quite set right. Oftentimes, it the matter of a simple adjustment like this that solves the problem, all without touching the wiring if the reverser is DCC-enabled.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Randy,
In my opinion it is the trip speed set too high on the PM42s. I fixed my clubs issues with ours by lowering the trip speeds back to the default of 'Standard'. I was then able to lower our trip currents.
mlehman I've had a PSX-AR fail due to unknown reasons, but have had otherwise excellent performance. It is a bit of a complex instrument, maybe not quite plug-and-play,
I've had a PSX-AR fail due to unknown reasons, but have had otherwise excellent performance.
It is a bit of a complex instrument, maybe not quite plug-and-play,
Plug-and-play is a good term. I would consider the Digitrax AR-1 a plug-and-play unit.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrain Here is my gratuitous comment. Sell the PSX-AR units on eBay when you get them working correctly once again and pick up some Digitrax AR-1 units. I read on this forum about more problems with the PSX-AR. It is too sensitive and too complex for my taste. Rich
Here is my gratuitous comment.
Sell the PSX-AR units on eBay when you get them working correctly once again and pick up some Digitrax AR-1 units.
I read on this forum about more problems with the PSX-AR. It is too sensitive and too complex for my taste.
I've had a PSX-AR fail due to unknown reasons, but have had otherwise excellent performance. I will say that when I got stuck, reading and understanding the documentation made a big difference. Heck, I didn';t even know they were addressable via DCC until last month. So you see I wasn't being flippant and all high and mighty in referring the OP to "when in doubt, read the instruction." It actually worked for me...
It is a bit of a complex instrument, maybe not quite plug-and-play, although that's what I did with mine and got generally good results. But if not, then start trying to understand it. It's a lot easier than understanding my computer, which is where I generally call on my wife or one of her colleagues.
But then, neither a Digitrax booster with no power management, nor the PM42 is supposed to work with, it has been reported, as few as 2 sound locos, yet my PM42 works fine even if I put all my sound locos (5 last time, with a mix of ESU, Soundtraxx, and QSI - I haven't tried since I got my newest one, another ESU) in the same section and deliberately short it, and the club layout which has a dedicated booster runnign the engine facility, starts up just fine with dozens of sound locos sitting there.
I still say there are two main issues causing the problems: incorrect setting int he case of the PM42, either current too low or trip speed too high, or inadequate wiring introducing enough resistence in the circuit that the full short current is never drawn.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
DigitalGriffin richhotrain Here is my gratuitous comment. Sell the PSX-AR units on eBay when you get them working correctly once again and pick up some Digitrax AR-1 units. I read on this forum about more problems with the PSX-AR. It is too sensitive and too complex for my taste. Rich Now see I have the opposite opinion. The Digitrax AR-1 wasn't good enough for the club layout. It couldn't tell the difference between a current inrush on sound locomotives and a short on regular DCC locomotives, and getting it to work for both was a problem. It usually resulted in a booster/breaker shut down. The PSX-AR solved these problems with the NCE booster system.
Now see I have the opposite opinion. The Digitrax AR-1 wasn't good enough for the club layout. It couldn't tell the difference between a current inrush on sound locomotives and a short on regular DCC locomotives, and getting it to work for both was a problem. It usually resulted in a booster/breaker shut down. The PSX-AR solved these problems with the NCE booster system.
Yeah, sometimes I think that the PSX-AR works best on large club layouts with power districts and breakers, while the AR-1 works best on average sized home layouts, especially those using a single booster.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
Enable the Inrush Booster setting - set CV53 to something other than 0.
I reset the psxar by moving the jumper pin and setting the cv 63 to a value of 42 per manual. I then turned it back on and same old thing. So i thought to myself what else has changed lately and remembered my dad gave me his athearn genisis challenger with sound. So i took that off of the layout and everything works fine that loco must be tripping the current. i will try upping the trip to 5amps but the db150 is only 5 amps i believe will that be a problem
I suspect you need to adjust the trip current. Someone on a Digitrax group may know more about a specific useful setting that works well with your DB150 or maybe someone here knows? In any case, the documentation covers this in detail, so you should check it, too.
the system i am using is digitax db150 with dt402 radio ckontroed throttle yes everything works fine once i trip the psxar. but then when i power down and then come back and power up again it wont work until it is tripped.
yes' that turned out to be a bad psxar i sent it back and up until now it worked fabulously. i also upgraded from zepher to db150 and everything seems to work better. i checked all the feeders and they all look good. i will have to reserch and get some documantation on the psxar. i always speed match on the main removing all other locos when doing so.
The PSX-AR should be programmable to trip as low as around 1.25 amps - Have you checked what that unit is configured for? If you are programming it from your DCC system, CV49 should be set to a value of 01 if you want the 1.25 amp setting, 02 for the 2.5 amp setting, and the default is a value of 03 for the 3.8 amp setting. You can also jumper the configuration pins 1 & 2 on J6 for the 1.25 amp setting, and NO jumpers on J6 for the 3.8 amp setting.
The question I have is what Digitrax DCC system do you have? The original Zephyr(DCS50) has an output of 2.5 amps - You are generally stuck using the 1.25 amp setting to insure that the PSX-AR will trip before the Zephyr shuts down. The new Zephyr Xtra(DCS51) has a 3 amp capacity, and the CV setting is they only way I know of to configure it for 2.5 amps. If you have a DB150 or DCS100, you can use the default 3.8 amp setting.
As others have mentioned, rock solid buss/feeder wiring is a MUST to insure these units work as designed. Even the Digitrax AR-1 will give intermittent issues with faulty wiring connections.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
help me here, but did'nt you have this problem with the psx-ar last year ,has it worked OK or is this the same problem ?
I only ask as I bought my two psx-ar units shortly after you were having issue's and found NO they dont work well on lower amp units like" Zephyr", yes , they need exellant feeders supply and they need to be programed for youre need. SADLY though I just don't remember what I did as far as programing BUT I did upgade to 5 amp empire builder an they heve been bullet pruff ever since.. Jerry
add rereading your post it appears this is a new problem , I WOULD do as mentioned and down load the instructions , also my guess is you may have added a feeder or track to the units reverse line and or the line IN has been has been altered or is weak conection lastly did you do ANY programing on the main lately?
these are all things I would do ...Jerry
If it's a sound engine, the inrush current might be tripping the circuit. When you cross the gap, the other section not on the AR can supply the inrush current.
1. Check you have adequate feeders to the AR block section
2. Raise the trip current on the PSX-AR.
Reset procedures are in the documentation, so Google that up for starts, as there are two ways to do it, one via a hardware reset jumper IIRC on the PSX-AR or alternatively via your DCC system if you assigned an address to it.
The gap straddling you noted is the likely cause. Do things run OK now or are you seeking reset in hopes of getting it going again? Wasn't quite clear in your explanation.
I have 2 psx-ar's on my layout one i use for a top loop and one i use for a bottom loop. My layout is a bi-level layout. The psx-ar was working fine on the top and bottom and then all of the sudden the top psx-ar started giving me fits. When i power up the layout with my digitrax conroller the psx-ar d12 led comes on and the d7 led begins flashing giving me an interment power, for example my sound locos will make a very quiet sound but then it is on off on off like it isn't get quite enough power. Here's the wierd part as soon as i lay a locomotive accross the insullated tracks were the main line meets the reverse section the whole unit powers up and everything works just fine. the only thing that i think maybe could of happened was when i powered up my digitrax system i had an engine that was stratling the insulated section were the loop and psx-ar main lne meets (were it would normally reverse polarity). i was curious if there is a reset or if anyone has any ideas on this topic. ? Please help!!! maybe a reset feature or something