SOunds liek there is just too much voltage drop int he Loconet bus. Do you have cut to size Loconet cables or just fixed lengths bundled up? The DT400 draws more power than a UT4, which is why one works and the other does not. The Locobuffer has pretty solid traces from one Loconet jack to the other, but you could take it out of the daisy chain and using anothe rLoconet cable, plug it in to the side jack on the first UP5. Or into the second Loconet jack on the back of the Zephyr.
WHen you first plug the DT400 in, the display shows the voltage it sees. Bet it's lower on the second UP5 than the second.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Chip,
Break down the LocoNet.
What kind of LocoBuffer do you have? Our club has a LocoBuffer II with a USB/Serial converter - it is attached as the last device on the Loconet.
I have a a LocoBuffer USB, also attached as the last device.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Today I was finally able to test my LocoNet wiring. I thought I would test it with my DT400 and try to read a loco on the program track. I don't have any trackwork or bus lines run.
So basically it looks like this:
Zephyr-->LocoBuffer-->UP5-->UP5-->UP5
|
Program Track
The DT400 worked at the first UP5 jack, worked intermittently at the second jack, and didn't work at all at the third jack. So I figured I had something wonky with the cabling.
I tested the cabling with an LT1 cable tester and everything checked out.
I plugged in a new UT4 throttle and it worked at all 3 UP5s.
So, do I not worry about the DT400's reaction untill I have some track wired in? The funny thing is that in the first jack, the DT400 came on immediately that is, there was a propt ont the LED screen. In the second jack, it took maybe 5-10 seconds for the prompt to appear. In the third jack, the LED never came on.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.