NCE power pro DCC command station suddenly stopped working.

[mkepler954]

 

When I turn on the PH-Pro command station, the following happens:

Status red light is steadily lit

Yellow track light in on

Output from AC adapter is 16V

Output voltage from "track" output is zero.  

What could be the fault?

 

[wrench567]

  I don't have a PH Pro system. Could it be detecting a short? What happens if you disconnect the track?

     Pete.

[richhotrain]

I do have an NCE 5 amp PH-Pro, but I am not an expert regarding the command station. That said, since the red and yellow lights are both on and neither is flashing, the command station seems to be working properly.

So, the problem seems to be the booster which is failing to provide track power. I would call NCE this morning and explain the problem. The guys at NCE are great at answering the phone and suggesting troubleshooting ideas. They may suggest that you send the command station in to them for analysis if the problem cannot be resolved over the phone. If you call, let us know what you find out.

Rich

[richhotrain]

wrench567

I don't have a PH Pro system. Could it be detecting a short? What happens if you disconnect the track? 

Anything is possible at this point, but a short somewhere in the system would be indicated by a flashing light. Since the lights are on and steady, a short is not likely the problem.

There are three status lights on the face of the command station. The two lights on the right side are red for Status and and yellow for Track in the command station itself. The one light on the left side is red for Status of the 5 amp booster.

The left side of the box is the 5 amp booster side. It has a 4 pin connector. The first set of two pins are for incoming AC power. Typically this is 15 volts AC and 5 amps from the 120 VAC transformer. The second set of two pins is track output that should also measure about 15 volts AC. The status light should be a solid red. A slow flash indicates a track short. A fast flash indicates the control bus signal is not present.

I suspect that there is a problem with the booster since there is no track power present. One thing to look for is whether that 4-pin connector is tightly in place and all four wires are making a solid connection with the 4-pin connector.

Rich

[BATMAN]

I get all my NCE-DCC answers here. Usually, it is the NCE people that actually answer my questions.

https://groups.io/g/NCE-DCC 

I use the Email option to chat.

[Pruitt]

mkepler954

When I turn on the PH-Pro command station, the following happens:

Status red light is steadily lit

Yellow track light in on

Output from AC adapter is 16V

Output voltage from "track" output is zero.  

What could be the fault?

Did you check power at the track, or at the connector on the box? If the former, check to make sure the track connector is still firmly seated at the box. Beyond that, yeah call NCE.

[mkepler954]

Nothing.

[mkepler954]

The power supply is putting out 16V but the output from the "track" port is zero.

[mkepler954]

I'll take the 4 wires off the 4-pin connector and reinstall.  I haven't tried that yet.

[mkepler954]

Thanks.  I will try that.

[mkepler954]

At the connector on the command station.

[mkepler954]

How do I reply to someone in their individual post rather than at the end of all posts.

[tstage]

mkepler954

How do I reply to someone in their individual post rather than at the end of all posts.

1. Click on the "Reply" button of the poster/post you want to reply to.
2. Right-click & highlight whatever text in the OP's reply (located above your text field) that you want to specifically address.
3. Click the "Add Quote to your Post" button to add the text to the top of your text field.
4. Begin your reply AFTER the 2nd bracketted quote - i.e. [/quote] - You'd be surprised how many folks get this wrong on a consistent basis.
5. Once you've completed your reply, click the "Submit Your Reply" button at the bottom to post it in the thread.

You can also respond to several posters in a single post.  However, that requires some specific copying & pasting in order to get the formatting correct.

Start with the above and then try the latter, once the formatting begins to makes sense to you.

HTH,

Tom

[mkepler954]

mkepler954

How do I reply to someone in their individual post rather than at the end of all posts.

 

mkepler954

How do I reply to someone in their individual post rather than at the end of all posts.

 

Thanks!

[richhotrain]

It is Monday morning. If you read this post, take my advice and call NCE today. Whoever answers will listen to your explanation of the problem and offer advice to you. It may require sending in the command station to check out the booster, or it may be something simpler that will get you up and running once again.

Rich

[santafejeff]

Didnt see this mentioned above, have you tried to remove the cable on the ph pro that connects the two sides together? Maybe that cable has a broken wire? Remove it, put on another one and see if it helps. My ph pro stopped working a few yrs back and it smelled like something was cooked. When I removed the case cover, the chips inside were black and other stuff was melted but the light on front never flashed. I sent it to nce and they said I had a direct short and the units output was well over rcommended voltage, somewhere around 16v. So when my unknown short happened it just cooked everything. 

While my command station was with the drs at nce, I went over every square inch of track on my layout anf found a small piece of metal stuck in a frog that had come off of something. It looked like a piece off the end of a rail joiner after you seperate them. 

Theres no telling what can cause these things but, if your getting zero output, try the short cable and your connections from the plug ins on the front. If thats all good, send it to nce and inspect every inch of your layout. You might just find your problem lurking in a crack somewhere