BLI and Digitrax

[claycts]

Put the BLI Hudisn on the track under DCC for the 1st time, not very good result. The leading truck does not like the 12.5 deg atlas code 83 diamond and BRIDGED the rails, Tripped the booster. Rerailed the truck and could not re-aquire the loco. Rebooted the systtem and It came back.
I then did at again (to see the results) 2nd time no loco after rerailing BUT only after a reboot it was back.
3rd time , rerailed, took DCC off line, switced over to DC and the loco reacted, switched BACK to DCC (no reboot just turned on track power) and the loco was back.
The loco is FACTORY settings the DCC wiring is dead on, the problem APPEARS to be in the Hudson. Anybody got any input on this?

[selector]

Check gauge of the track in that area, and also the wheels. Is this on a curve?

Look closely at the leading truck. Are the brakes lowermost, where they should be? The truck is not inverted?

Is the frog wired? If so, have you painted the frog points with clear nail poli***o prevent the loco's wheels from making contact with two rails of opposite polarity as they move through the gap?

[claycts]

Selector, the problem WAS the Diamond, I filed the points down and it is fine now. The BLI is the problem, can not aquire it after this problem any short on the track. Used a quarter to trip the breaker and could not aquire the BLI, did the reboot and it was back on line. BLI problem I guess.

[cacole]

The problem appears to be more with your DCC system than with the locomotive as far as its being able to reacquire control after a derailment. What model of Digitrax DCC system are you using? It sound to me like your DCC system does not properly reset itself after a short circuit is removed.

[claycts]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

The problem appears to be more with your DCC system than with the locomotive as far as its being able to reacquire control after a derailment. What model of Digitrax DCC system are you using? It sound to me like your DCC system does not properly reset itself after a short circuit is removed.

(1) dcs100 Master, (3) DB150 Slaves, NO PM42 wired in yet till all the big work is ready.
Using 1 sub for the test it is off the DCS100. EVERTHING is soldered in the curves, straights alternate. Turnouts float.
BLI does not have a FLOAT in the drivers so it is VERY PICKY about the track work. All code 83 Atlas, turnouts are Walthers except for 6 remaining Atlas units. THe Diamond WAS atlas untill I find a better one.
The quarter test is fine all over the "A" main (165 ft) NON of the #12awg bus wires are over 35 ft long. Boosters are Loop Grounded with #10 AWG Solid. Feeders are every 6 ft or less #22 Solid NO MORE than 6" long.
The problem could be the OLD FART at the switch also[:I]. Just learning this DCC. Reading the 3 books on DCC plus the owners manual for the BLI and Digitrax I THINK i am running it the correct way.
Thanks for the effort.

[selector]

What do you mean by "reboot", George? Do you mean turning off the controller, and then repowering the system? Or do you mean a reset on the loco?

I routinely shut off my DS 100 when it indicates a fault, even though the manual says it is unecessary as it will reset when the fault is corrected. I think turning it off is cheap insurance. When I repower, my DT400 always indicates the last locos that were addressed and active in the display. What does your paddle show?

[claycts]

QUOTE: Originally posted by selector

What do you mean by "reboot", George? Do you mean turning off the controller, and then repowering the system? Or do you mean a reset on the loco?

I routinely shut off my DS 100 when it indicates a fault, even though the manual says it is unecessary as it will reset when the fault is corrected. I think turning it off is cheap insurance. When I repower, my DT400 always indicates the last locos that were addressed and active in the display. What does your paddle show?

I turn OFF the power to the DCS100 a COLD BOOT. The DR400 shows the loco (03) in this case. If you just let the system sit after a trip the BLI will NOT repower. If you cold boot the system it will repower.
I an working on the sequebce for aquiring the loco:
Do you TURN ON track power (power +) then select the address OR Select the address THEN turn on track power (Power +)?
I shut down by (power -) flip the switch on the booster then trun off the 110 to the system.
I am trying to get the sequence down so I can show my wife how to run this.
Thank you

[wjstix]

I had to do some tinkering to get my Hudson to go thru a similar Atlas crossing. The key is to keep working on it until it works, even if it means (as it did in my case) re-laying some of the track leading up to the crossing. It took some time for me to work out all the bugs, but now I can run the Hudson thru in all directions with no problems/shorts etc. It's better in the long run to do that than to worry about how to re-set everything after a recurring short. [:D]

[selector]

All I do is flip the small metal power toggle on my main controller...it is faster than punching "power" on the paddle, and them having to punch "N-" to actually get the power to shut off. I correct the fault on the rails, then flip the toggle back up. Maybe your model is different?

In any event, I have never had a QSI loco revert to address 03 just because the controller reported a short and cut power to the track. Sounds like you need to get ahold of BLI.

However, here is what I'd like you to do: replicate the short and let the system power down. Repair the short, repower as you normally do, ensure the "power to the track" dot is displayed,on your paddle display and that the LED indicating power to the track is on on the face of the controller (DB 150, or DS 100?). Then, take the knob that indicates address 03, and dial it up to your previous J1's address as programmed, and punch the knob once. Does that bring the loco around?

[claycts]

Selector, DUMB QUESTION what is PUNCH THE KNOB? I select the address them press enter. As I said the nut at the control may be lose!
Stix, It runs fine east bound it is not happy west bound. I do not keep causing the short I has trying to figure WHY the DCS100 was not recovering and alowing the BLI to resume.
Thanks to both of you.

[selector]

My lack of experience showing...assumed that all knobs were the same for Digitrax...sorry. Now I'm baffled.

[rrinker]

Click encoders where you can pu***he knob are on DT100/200/300/400 throttles. The Zephyr console and UT1/2/4 throttles have potentiometers which don't click.

Double click the knob to reverse - or press the direction button. One click works like hitting the ENTER button when selecting a loco. Or activates the particular knob - if you are controlling a loco with the left knob and want to switch to the one ont he right knob, click the right knob. Etc. Makes it easy to switch cars one-handed, just double click the knob to switch direction. And again to go back - quad-click as it were, while the desired couplers are over the magnet.

--Randy

[claycts]

Thanks Randy, I just got a Radio and another 400 plus the One that came with the Chief I think. Will TRY to get all the Track in for phase one Less the yard BEFORE car season. No anybody that wants to buy a Porsche? 1985 951 Turbo. Need to cull down a few from the collection. Sold our race car and one of the Ferrari's, keeping the Testarossa.
Take Care
George P.
Randy, is there any good train shows in PA in April?

[rrinker]

Nope, not in April. The next train meet here is next weekend. Feb 25 and 26.

Just use PS-Revs for every power district, then it won;t matter if you get them in phase [:D][:D][:D][:D]

Would love to buy the 951 if I could afford it.


--Randy

[claycts]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker

Nope, not in April. The next train meet here is next weekend. Feb 25 and 26.

Just use PS-Revs for every power district, then it won;t matter if you get them in phase [:D][:D][:D][:D]

Would love to buy the 951 if I could afford it.


--Randy

That is not a bad idea. How would you wire it? just run all the feeds thru the PSrev and then to the layout?

[rrinker]

Well I wasn't serious although it probably SHOULD work. Just be expensive and if there are any switching delays, there might be a little jerky motion. Since the PS-Rev is a breaker and an auto reverse, if you used those for ever power district instead of just the PowerShields, you'd only have to get the track feeders in each power district right - any mismatch between adjoining districts would be taken care of by the PS-Rev as it swapped phase to match the next district the train was entering. Of course, for less than the cost difference between a PS and PS-Rev you could buy a buzzer, clip leads, and a battery at Radio Shack and hook it up across the track bus (disconnect the booster) and it will let you know you are attaching the feeders to the wrong side and causing a short before you even permanently attach them.

--Randy

[claycts]

Thanks Randy, I THINK Tony's is shipping my stuff in about 2 weeks.