The shorts are gone. By telephone the Walthers technician was able to deduce what the problem was--what he called a polarity issue. He had me switeh the DCC power wires to the control box which fixed the problem. Thanks Walthers!
skagitrailbird Finally got my upgraded TT installed and programmed for three lead in tracks and nine radial tracks. Most of the time the bridge takes the shortest route to the desired track but not always. I guess I have to live with that quirk. One problem remains, however: I get a short moving locomotives on or off the bridge. The loco runs fine on all of the tracks leading to the pit and they run fine on the bridge. But crossing the gap, the locos stop due to a short. When I push the locos fully on or off the bridge, the circuit breakers reset themselves and all is fine until I try to move a loco on or off the bridge. Any ideas?
Finally got my upgraded TT installed and programmed for three lead in tracks and nine radial tracks. Most of the time the bridge takes the shortest route to the desired track but not always. I guess I have to live with that quirk.
One problem remains, however: I get a short moving locomotives on or off the bridge. The loco runs fine on all of the tracks leading to the pit and they run fine on the bridge. But crossing the gap, the locos stop due to a short. When I push the locos fully on or off the bridge, the circuit breakers reset themselves and all is fine until I try to move a loco on or off the bridge.
Any ideas?
I sometimes had the same shorting problem with certain locos. Although I never could determine exactly why the short, I adjusted the rail height of the leads to make sure their tops were very flush with the bridge rails and the shorts disappeared. The differences in height weren't obvious to casual observation but apparently caused the problem in some manner.
Dante
Well, just got off the phone with Walthers Tech. support, My turntable issues are due to bad electronics under the pit. I was instructed to go under the layout remove the screws holding the control board, and return the defective board to Walthers for replacement. I had programmed it correctly and it should not have stopped and short circuited in the NO-TRACK area. If anyone out there has recently purchased the N Scale 130' DCC TT, Beware of issues that do not seem normal. Walthers will gladly repair or replace any defective parts.
can I disable the indexing function on my N scale 130' walthers tt?
I purchased the Whalthers N 130' DCC TT, about 6 Mos. ago. I just recently installed it on my layout. I did all the Programming and it works fine. I haven't cleaned it yet but as the instructions suggest, to use the factory programmed #1 stop as the lead in track I cannot as I have my roundhouse tracks at stop #1. needless to say the turntable (mine) seems to only want to travel in one direction, (clockwise) it always comes to a complete and total stop in the NO TRACK AREA, thus requiring me to re-calibrate and start over. VERY FRUSTRATING!, I'm sure I will figure this problem out. I wish Walthers would have installed an overide switch to be on manual control so as not to rely on the turntables' programming. Does anybody Know what the two grey buttons are for that are not labled on the control box?
I don't know what happened to my response to Roger's latest, but for what it's worth I repeat it here:
"Glad to read that you’re back in business. I have no explanation for our difference in the movement of the TT. I reread the instructions and experimented with my control. My table consistently rotates in the shortest direction to the designated track."
I have a Nscale Walthers turntable from the first run and a CMR 130' turntable.
The Walthers turntable works quiet well but not as good as I wanted.
Both are controlled by NYRS indexing system control, because in Nscale you need extremly precise control and alignement of the brigde whith the tracks; 1mm is a big gap in n scale!
However the system is not cheap but his precision and reliability in time are valued whith the price.
You can find more infos on www.nyrs.com
These control are precision device using a step by step motor control and the construction is very robust.
Marc
They also offer DCC contol for this system
Dante,
I finally got my upgraded 90' turntable back last week, installed it, relaid the tracks and began programming it. At the moment I have three lead in/out tracks and two of nine radial tracks programmed. I was up against the dinner bell but took the time to instruct end A to move from track 9 to track 7, the adjactnt trackto the left (counter clockwise for my track numbering scheme). The TT bridge went clockwise or 350 degrees around the pit. I hope I can figure out how to correct that.
Otherwise, I like the control pad better than the earlier one but why can't Walthers design a bos that you can mount in a control panel? The bridge does, indeed, stop exactly where programmed--no overshoot and come back.
Yes, there is Atlas, but Walthers is pretty much the only game in town unless you want to build a craftsman kit or spend very big bucks (or both). I would see if they will replace the turntable for the extra $100.00, hold your nose and call it good...
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
dante I believe the other difference is that if you hook up the TT to the DCC bus (as I did-via the control box per instructions) you can continue control of the loco on the table with the throttle. As I said, I still control the TT itself with the control box. Reliable, easy combination. Dante P.S. I strongly agree with those who cover the table to protect from detritus, etc. I bought a large and deep food dish cover from Party City. Otherwise, if you have to remove the table to clean the unit periodically, you have to relocate the "0" position each time. You control the loco with the DCC throttle in the old non-DCC TT; track power is still routed from the buss. -Bob
I believe the other difference is that if you hook up the TT to the DCC bus (as I did-via the control box per instructions) you can continue control of the loco on the table with the throttle. As I said, I still control the TT itself with the control box. Reliable, easy combination.
P.S. I strongly agree with those who cover the table to protect from detritus, etc. I bought a large and deep food dish cover from Party City. Otherwise, if you have to remove the table to clean the unit periodically, you have to relocate the "0" position each time.
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
dante P.S. I strongly agree with those who cover the table to protect from detritus, etc. I bought a large and deep food dish cover from Party City. Otherwise, if you have to remove the table to clean the unit periodically, you have to relocate the "0" position each time.
Not if you operate in manually (i.e., that is, without the indexing feature).
Rich
Alton Junction
Does anyone on this site have a Heljan RTR turntable. If you do, how does it work
The reason I ask is that Heljan made both the turntable and also its electronics for Walthers.
I remember reading, and experiencing the long delays in the productrion of the dlectronics for the second batch of turntables. Walthers had even announced the turntable itself was ready, the delay was due to the programing of the electronics. This was thought to be a short delay, but it was not.
I had ordered one and had to wait almost two years before one of the new DCC RTR units was available. I had read that the turntable itself had changed very little, the electronics had changed.
Al the time people were waiting for the release of the new Walthers truntables the Heljan turntables with their own electronics were being sold. I almost bought one, but the length of the turntable was 14". which was too long for my layout which had been designed around the shorter 90' Walthers turntable.
In retrospect I wish I had bought the Heljan turntable and rhen realigned my layout to accomodate it.
rrinker The only real difference is that it appears the DCC one allows you to spin the table via your DCC throttle as well as the control box. They may have made some tweaks tot he programming as well, but the real big difference is the control via DCC. I wouldn;t see any reason to upgrade. Buy one new today and you get the DCC one - but you don't have to hook it to DCC for power, you can wire it like the old one and just use the control box. --Randy Well that make more sense to me. -Bob
The only real difference is that it appears the DCC one allows you to spin the table via your DCC throttle as well as the control box. They may have made some tweaks tot he programming as well, but the real big difference is the control via DCC.
I wouldn;t see any reason to upgrade. Buy one new today and you get the DCC one - but you don't have to hook it to DCC for power, you can wire it like the old one and just use the control box.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I have the older version of the 130' programmable tt and love it. I don't understand some of the comments about it stopping at every programmed position. It does stop at the next position in the direction you select, but if you want to go past that to another position, you just hold the button down until you reach the stop you want (actually just before the stop) and it will stop and align with that track. The advantage of this control system over what I understand the DCC version is, is that you select which direction you want the bridge to go (presumabley the closest end to the destination track). Just my observations, but from what I am reading here I would prefer the non-DCC version.
-Bob
skagitrailbird I finally found one of the posts I recalled concering mis direction: "Personally, I'm NOT a fan of the latest version of the Walthers Built-up turntable. The programming is for the birds, you have no idea which way the table will turn. They state that the control cab is, in effect, the 'A' end and if you want to table to rotate to a track, you address that track in relation to the 'A' end. That doesn't always work. The first version of the table control was far superior. You selected which direction the table turned and released the "Go" button just before the table reached the track you wanted. Now, with this pre-programmable stops, it's hit or miss if the table will even go to the track you selected.One more "female dog", it's DCC ready. Big deal. Who runs switches and turntable and accessories from a throttle. Real engineers do not do that so why should modellers? Besides, if it's "DCC Ready" then why does the sound cut out half way around the pit? Becuase it's set up for DC and polarity reversal, that's why. You do not need polarity reversal with DCC.Rant over." Is anyone else having such problems. What, if anything, can be done to correct thhis? Roger
I finally found one of the posts I recalled concering mis direction:
"Personally, I'm NOT a fan of the latest version of the Walthers Built-up turntable.
The programming is for the birds, you have no idea which way the table will turn. They state that the control cab is, in effect, the 'A' end and if you want to table to rotate to a track, you address that track in relation to the 'A' end. That doesn't always work.
The first version of the table control was far superior. You selected which direction the table turned and released the "Go" button just before the table reached the track you wanted. Now, with this pre-programmable stops, it's hit or miss if the table will even go to the track you selected.One more "female dog", it's DCC ready. Big deal. Who runs switches and turntable and accessories from a throttle. Real engineers do not do that so why should modellers? Besides, if it's "DCC Ready" then why does the sound cut out half way around the pit? Becuase it's set up for DC and polarity reversal, that's why. You do not need polarity reversal with DCC.Rant over."
Is anyone else having such problems. What, if anything, can be done to correct thhis?
Roger
Hmmm. As I said earlier, the table takes the shortest route to the selected track. Why do you want to bother to tell it which way to go? And it stops precisely at the selected track-no "hit or miss" and no "seeking." Finally, the sound on my one sound-equipped loco does not cut-out during a complete traverse.
That being said, I, too, prefer to use the control box and not the loco throttle (the Zephyr Extra CS). But I have a small doughnut layout with the TT control very close to the TT and the DCC command station. Perhaps those who have to control the TT from farther away might pefer the DCC throttle control.
As a long time owner of the Walthers 130' non-DCC turntable on my DCC layout, I never understood what was supposed to be the big deal about going DCC with the latest version of the turntable.
The non-DCC version with its control box works just fine either in the indexed mode or manually by disabling the indexing function as I now have done.
Can someone tell me what the advantage is of a DCC turntable?
dante My Walthers 90' DCC TT simply takes the shortest travel to the selected track without any intermediate stops. It stops exactly at the track without "seeking" back and forth. Dante
My Walthers 90' DCC TT simply takes the shortest travel to the selected track without any intermediate stops. It stops exactly at the track without "seeking" back and forth.
It may do that in the DCC version, but in the non-DCC version it stops at every programmed index stop.
Roger, that I have not heard or read. I do know the bridge on the older indexed model that I have will go past its intended index point about four degrees, stop, and return to the correct stopping point. It does this no matter which way it turns. It is consistent and quite reliable behaviour in at least my case.
-Crandell
Crandell,
I seem to recall a number of postings a while back on two or three different forums from folks who were having trouble with the bridge direction of rotation. I tried looking for some of them but cannot seem to find them now. But if I recall correctly it was something like if you were trying to move one end of the bridge three stall tracks to the right the bridge might get there by going left or the long way around the pit.
That's always an option as well, Rich.
Roger, I don't understand your last question. They work, and will stop at indexed spots, in either direction.
Let me complicate your decision-making a little more.
I have a Walthers 130' non-DCC indexed turntable. It works fine. But, I really don't like the indexing feature because it stops at every stall. So, I disabled the indexing feature, and I do it manually, holding down the button until it reaches the desired stall. I got very proficient at aligning the track on the first try.
So, if I were you, I wouldn't pay Walthers anything, and I would run the turntable manually.
Crandall,
$80 is the labor cost i think my modeling skills are pretty good including working with electronics and soldering but I am strictly an amature. My time isn't worth much but not knowing the complexity of the job makes me lean towards ponying up the bucks for a pro to do the job. I have not yet asked the warranty questions but you can bet I will.
A question for those with a Walthers DCC turntable: are there for direction issues?
Sounds like they are trying to make it your fault, that way you are the one who caused the problem. Now, they can charge you to help keep costs down.
I had the 90' RTR DCC Walthers turntable and it did not even index right for a week,. Walthers sent me about a dozen proceedures to try to get the turnatable to index. Finally gave up after a month and sent it in to get repaired. I did not notivy Walthers prior to sendint it in and it got lost somewhere.
Needless to say, I no longer have a Walthers RTR motorized turntable.
Seems a lot like the Bachmann products, if it works right out of the box great, but if it does not it becames a problem soon after you receive it. Quality control issue.
I just received a couple of the new CNR FP9's from Rapido, they test each engine before it leaves their facility.
I can't answer that knowledgeably without knowing what portion of the bill would be for labour. What's your time worth, and what are your skills like? Would they agree to warrant the upgrade at all? If so, would they still agree to warrant repairs performed by you?
If you have to send it to them, must you return the entire unit, or just the drive housing? Maybe they wouldn't mind just shipping you the gizmo and letting you install it. It would be considerably cheaper for you, saving maybe labour plus shipping it all one way in a big carton...insured.
I know, so many questions....
Personally, I would feel in a stronger position to claim on one of their repairs if it goes south for some reason. They have qualified techs with the tools and experience. If you'd like to save a few dollars, the upgrade, itself, is looking even better now over forking out for three times the cost for a new one. IMO.