I used to own a Zephyr myself back in 2004 when I first got one.
My next step in my layout project is to wire the PM42 to the BDL168. We use the quarter trick to test short circuits for Digitrax command stations and the PM42. Now how can one test a BDL168? How can I know that it is working correctly once I finish the wiring. How can I test it?
To alloverboard,
Have you even looked over the instruction manual? It comes with an LT5 tester and the steps are in the manual. BTW, LT5 looks like the LT1 tester. Don't mix them up.
Martin Myers
This just goes on and on and on.
I think the best course of action is for alloboard to get on the phone with Technical Support at Digitrax and talk through his entire electronic set up with their experts.
Rich
Alton Junction
My bad forgot all about that LT5 tester. I will concentrate on that. After this I promise no more questions only updates on my progress. On page 19 it says "LED for First Detection section (1,5,9,or 13) then Second etc." I find the numbers confusing and they don't seem coherent. I really need help understanding this one. You guys are helping me out so far.
There are four sockets, one for each zone.
Zone A has blocks 1,2,3,& 4
Zone B has blocks 5,6,7,& 8
Etc.
Which block you are testing depends on which socket the tester is in.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Is there a difference between a detection section and a zone? How come the numbers on page 19 are not in order when it says "First Detection section (1,5,9,or 13)."
There are 4 zones, each with 4 sections. THat's why the numbers go 1,5,9,13
[1 - 2 - 3 - 4] [5 - 6 - 7 - 8] [9 - 10 - 11 - 12] [13 - 14 - 15 - 16]
--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 see the pattern now. The first number of every group. The numbers looked dazzling at first.
There's a device that changes guages of trains on the go. It's so cool, never seen anything like it. It's TALGO of Spain.
Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiH4kt14yGw
and this one too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_LFIUkcPNM
alloboard I see the pattern now. The first number of every group. The numbers looked dazzling at first.
OK, that's it. I am using my powers of self-policing to ban alloboard from the forum.
Actually, the numbers 1, 5, 9, 13 are in order.
I'm glad,''My papers'', ARE IN ORDER,,,,
Cheers,
Frank
zstripe I'm glad,''My papers'', ARE IN ORDER,,,, Cheers, Frank
Watch your back, Frank, you could be next. Glad to hear that you are paper trained, LOL
To the OP, please take this as constructive, repeat constructive advice:
You appear to be putting the cart before the horse, doing advanced electronics before having a solid layout in place. I urge you to stop, disconnect everything, and get the layout off the floor. OK, you have a problem with woodworking. So get yourself a number of sawhorses - either ready made or made with 2x4s - and place your sheets of plywood on them. If more than one sheet, get some scrap 1x2s and screw them to adjoing sheets to hold them together. This is not the preferred way to build a layout base, but it sure beats sitting on the floor.
Design the trackage, lay the roadbed and track, and then look at wiring. I would urge you to photo the result and send to the Forum for advice before you start putting in stuff that may not be appropriate.
DCC operation can be fairly simple, or hugely complicated. As you are new to this, start out simple and build up as you master what you have already done.
Frankly, you need to test running trains and trackage before you go thru all the complexities. And, getting the trains to stay on the track is often a difficult task for a newcomer. Do that first, and it will make things a lot easier later on.
FYI...... I have a 11x15 two level room filling HO layout. I use a 5 amp Super Chief with another 5 amp booster. There are 8 power districts, each with the dedicated circuit breaker. Frankly, I probably don't need the extra 4 districts and would not notice the difference. This was not an overnight set up, having taken a couple years to get up and running.
My point is, like they say, start out simple - at least until you get the hang of things and the trains running.
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Mobilman:
Your advice is excellent but unfortunately I'm afraid that it will fall on deaf ears as similar advice in the recent past has. Too bad.
Joe
A lumber yard will pre-cut wood for a nominal fee. Then it is simply using dry wall screws to assemble a basic table. Anyone capable of wiring and assembling track should be able to use a driver.
Kinda reminds me of the saga of Sux rider. And we know how that ended..........................
Jim
Soo Line fan A lumber yard will pre-cut wood for a nominal fee. Then it is simply using dry wall screws to assemble a basic table. Anyone capable of wiring and assembling track should be able to use a driver. Kinda reminds me of the saga of Sux rider. And we know how that ended..........................
So true. Wonder whatever became of him?
It's biking season. Perhaps he may be back in the winter
I will take the advice.
richhotrain Soo Line fan A lumber yard will pre-cut wood for a nominal fee. Then it is simply using dry wall screws to assemble a basic table. Anyone capable of wiring and assembling track should be able to use a driver. Kinda reminds me of the saga of Sux rider. And we know how that ended.......................... So true. Wonder whatever became of him? Rich
He is here:
http://historyculturebybicycle.blogspot.com/
http://siouxcityjournal.com/users/profile/sux%20vr40%20rider/
JoeinPA It's biking season. Perhaps he may be back in the winter Joe
I hope he does, if nothing else it was good for a laugh. We had some funny discussions, like about the ground hogs.
Never before in the history of this forum, has one member asked for, and received so much help, from so many members, on so many issues. And despite telling everyone where to go we still continued to offer help.
Difference being Allo actually appreciates the help, SUX thought all we were trying to do was put him down. He just didn;t get that the things we were saying NOT to do weren;t because we are hobby snobs, but because they are the things we tried ourselves and found didn;t work.
I really do appreciate the help everyone has giving me. My project is really working out good so far.
I understand what you are saying. I once started out basic but I've come a long way. I started this hobby in 2002 with the GG1 Millennium Express train set, in DC then I got my first DCC, the Digitrax Zephyr. Now I have the DB150 with the DT402D duplex radio throttle, and a Locobuffer II USB connected to my PC. Everything is working out the good so far thanks to you and everyone's help in this forum. This has took me 11 years in the making. I have decided that this will be my final track design the only thing is to get it off the floor. If I have to disconnect the wires and trackage that will be very discouraging for anyone to start all over which I'm not planning to do.
To the OP..........
You can buy plastic sawhorses at Sears hardware, but a better choice would be to go to Lowes/Home Depot and get a few "sawhorse brackets", and build your own. Get a few 2x4s, and a saw, and you are in business for relatively few dollars.
More than a few of us long term MRs started out with sheets of plywood set on sawhorses..........
Thanks for your help.
Polarity is not and issue with Rail A and B comming straight from a Digitrax booster unlike DC but from what I've learned polarity is an issue with a power management like the PM42, so I make sure that my rail A and B wires are always matched at the right side.
Well, it DOES matter if you have more than one booster, because of one section is wired opposite the other, when a train crosses the gap between the section powered by booster A into the section controlled by booster B, it will be a dead short.
The type of Loconet cables also matters, if the downstream device is a booster or a BDL168, especially if adding RX4s for transponding. Proper data orientation cables throughout will aboid problems. A phone cable flips the wires, which is OK for the Loconet signel and the ground, but reverses the phase of the Railsync signals in the same cable, which is very critical for the transponding since it works by allowing the decoder to send a signal on the rails when the DCC signal is at the 0 point of the square wave. Having one crossed cable somewhere in your wiring chain can result in hair-pulling levels of frustration when it doesn;t work, because just looking at the outside of the cable, all looks to be fine, and the problem isn;t immediately obvious. So take care int he wiring to make sure nothing comes back later to bite you.
True I don't even want to imagine the horror of that type of issue!
The following is my upgraded layout: VIDEO0310zpsb1049b0b.mp4.html
This is my BDL168 and PM42:
YIKES !
Don't get electrocuted !