FORUM CLINIC: 12 years using DCC - SIGNIFICANT NEW INFO!

[Tom Bryant_MR]

QUOTE: Here's how to wire a programming track properly so it's safe to have it connected to the rest of the layout.

Glad I came across this link. I'm drawing up a new HO layout for garage and have added this tip to my plan. Totally forgot about the programming track. Great.

[Tom Bryant_MR]

QUOTE: Joe, I wanted to throw in another tip that may save some folks some grief programming with the program track. Lenz decoders (also found in the first Atlas non sound DCC and I beleive the Bachmann DCC offerings) do not put enough load on the programming track and are often not recognized by the DCC system. On the Zephyr, this is indicated by a dnd error message. A 1K resistor accross the track solves the problem. Since the 1K resistor is not needed for other brands of decoder you can either build it into the program track switch circuit, or make a simple rig with a 1K resistor and a pair of aligator clips. I have used this solution and it works like a charm.

Had this same problem. Thought I had a bad Atlas loco and or Lenz decoder and sent it back. Next time, I'll know. Thanks. This stuff is just great!

[chateauricher]

bump

[jfugate]

Sheesh ... this is on the third page within a few hours.

This is getting ridiculous ... we need to do something for "keeper info" threads to get them outta here. Leaving them in the general discussion area is for the birds ... they are just getting lost in the din, and I for one am getting real tired of digging through the general discussion forum over and over trying to find this thread. [xx(]

[jwr_1986]

Joe if you bookmark it you won't have to dig. If you use the firefox browser so you can really organize bookmarks you can have a whole folder of them right on the toolbar. it really saves time.

Jesse

[Anonymous]

Bump. This needs to have a sticky on it, or something.

[electrolove]

Bump!

[Tom Bryant_MR]

QUOTE: Joe if you bookmark it you won't have to dig. If you use the firefox browser so you can really organize bookmarks you can have a whole folder of them right on the toolbar. it really saves time.

As Jessie indicates, this is also true for IE. I simply created a folder in Favorites called Clinics and then drop the link from the address bar into them.

[jfugate]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jwr_1986

Joe if you bookmark it you won't have to dig. If you use the firefox browser so you can really organize bookmarks you can have a whole folder of them right on the toolbar. it really saves time.

Jesse

Gee, being an internet developer in my day job, did I think of this? NO. Go figure. [xx(]

Well, I've done it now, and sure nuff, it helps find it.

What's the chance everyone on here who wants to refer to this info will have thought of this? Probably not as good as we would hope.

I feel a FORUM mini-CLINIC coming on ... how to never lose the forum's best postings.

Be pretty handy if we at least had one permanent sticky at the top of the forum with links to all the most useful threads. Point is there are ways to really leverage this internet forum thing ...

[chateauricher]

Sure, bookmarking forum threads is great ... for those who know the threads exist.

But what about those newbies who don't know about these clinics ? They have to resort to wading through all the back pages to find this (and other) threads. Then, there are, of course, those of us who access the forums from computers other than the one at home (ie: at work; friend's; etc.) where we can't have personal bookmarks.

So, the best option would be to put this (and other useful threads) in a locked and stickied topic. Despite the efforts of myself and many other members, Bergie seems not to agree with us (or so it seems since he hasn't stickied any threads).

[Pruitt]

Well, the clinics get bumped back to the top on a regular basis, so I think they get pretty good visibility.

[chateauricher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Brunton
Well, the clinics get bumped back to the top on a regular basis, so I think they get pretty good visibility.

If only that were true for all three of Joe's clinics. This happens to be the most read, so it gets bumped often. Only the gods know exactly where the other two Forum Clinics have gone...

Also, bumping a thread only means that it gets filled up with dozens of posts all saying "bump". A bit of a waste, if you ask me when it could simply be "stickied".

[Bob Hayes]

Bump

[Pruitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by chateauricher


Also, bumping a thread only means that it gets filled up with dozens of posts all saying "bump". A bit of a waste, if you ask me when it could simply be "stickied".

Yeah, there is that. I get tired of going to see what's new in the thread and seeing only "Bump" or some variant....

[Anonymous]

I have a question on the 1156 bulb.... I'm building a new N layout which is DCC and needs to be Child Friendly.... If one of my sons causes a short, bulb comes on but they don't come get me and leave it, what kind of damage to the rails am I going to end up with??? The system is run with a Prodigy Advance.... I want to be able to leave the room without fearing them welding while I'm gone.... I know the prodigy itself is limited to 2.5 amps....

[jfugate]

The 1156 bulbs limit the current to just under 2 amps, and remember the bulb is acting as the new load, so technically, it's not even a short ... it's a circuit with an 1156 bulb as its load. So the damage should be minimal, if any.

A short does damage when it doesn't have a load -- there's lots of free energy that usually gets released in the form of heat, and it's the heat that does the damage. You shouldn't see much heat with an 1156 bulb in the circuit, except the bulb itself.

Take another look at my demo video: http://mymemoirs.net/preview.php ... I drop the quarter on the track and then leave it there for several seconds while I keep talking. If that was an ordinary short with no bulb in the circuit, that quarter would get hot very quickly. But as it is with the 1156 bulb, the quarter doesn't heat up at all ... no more than any wire in a normal 1156 bulb circuit does.

[jfugate]

A couple further comments on the 1156 bulbs and shorts ...

Because the 1156 bulb circuit when shorted is technically not a short, but is instead now a circuit with the 1156 bulb as the load, that's why the booster never sees a short ... there isn't any short. The bulb works really slick for this!

My friend and fellow modeler Charlie Comstock wired the 1156 bulbs in using a SPDT-center off toggle switch. You throw the toggle one way, and the 1156 bulb is in the circuit. Throw the toggle the other way, and the 1156 bulb is not in the circuit -- and you get your normal booster short protection. Throw the toggle to the center position and you kill the power to the block, which is handy for debugging.

This gives Charlie the best of both worlds ... he can try running the railroad with the bulbs in the circuit, or not. After trying things both ways, Charlie typically leaves the toggles set to the 1156 bulb short protection setting now, by the way.

[AntonioFP45]

Joe,

Thanks for the info and diagrams on Decoder Pro (it's back on page 3 of this thread). You made it easier to understand.

Roger that.

[jcopilot]

Hey Joe,

You ended the topic "Super Simple Decoder Programming with DecoderPro" with a note that the next topic would be "Cool Ways to Use DecoderPro for Programming on the Main". This was quite a while ago and I'm wondering if I missed that next topic. I've been 'copy and paste'ing useful information from this clinic and I really appreciate your work in this and the other clinics.

Jcopilot

[jfugate]

Nope, you didn't miss it ... I just have never gotten around to posting it.

Guess I should one of these days, aye?

[electrolove]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jfugate

Nope, you didn't miss it ... I just have never gotten around to posting it.

Guess I should one of these days, aye?

Joe, I'm looking forward to that too.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone ever figured out a way to reliably program the MTS decoders with Digitrax?
I have a couple of LGB's with MTS decoders. Some CV's will program some of the time and others won't.

[electrolove]

BUMP

[Anonymous]

It is interesting to note that there have been no new topics added since the DVD came out and you have started another forum.

Does this mean that there is another DVD coming soon?

[jfugate]

QUOTE: Originally posted by train19572003

It is interesting to note that there have been no new topics added since the DVD came out and you have started another forum.

Does this mean that there is another DVD coming soon?

Nope. Done with making DCC DVDs. The last DVD people either loved it or hated it. Extremely technical DVDs are a pain to make and there's always someone who thinks you did it all wrong ...

I just get tired of the "What's the best DCC system to get" question over and over and with the belly-aching around MR's DCC Buyer's Guide, thought it was time to head that question off at the pass.

[swg]

[grayfox1119]

Joe, there are those who just sit back and complain and complain, find fault with every "thing" and every "body" that tries to help the cause. At least you try Joe, and you have helped countless modelers who were lost, confused, frustrated, or just wanted to know "more". To those who complain and complain and

do not

offer "constructive" critique, I ignore them, for if ignorance was bliss, they would be the happiest people on the planet.

[davekelly]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grayfox1119

Joe, there are those who just sit back and complain and complain, find fault with every "thing" and every "body" that tries to help the cause. At least you try Joe, and you have helped countless modelers who were lost, confused, frustrated, or just wanted to know "more". To those who complain and complain and

do not

offer "constructive" critique, I ignore them, for if ignorance was bliss, they would be the happiest people on the planet.

[#ditto][#ditto][#ditto][#ditto]

Joe,

While I may not agree with you all the time, I do strongly believe that you are one of those guys that make this forum so informative. You freely share your experiences, knowledge and opinions with all of us. Guys like you are invaluable in teaching newbies and oldies alike new things. Heck you've helped me make some purchasing decisions and to improve my layout just by posting an answer to someone else's questions.

I'll agree with grayfox. Disagreement and critical commentary are one thing. Belly aching and being mean is totally different. You have never ever come close to the second.

Thanks for doing what you do!!

Dave

[jfugate]

Given all the discussion about DCC on here recently, thought a bump might be in order for this Forum Clinic. This one assumes you have already picked your DCC system and goes into what to do next.

[CP5170]

Some of us are eagerly awaiting the discussion of how to use DecoderPro on the mainline.

We appreciate that there are only so many hours in a day and that you cannot spend all your time on forums.

Have a great weekend, everyone...Ken

[Anonymous]

Joe...thanks for a great clinic!! Keep it coming.