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

[NZRMac]

Joe I'm a bit concerned someone may take your diagram above literally and plug the booster straight into 110V with out a transformer!!

Just a thought, Ken.

[jfugate]

D:

Excellent! Make sure and tell us how it goes ... [swg]

[devils]

Just to say thanks Joe for the help with the DecoderPro andTsunami decoders I'm up and running at last, just playing with all the settings and I'll give this post a bump.

[DavidGSmith]

I like truth too. Al seemed almost suprised that I would order and wait.
Good things come to those that wait I hope.

[jfugate]

Yep, Al's a good guy -- he'll give you the straight skinney. Notice he told you up front there's a delay (which is actually kind of unusual -- usually when I've ordered something from CVP it's on my doorstep within a week).

I'd rather be told about the delay than order and then after waiting several weeks call them and *then* have them say ... "oh yeah, didn't we tell you there's a delay?" [swg]

[DavidGSmith]

I bit the bullet and called CVP, talked to Al as you suggested, he wanted to know who had suggested I talk to him, sorry I gave your name. He just laughed. Was fooling around I guess.
Ordered the WSS-4
1 - T-9000 Thats an upgrade
1 - booster 41/2 amp
1 - PS10a 10 amp
1 - rf 1300
Al said production was behind sales due to a change in lead content in components.
I have to wait about 3-4 weeks for shipment, I waited this long to decide so thats not bad.
If your going to spend the money might as well spend lots
Dave

[DavidGSmith]

Thanks, I have been busy this weekend and could not get back til now. Boy it sure dosnt take long to bury a subject. This went back about 6 pages in a few days.
Thanks again, Dave

[jfugate]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DavidGSmith

Thats the diagram. Like I said I took a closer look at the diagram and saw the answer.
I am going to get the CVP system, I have used a number of them and like their wireless best. If I phone them can I get someone with knowledge to advise me on what I need?
Sometimes talking to someone gets better info than E:mails
Dave

Dave:

If you go to the CVP web site (google on cvpusa) you'll find a phone number you can call. Al is usually the guy you end up talking to on the other end and he's as knowledgeable and helpful as it gets.

If you hang out over at the EasyDCC yahoo list, you'll see people mention "I spoke to Al ..." quite a bit, and everyone's ears perk up because it's usually something quite helpful. [swg]

[jfugate]

I just run my power bus from the booster out along the layout and it dead-ends at the far end of the layout.

I did nothing special at the far end ... just wrapped the two wires around a cup hook to keep them from flopping around:

[Anonymous]

Joe,

I just spent the last 2 hours reading thru this topic and found many of the questions I had about dcc answered. But I still have one. Some place I read that the bus should be one long loop. On my layout I have done just this, I start from the command center (digitrax Empire Builder) with a 18 gauge wire to a terminal block and then run a 12 gauge thru the rest of the layout. When I get to the last one I ran a 12 gauge all the way back to the first terminal block with no breaks. Is this a good idea ?? I does work with no shorts. The power booster is on one side of the layout and its about 35-40' to the other end.

Thanks,

Josh

[DavidGSmith]

Thats the diagram. Like I said I took a closer look at the diagram and saw the answer.
I am going to get the CVP system, I have used a number of them and like their wireless best. If I phone them can I get someone with knowledge to advise me on what I need?
Sometimes talking to someone gets better info than E:mails
Dave

[DavidGSmith]

Sorry a closer look at the diagram answers my question. Must have been getting bleary eyed that night.
Dave

[jfugate]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DavidGSmith
I have one question so far, in the circuit using the light bulb to indicate a short and prevent the unit from tripping, what is the green wire on the plan hooked to?

Dave

You talking about this diagram?


(click to enlarge)

The green wire is a local 1156 protected sub-bus that's fed from the blue side of the main bus by passing through an 1156 bulb first. If you do all your train block rail feeders off the green wire on that rail, you get 1156 bulb "short management" protection for that train block.

[DavidGSmith]

I was away for a while and this topic started just as I decided to change to DCC. I read part of the postings and your topic lessons. I have one question so far, in the circuit using the light bulb to indicate a short and prevent the unit from tripping, what is the green wire on the plan hooked to? My electronics tech girl friend wil be over this weekend and when I descrbed the schematic to her she said she would have to see it.
Thanks and I will try to read it all.
Dave

[jfugate]

Yep, should be covered in the video ... but sometimes repetition and saying it a little differently helps make it sink in better. [swg]

[zgardner18]

Without reading all sixteen pages of this thread, can someone tell me if this is all covered in Joe's videos, because I have the first three and the third one covers DCC.
(GREAT VIDEO TOO)

[Anonymous]

Joe did I miss TOPIC NEXT POST: Cool ways to use DecoderPro for programming on the main

[jfugate]

Ron:

If you can get in the fast lane of the learning curve with this info, that's my goal.

Always glad to help out a fellow modeler. [swg]

[n2mopac]

Its been a long time since anyone posted on this thread, but the day warrented it for me. I have just started wiring the first section of my new layout. The layout is in N scale and I started with the main body of my central yard. I am using DCC for the first time. Having followd this and Joe's other clinics closely when they were active, I found the 1156 bulb idea and Joe's other advice quite helpful. I followed Joe's proceedures in wiring the main and the yard on this first section. I test ran my first train last night and everything went like clockwork.

One idea I was skeptical about was soldering feederwires to the backs of both rails. Modeling in N scale, I was not sure I could do this successfully without causing interferance with flanges on the near rail where the feeder would be on the inside of the rail. I tried it on my first feeder and it worked beautifully. The only difference in my proceedure is that I used solid feeder wires and flattened them a bit where they connect to the bottom of the rail.

Joe, if you read this, thanks for all of your wonderful input. It's been a while since we have heard from your in a clinic format around here, but I and I know many others thank you for our input and hope that you will have more imput for us to discuss soon. Thanks.

Ron

[pcarrell]

Bump!

[Anonymous]

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

[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

[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.

[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

[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.

[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]

[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?

[electrolove]

BUMP

[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]

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.