One last Zepher DCC contoler question

[rrinker]

 I hope he's not selling DT400's for $185, MSRP is $180. Now a DT400R with radio for $185 would be a good deal. But to do radio you also need the radio receiver.

 Strange though it might seem, the Zephyr plus DT400 is actually a much more capable system than the Super Empire Builder.

 

                            --Randy
 

[Paul3]

jwils1,
About your sound units...  Are they QSI equipped?  If they are, you can "shut down" the loco so that you don't have to manually turn them off all the time.  You double-click F9 once, and it goes to "Disconnect" (sounds all work, engine doesn't move).  Double-click again, and it goes to "Stand By" (engine goes to idle, other sounds don't operate, engine doesn't move).  Double-click one more time, and the loco goes to "Shut Down" (engine shuts off, all sounds don't operate, engine doesn't move).  To start it up again, double-click F6 once, and she'll start up from "Disconnect", "Stand By", or "Shut Down". 

The nice thing about it is that when "Shut Down", they don't make any noise when the layout is powered up.  None.

Otherwise, you can simply hit F8 to mute them (on most sound decoders).  Your system should remember that when you power it down...so when you power it back up, then locos will make about a second or two of sound before they get the message that they are supposed to be muted.

Oh, and I should spell it out before I forget...  All sound decoders that have capacitors will draw "In Rush" current even if they are "shut down" or muted.  One way to get around this is to have your engine facility wired to a toggle so that one can isolate the locos and prevent them from drawing power when they are not in use (it's also a good way to keep them muted).

Hmm...  8 sound locos on a Zephyr?  I think it would be ok for "In Rush" current, but that would require testing to make sure.  Or, like I said, a delay circuit of some kind would also do the trick (someone over on the Atlas Forum posted a diagram to do-it-yourself).

Paul A. Cutler III
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Weather Or No Go New Haven
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[jwils1]

Paul:

I do have a couple of QSI units and am familiar with the F9 shut down, although I often forget to use it.

Even when everyting is muted and I shut down, when I power back up all of the sound comes on and stays on until I mute again.  Maybe this is unique to Lenz.  Lenz tells me there is no way to prevent this, at least on their system.

I have 7 other non-sound locos and I assume that they draw no current until they are running.  Of course, whether sound or non-sound I would very rarely have more than 2 or 3 locos moving at the same time, and normally have no more than one sound unit turned on at any given time.

Wow.....I just noticed that I've been spelling Zephyr incorrectly for a long time.