DCS Newbie Question

Yes, I have on/off toggle switches for my fixed channel outputs, mounted in the fascia of my layout table. My layout is setup just as you describe doing yours. Also with separate toggle switches for each siding and spur track. Been working for about 7-8 years now, no problems. The toggle switches do come in handy at times.

Can't really answer your question, but I noticed another area of concern when you mentioned "toggle switches" for yard tracks.  If, while running DCS,  you power off everything and then power on while some of the track toggles are "OFF," any engines sitting on an "OFF" track will not receive what's called the watchdog signal.  What that means is when you later toggle that track to "ON," engines sitting on that track will start running at 18 volts (the recommendation for DCS) in conventional mode, like the proverbial "bat outta ****".  Next stop, derailment!

There are available fixes for this situation, but you will have to search this forum for "watchdog signal" for more info.

Chuck

I use toggle switches in my yard and sidings but not on the mainlines. I have all my variable channels set to fixed and use all 4 channels on the TIU. Since you are adding DCS, I assume you have some PS2/PS3 engines. One thing to consider is that any PS2/PS3 engine will miss the watchdog signal if it is on a switched track and you turn toggle on after the transformer is powered up. That means your engine will start up in conventional mode vs command mode. Not a big issue since you can select that engine with remote and hit Startup. There is a kit available to add a repeating watchdog signal to any TIU output to overcome this.

Not sure I understood your statement of "adjust the transformer or throw the power switch".

I power the TIU from the aux power input. After the TIU is powered on I just flip the switch on each PH180 connected to Fixed 1& Fixed 2 and away I go. But I also only run DCS/TMCC/Legacy equipped locomotives, so I have no need for transformer handles to vary power.

Sorry for the incomete statement. I meant to add that I have to adjust the transformer throttle or hit the power strip switch TO TURN OFF TRACK POWER.  That was the important part of the question I left out.

Especially now while getting set up and proving out my track work, I'd like to be able to shut off power at times without reaching down below the layout.

Thanks for the tips about the watchdog signal. I think I can avoid this challenge with my yard. The two mainline are taking up all four channels of one TIU (2 per mainline) since I'm using older PW transformers. Split each mainline into two districts.

So the yard will be on a 2nd TIU.  Thinking I can power the yard and yard's TIU separately. And, maybe I'll just use the variable channel to ensure no launches at 18V if I mess up the watchdog signal.

Mine is set up like Ken’s. Only the sidings are switched.  Not sure you will need two TIUs.  I have 4 loops with about 120’ of track each.  Also, a hundred or so feet of siding.  All on one TIU fed from two PW ZWs.

As for the watchdog issue. I wouldn’t worry about an engine running away if it misses the watchdog signal.  They operate in conventional so you would need to toggle the switch twice for a runaway.  It happened to me just once when a youngster was playing with a toggle switch.

What you do need to worry about is smoke units.  If an engine starts up in conventional, the smoke unit will be on and it will stay on even if you push the start button on the remote. After it starts in conventional, you need to push the start button to put it in DCS mode, then turn off the smoke using the remote…for all engines that started in conventional.

You could solve the watchdog problem with the DCS-RC Perpetual Barking Watchdog Generator.   This uses a DCS Remote Commander base and an add-on timer board that I created to solve the issue of a watchdog being missed.

The DCS-RC Watchdog is a small board that is installed in the MTH DCS Remote Commander to create a continuous watchdog generator for a selected track or set of tracks.  This allows you to power sidings individually without cycling power on the whole TIU channel and still keeps any MTH DCS locomotives dark and silent.

The WD Generator Kit consists of a small PCB and a 3-pin mating connector to be soldered to the DCS-RC main PCB.  The graphics below depict the location of the mating connector and the position of the WD board when installed.

@Lehigh74 posted:

Mine is set up like Ken’s. Only the sidings are switched.  Not sure you will need two TIUs.  I have 4 loops with about 120’ of track each.  Also, a hundred or so feet of siding.  All on one TIU fed from two PW ZWs.

If I had two ZWs, I'd agree, but I'm using 2 LWs and 2 RWs.  They're lighter in output, so I went with one per channel, two TIU channels per mainline. Might be overkill, not sure, but I'd rather have two much power for two engines per mainline  than not enough.

John, I seen Mario's train had some, but with my luck I was to late, any new places that have them?

@mike g. posted:

John, I seen Mario's train had some, but with my luck I was to late, any new places that have them?

Go to MTH Parts & Sales, click on the SHOP tab on the top row.  Search for COMMANDER and you can buy just the board for the DCS-RC.  For this use, you are going to hide the board somewhere anyway, so you don't need the case.

Use the holes to mount it on some plastic standoffs and hide it under the layout.  This is the complete guts of the DCS-RC except for the plastic case and the binding posts.

The watchdog repeater works very well!

A remote controlled outlet switch may be what you need. They are available in a variety of configurations on the big A.

I just finished doing a complete WD board set, I'll be posting a few in the for-sale forum soon.

Here's the "kit" contents, the DCS Remote Commander logic board, the JWA WD Generator board, and some mounting standoffs and screws to mount the board in a convenient place.

The board has some screw terminals to connect it to the output of the TIU channel, the black input jack is not used.  The size wire is totally noncritical, you can use any gauge wire you have around, even as small as #28.  It's just a signal that comes out the connection, no significant current.

I tried to make sure folks knew which post goes to the center rail, can you see it?

Here's the board with the WD generator installed.

Hi John, as you know I am dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to this stuff, so there is no power going to it, you just wire it in where your output from the TIU goes to your track?

Yep, center track (red post on TIU) to the right hand connection and outside rail (black post on TIU) to the left hand connection.  Mount the board and run the two wires, installation finished!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Yep, center track (red post on TIU) to the right hand connection and outside rail (black post on TIU) to the left hand connection.  Mount the board and run the two wires, installation finished!

You got to love this! Trains for dummies! LOL