I had a DCS remote commander hooked up to a track with Fastrack switches powered by track power and the signal was nonexistent. Is there any way to solve this problem short of running fixed voltage to every switch? Thanks.
|
I had a DCS remote commander hooked up to a track with Fastrack switches powered by track power and the signal was nonexistent. Is there any way to solve this problem short of running fixed voltage to every switch? Thanks.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Try a 22uf choke to replace the jumper from TRACKIN and AUX POWER. This will isolate the DCS signal from the electronics which is the issue. This replaces the jumper that's there now.
A 1/2 A choke should be plenty, I used a 255ma one and it worked fine.
John,
Thanks for the information, but I no nothing about chokes. Could you post a link to what you are talking about? I think this choke is overkill by your specs but would it be O.K.?
This is for auto switches only right? Or do you need them in the manuals too?
The manual switches don't have any electronics to interfere with the DCS signal.
Thanks Gunrunnerjohn..... AGAIN! I haven't put that in any of my switches and new that I've got a big layout I'm not getting signal to my yard and some engines. Hopefully this is the fix and all will be well again! I ordered a bunch of these from your link.
THANK YOU!
You're welcome.
The choke shouldn't affect the Legacy signal. I've put chokes in Legacy locomotives to prevent them from affecting the DCS signal, it didn't bother the TMCC/Legacy signal at all. Remember, the Legacy signal is on the outside rails, we're not doing anything to them.
I had a DCS remote commander hooked up to a track with Fastrack switches powered by track power and the signal was nonexistent. Is there any way to solve this problem short of running fixed voltage to every switch? Thanks.
I found the remote commander being very fussy about needing a terminating lamp (like the infamous "Magic Lightbulb").
Trying to run the engine without the caboose (a bulb inside) wouldn't work. Attaching the caboose to the engine/cars or just parking it on a distant siding got everything working again.
Just a thought.
(the following is a ranting by an idiot who hasn't had his second cup of coffee)
Is it possible that all those years the real railroads ran cabeese for just that very reason?!?! They had to in order to make the trains go? And maybe FINALLY after all those years the caboose disappeared after Gunrunnerjohn came up with that electronic box thingy on the end of the trains that somehow choked/rectified/or boosted some signals and made the caboose obsolete?
I kinda like the caboose. And now I have this feeling Gunrunnerjohn made them go away.
Maybe I should go drink my second cup of coffee and think about this.
I kinda like the caboose. And now I have this feeling Gunrunnerjohn made them go away.
Very Funny! GRJ looks like you are the demise of all the Cabeese!
Boy, I'm getting blamed for all sorts of things lately. If I didn't know better, I'd develop some sort of really scary mental condition!
WAIT... I have already developed it, LOOK OUT WORLD!
I notices the color band on a coke does the direction the coke is turned on the jumper area make a difference on the fastrack switches
Chokes are not directional, it makes no difference which way they're installed.
Thank you john for the information
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership