I was having a DCS signal loss issue, and found that if my Fastrack uncouplers are powered through the TIU by using track power, connected from either the center rail, or from a wire taken from the TIU terminal block, the DCS signal goes from 9-10 to 1-3. The signal loss affects many of the track blocks connected to the same TIU terminal block.
The power wire was connected to a center rail, then to a terminal strip that feeds the DCS AIU accessory relays. The power wire in the terminal block was then connected using jumpers to all the power input terminals on the terminal strip, used for each accessory (in this case, fastrack uncouplers). The other terminal block connection went to the fastrack uncoupler. On the AIU side of the terminal block, one wire went to ACC1-1, the other to ACC1-in.
I do not understand how the wire connection described above, for the uncouplers, could have any effect on the DCS signal strength, when the uncouplers through the AIU are not activated. The track signal strength is weak (1-3) for many of the track blocks, in addition to the block that the power wire is connected to. If the power wire came from the TIU terminal block, all the track blocks showed a very weak signal strength. This low signal strength issue was present at all times, even though none of the uncouplers are active, with the magnet "on".
I now have the uncouplers running off a separate accessory transformer, and the switches running of another accessory transformer. (actually, right now they are running off different posts on the same transformer. I will use separate transformers if the voltage needed for the uncouplers needs to be more than 12.5V, the max output I can measure on the 1033 track terminals)
Any ideas what can be causing this signal strength issue, and how my wiring described above can be he cause?
My thinking is that others must be using uncouplers activated through the AIU, and am I doing something basically wrong in my wiring plan.
Thanks for any help in my understanding: Joe K
) the DCS signal.
