Fastrack switch power under DCS

geysergazerOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

Do I remember something about not using track power to power Fastrack track switches when operating under DCS control? Something about the electronics in the switch messing with the DCS signal? Or is it that you need a choke coil at each switch?

I am presently using one track power buss to power everything on the Pike including track switches, accessory lighting, remote uncouplers, my Tortoise-machine-powered car-stoppers and, of course, one Lionel PW 282 Gantry Crane. I'm thinking I need separate buss for all that stuff, isolated from the DCS buss?

2/13/202:36 PM

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gunrunnerjohnOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Instead of the track power jumper, use a 22uh choke to jumper the track power to the switch. That will prevent the switch electronics from degrading the DCS signal.

As for the other stuff running on track power, a suitable 22uh choke between the track and the device is also a good idea for reliable running. The current rating of the choke will have to match the device being powered.

2/13/203:10 PM

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geysergazerOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

Thanks, John! Upon refection I realized that of course, the same as the power transformer winding any of that stuff looks like a low impedance load to the DCS signal and therefore would absorb and thus attenuate the signal.

Fixed. I had started out with separate accessory power to each switch and those drops were still in place. All I had to do was run an accessory buss around the [small] layout and switch over everything except track power drops.

2/13/204:02 PM

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gunrunnerjohnOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

That works as well.