How can I keep the engines from powering up in Conventional mode?

Try changing the starting voltage to 18 volts.

If there is power already to the input of VAR 2 before you power the tracks, you don't get the watchdog signal to tell them there's a DCS controller on the tracks.  Are you switching on the input to that channel and not just switching the output?

John,

 

What may be happening is that power gets scrolled up too slowly using the thumbwheel, causing the engine's electronics to not get up to speed quickly enough to catch the watchdog signal.

True, that's why I was asking if he was switching the input or output power.  If he's just switching the output power, he'd get no watchdog, right?  I've done that, and I normally just shutdown the engine(s) after turning on the track.

I've tried setting the transformer to 5v, then going to "Tracks" and switching the voltage from 0 to 22 via the remote, then bringing the transformer up to 18v ... and tried bringing the transformer up to 18v first, then switching the "Tracks" from 0 to 22v.  Also using the toggle switch on the track to switch it "on" after the Tracks and transformer are both at full power.

These methods seem to always bring the locomotives up in Conventional.

 

With the Coal Turbine lash-up it seems to always confuse the lash-up so sometime on unit will activate but the other won't, etc.

 

It leave me with five locomotive smoking away in Conventional mode while I scramble to shut them all down so I can bring one up in DCS.

 

Also, when I try to activate the track (going from 0 to 22 volts on the remote) before putting any power to the TIU from the transformer it doesn't turn the track on so when I add power from the transformer nothing happens to the track current; it stays at 0.

There was a discussion of running the variable channels in fixed mode, and having them revert to variable when you adjust the voltage automatically.  If you do that, maybe the following will work.

 

Configure the variable channel to fixed.

Have the output of the TIU connected to the tracks in the yard.

Switch on the input power to the variable channel at full voltage, do not ramp it up.

 

I'm sure Barry can say if this will actually work, I haven't tried it.  I do recall a similar discussion about configuring the variable channels as fixed and having them automatically revert to variable when you attempt a voltage change.  That way every time the TIU powers up, that channel is fixed until you vary the voltage using the remote.

Kerrigan, Set variable channels starting voltage to 18 volts. Turn on all toggle switches. Set transformer voltage to 22 volts. Press TR and then TSV soft key.

The watch dog signal  should go out anytime the voltage on the output of any channel is raised above 0.. This signal goes out apparently for about 5 seconds, quite long compared to earlier software version. Why are your engines missing this signal??

 

Only guessing but I suspect you may have a low track signal .  An easy fix would be to set the channel to fixed mode and install an extra toggle on the input side of the var channel between the power supply and input side of the tiu. (kind of a master toggle)

To fire up an engine you would toggle on the track first and then toggle on the extra one installed toggle between the power supply and input side of thre tiu. This ensures the watch dog goes out to all the tracks (if toggled on) and does wonders for lash-ups. No need for the work around if a lash-up misses the watch dog.

Gregg,

It's good to see you posting!

 

Your toggle switch idea ail work, however, if he does as I discussed in my post above yours, he'll never have a problem.