Legacy Base, TPC300, & DZ-2001 Don't Want to Play Together

Yes, it probably is a drive current issue that Dale's booster could help with.

You might try driving the TPC from the DZ-2001.  Connect the ground and dat lines from the DZ-2001 to the appropriate terminals on the TPC.  This setup worked for me but it can be very finicky.

Thanks Professor.  I didn't think to hook it directly through the dat and common.

Dale's Manco Booster is exactly what you need. I had the same issues: 3 TPC,s, 1 BPC, and the DZ-2001.  The Booster solved all my problems. Everything works together now as they should.

Great job Dale.

See http://www.trainfacts.com/trainfacts/?p=406 for a newly revised data sheet for the MANCO Booster.

I keep seeing similar posts about this issue. When I hooked up the Legacy system on my layout I had the following: 2-TPC300's, ARC,ASC,AMC,BPC, and the DZ-2001 to work the DZ2500's installed on my Ross switches. I have five switches on the main layout and a four way switch in the yard.

I never ever had any problems even though I had seven devices connected to the Legacy base. Was I just lucky?

Could it be that the system I have from Lionel was acquired just after the freebie systems were sent to those who purchased the Big Boys during the initial promotion that Lionel did? I know that it is one of the very first production versions.

If you will take the time to check the revised data sheet mentioned above, you will learn that not all accessory controllers cause loading problems.  The TPCs and the Data Wire Driver are probably using up about 6 of the available 7 milliamps of drive available.  The other devices are very light loads on the serial data line.  You are near the edge, but not over it yet.

Thanks everyone for the replies.  Dale I did check the data sheet and the information provided makes sense.  I hooked up your booster and it still doesn't work.  I tried several arrangements.

Legacy Y-cable from Legacy base, TMCC plug from Y-cable into TMCC base, the last female plug into the DZ-2001, the cable from the booster into the other end of the DZ-2001, and finally the TPC cable out of the communications port on the booster.  This resulted in the switches throwing from both Cab-1 & Cab-2, but TPC would not start up.

Hook up #2: Started the same with the legacy Y-cable, but this time put the DZ-2001 back onto the TMCC base, then the plug from the legacy cable, then plugged the cable from the booster into the female plug from the Y-cable.  The TPC cable still came from the communications plug on top of the booster.  This resulted in the switches being able to throw from the Cab-1, but not the Cab-2, and the TPC could be powered up from both Cabs.

Hook up #3, I eliminated the DZ-2001 all together which resulted in the TPC powering up.

I guess my question is where should the DZ-2001 go in the grand scheme of things?  Or what is the proper hookup?  I tried to put the DZ-2001 on the communications port on the top of the booster, but the threaded standoffs interfered with the hookup and it wouldn't go together.  Same occurs when trying to hook it directly to the Legacy base, the standoffs are in the way.

Jared

The TPC is an Accessory, not a Communications device.  Plug the TPC cable into the "Accessories" 9-pin on the Booster.

The Data Bus Driver should also be driven from the "Accessories" port, but that would require adding an extra 9-pin female plug to your TPC cable.  This is the "correct" way to hook up the units.

You may get away with putting the Data Wire Driver between the Legacy Y-cable "Serial Comm" female plug and the Booster's input cable, and then plugging the TPC cable into the "Accessories" port on the Booster.  This will use up quite a bit of the drive from the Base output, but if you don't have anything else hooked to the "Communications" port, it should work.

You may want to invest in some male-to-female 9-pin cables to free yourself from the problems with the threaded standoffs butting heads.  If you do buy cables, make sure that they are straight-through 1-1 wiring, and not Null Modem wiring with pins 2 and 3 crossed over.

Dale, I moved the TPC cable to the accessories port on the booster and then had the data bus driver connected to the TMCC base.  This allowed the TPC to work, but switches could only be ran from the Cab-1.  When I plugged the data driver between the Y-Cable Serial Comm and then to your booster, the TPC no longer worked, but switches did.  You mention purchasing another cable.  Could I run that new cable from the Accessories port on the booster, into the data driver, and then the TPC cable?  It makes sense that the data wire driver and TPC cable have to be on the same side to have the signal boosted.

Thanks for the help

Jared here's how I connected it with good results:

Connect the Y cable to the Legacy Base

Connect the TMCC Base to the Y cable end that says Command Base

Connect the Booster to the Y cable end that says Serial Comm

Connect the DZ-2001 to the Booster

Connect the cable from the TPC to the other end of the DZ-2001

This worked well for a layout I was working on. All the switches and 3 TPC's work with no issues.

Thanks Steve.  After the process of elimination I figured that the DZ-2001 needed to be connected to the female port on the booster.  The problem with mine is that the standoffs are in the way.  As Dale suggested above, I guess I will get a male to female cable to go between the booster and the DZ-2001 or at the very least a gender changer.