Question: is it possible to have a HUB for PDI connections so that I do not need to daisy-chain every connection? I don't see anything offered by Lionel, other than a yet-to-be-made IRV-2 module which will have extra PDI ports on it....
Can we do anything similar? Is it as simple as opening up a PDI cable and splicing to make another connection?
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Lionel does not make a "Y" or a hub. Several years ago the layout builder I was using tried to get Lionel to design and make a "Y". Lionel declined and said they had no future plans for one either. It is a strictly linear system. The IRV2 is specific to the Sensor track.
Thanks Tom I can think of a lot of reasons that a one-to-many would be useful. Suppose you built a layout and locked down the track with ballast to make it more prototypical... then decided that you could afford more sensor tracks...... you just can't reach underneath the cemented track continue the chain!
They make this. You have to call for it. Not a hub but could be added to a sensor track feeder cable so you won’t have to lift it once installed.
https://www.lionelsupport.com/...1JOINB00&match=0
Not sure what kind of track you have. If not FasTrack then you can mount the the IR board separately on the track with the new cataloged items. I am an S gauge operator and Lionel does not make S gauge sensor tracks. The layout was built before the new separate boards were available. We bought O gauge FasTrack Sensor tracks and removed the two boards. We custom made connecting cables to put the programming board some distance from the actual sensor location. Here are some pictures just in case this gives you any ideas for your layout.
The black wires are the DB9 LCS cables, the blue wires are the connection between the sensor and programming boards.
The first picture is one of the Sensor tracks as installed in the layout. The second is the appearance for the underside. The plywood top of the layout was cut out under the circuit board. The third is the programming board, it is under the fascia edge of the layout, easy to reach.
Tom, I'm doing something similar... I have Atlas/Ross O track, but I needed to get the sensor board closer to the engine because the track ties are so thick, so i did a bit of surgery to cut a couple ties from one side of the track to allow the board to be installed closer to track height, much like the original sensor track. I only put a hole in the board as a feeder for the cable but the larger cutout would solve the problem. It's just a bit harder since this is a retrofit to track that's already ballasted, so all the cutting will need to be carefully done from under the table.
Sounds very nice. I hope it works without issues.
Tom - do you know where I can get connectors (where you have the blue wires) between the IR board and the control switch board?
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