Please help: Trouble with Watchdog Signal

You mentioned toggle switches. Do your engines coming up in conventional when you flip the toggle on ?  If you have good signal strength. Even though the engine is powered on with sound and such. By hitting Start Up. It should then respond to the DCS remote. This is pretty much normal. Mine was an older layout that DCS was incorporated into. Wired similar to what your describing.
There was something posted a while back on the Forum. Do a search for Watchdog Generator.

#1 watchdog signal is ONLY sent from a TIU channel when that channel sees a power state change from off to on. This is valid for both passive mode (track only connected to output and transformer has an inductor (choke) in series) as well as pass through power at the input of the TIU channel.

My guess is you simply put a switch between your yard and sidings and the output of the TIU? Again, because that TIU channel is powered- no watchdog signal is being sent to the freshly powered and now connected siding.

As I understand it, the watchdog signal is only broadcast by the TIU for approximately 45 seconds when initially turned on, give or take, or a lesser period of time if a command is given prior to 45 seconds.

If you have an engine on a siding with a toggle switch that is off when the TIU is first turned on and you then power that siding by flipping the toggle switch at any time after 45 seconds, the engine will come on in conventional mode because the watch dog signal is no longer being broadcast by the TIU and that engine has missed it.   

In addition, if you power up the track too slowly or to not a high enough voltage (about 10 volts), the engine will also think it is being asked to start in conventional mode.

I'm just rambling here..... (consider this some help maybe?) You did say any help, right?

You have to understand how the system works basically, to help in troubleshooting.

Some people also miss that the watchdog signal can be drawn down by having too much powered equipment on the rails. I was having issues many years back and Barry suggested that I take my 4 track engine yard off the mains (power) and lower the number of engines seeing power at the beginning of a session. I think Greg also stated to try that as well. I hadn't realized that acquiring so many engines so fast, helped me miss a growing issue.

There are many things to look at. Trouble shooting has to be methodical. It can be easy though. Removing stuff and adding them back one at a time while testing all along, can help find things more easily.

If your wiring gets tens for strength, and no double responses or other issues, it maybe something else. I had another issue where signal was dropping, only when a combination of certain equipment was on the same rails. For example, I run Lionel tank cars with sound and they usually don't present an issue. When signal is weak, they are enough to wreck things for me.

I should have built stuff with chokes inside when being converted to 2 rail. I get lazy and it comes back to bite me.

Edit: I also have had PS2 engines with weak (dead) batteries miss the watchdog signal. I replaced the battery, and those engines behaved.

My #1 fix for some persnickety DCS engines (especially lashups) is to turn off the TIU and turn it back on for engines to acquire the watchdog signal. Try that first before ripping apart your wiring.

hi gunrunner sell dcs tiu watch dog boards that generate watchdog signals! this works great! especially good for yard sidings!

Alan

The WD boards require you to have the MTH 50-1033 DCS Remote Commander to install them in, something that is in short supply nowadays.

I appreciate everyone’s replies. I do toggle all my sidings and know that the watchdog signal will not link up to the engines on the sidings not turned on.  But, I am checking each siding for connectivity when the toggle is on.   I am also going to rewire my two main lines and go with a STAR method. I believe my issue is that, although my bus line method for each of my two lines generates good electrical conductivity (I get “10s” the entire way), the watchdog signal goes through too many Euro connectors (each can be considered a small terminal block) on the way around my 22’x18’ layout.  So I am going to use the STAR method of wiring and begin the project soon. I just need to get into the MOOD.  😱.  I also need to do some more research on my Ross Custom Switches to see if they could be causing some issues as well.  

Again, thanks to everyone for their ideas. Boy, this train thing is a constant learning process. And finally, a quick shout out to Gunrunnerjohn for his help as well.

Mike (Pa Train Guy)