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ZWL Transformer - I have questions after doing my searching...

CaptaincogCaptaincogOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Okay, so I decided to take the plunge on the new ZWL and replace my Newer ZW with the 180w bricks since the voltmeter that I got was not fully working and frankly it did look added on. I completely agree that this thing is huge and I had to do some rearranging of my control center to make it fit. I will now be selling off my Newer ZW with the 2 180 watt bricks and I have 2 spare 135 watt bricks that will go along with the TMCC Cab1 stuff. I much prefer the Legacy controller and since I have 2 now I should be good.

 

I do love the look and feel of this ZWL so now that I had last night to play with it and do several hours of reading and searching I have some questions:

1. I have programmed the ZWL to use the TR buttons 1-4 since that is what I had the previous Newer ZW programmed with. I have noticed that channels B and C do not come up to full set power as the previous ZW and I run my layout accessories and switches off of those channels. Not too big a deal but is there a way to program those to come up to full power on power up?

2. I did play with the speed settings in the TR Cab mode and I am assuming that setting it with the H and SET buttons give me the 200 speed steps on Channels A and D when I do this for each channel?

3. What are the true advantages to setting the channels up as an Engine? If I did this could I then program several different MU settings in the Legacy that say could power up several channels at once? For instance A, B, and C could a TR1 that brings up full power for Legacy/TMCC/DCS running on my mainline 1 and brings up accessory power channels B and C at the same time. This would leave D available for conventional running. I imagine I could then program TR2 for accessory channels B and C to power up only leaving A and D for conventional? TR3 could be B, C, and D for Legacy/TMCC/DCS on D and accessory power on B and C? Finally TR4 for all channels to power up? I have already set B and C at the right voltage for my accessories so it will not send 18 volts out to those channels. Can I save all of those TR settings and not mess anything up? Does this work?

4. Can I adjust the speed setting properties on the channels in an ENG set up to not have to turn the throttle wheel several full turns to get to my max power settings?

5. Anything that I forgot ?

Thanks in advance!

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JF Joe FermaniOGR Forum Member
I have the zwl as well.

Channels b and c no longer start with power applied like the previous zws. I confirmed that with lionel. As far as I know there is no way to have any channels start up with power applied. You must addrsss each channel with the cab2 to dial up the power. Power will only raise up to the power set by the handles. The speed steps are set via the SMH buttons. H gives you 200 speed steeps on the given channel you set the momentum on. As far as using ENG instead TR you can try the mu deal. I dont recall  reading that in the manual. I thought the ENG was so you did not use up you TR numbers.
CaptaincogCaptaincogOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Update:

Never got to try any of these yet as my ZWL decided in the past 2 days to crap out on the D output side. Barely will put out 12 volts and the volt meter just bounces around from past 12 to over 15 but never maxes out like the A side no matter if I am in conventional mode or command mode. Now I have to find Jon Z or someone to help since I changed my layout wiring to use this lovely beastie and shipping is going to be very expensive to get it to Lionel and I will have not layout until it comes back. I am very disappointed to say the least.

CaptaincogCaptaincogOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Update:

Transformer was sent to Lionel and the issues/defect/anomaly/under-performing/below-specifications were addressed. On the way back it was delayed as the train it was shipped on was involved in a derailment east of Barstow, CA. From my understanding no one was hurt and my ZWL survived.

So far so good in running the layout with it.....

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