I hope all is well with my MRRDER Family, I have a question for you, I have decided to have two reversal loops instead on building a liftout section in front of my entry way, I saw that MRC has a reversal loop decoder that looks easy to hook up to a reversal loop and prefroms great!!!, since I have a Digitraxx Zephyr as my power on my 18 X 19 Nscale layout, would this MRC reversal loop decoder work with my system??? I hope so, Thanks for the help!!![:D]
As long as the sensitivity of the reverse unit allows it to ‘trip’ before your Zephyr does and shuts down the layout because it ‘senses’ a short, you should be fine. BTW, the Digitrax reverse unit has an ‘adjustment’ pot to adjust the sensitivity. Here is some other items to consider:
Use two reverse units - one for each reverse loop. It is possible to do it with just one, but if there is a train entering or exiting each reverse section at the same time, you can have a conflict.
The length of the track in the reverse loop should be longer than your longest train.
Just sort of curious. Why do you state it “performs great”. At first I thought you were in a club or were using one with adifferent controller.
Yes. I have two MRC automatic reversing units installed on the modular layout that I take to shows. For over 10 years they have performed fine with different various DCC systems powering the modules - NCE, Lenz, and yes even a Digitrax Zephyr.
Lee’s issues with the Zephyr were well publicized here. I still say there was some other underlying issue, but he had problems, sent it back for repair, still had the same problems, sent it backl again, got a new one, same problem, sent it back, and switched to a PowerCab. Sure every manufacturer has duds slip by, but to get two, plus not have the repair ix anything is way down there on the statistical likelyhood.
Yes, I am still stumped and wonder to this day as to what caused all my problems with the Zephyr. I could not adjust the AR1 low enough to allow reversing. It seemed so strange that the Power Cab worked with no changes to the lay out. That’s why I ask the new guy to update his post. I type slow so my posts are short. Didn’t mean to disparage any brand. [:$] It could have been the AR1 that was defective, but the first “Z” smoked with out shutting down, the second one wouldn’t start two sound engines, and ETC.
I have two AR-1’s and a Zephyr, DCS51 and they work most of the time. They have a failure rate of around 4%. This after recording close to 250 trips through them over the course of several days. I suspect that because they are mechanical relays they might be somewhat affected by humidity?
DCC Specialties PSX-AR is a really nice unit that auto has a built in automatic stall motor/snap motor switch throw. So the turnout will automatically flip if you are in a reverse loop.