Does digitrax make a stationary decoder with feedback? Basically, I need a decoder that will tell loconet the position of a turnout. I wi***o use this, coupled with the BDL-168 occupancy detector and the SE8c signal decoder, to drive signal aspects. Simply, I want signal aspects to not only to be displayed by block occupancy, but with positions of certain TOs at the same time. Is this possible with any of their products?
Do you have to run the signals via digital for some reason? Our club although Digitrax, has the signals run off the turnouts via DC,
Digitrax’s website says the DS64 decoder can. There is switch OP21 which sets the message state signalling.
http://www.digitrax.com/ftp/ds64releasev2.pdf
I don’t have one but here is the manual URL. Look at page 11.
If you run the signals this way, do you also have occupancy detection controlling those same turnouts, or just TOs alone. I’ve been reading online about what I want to do, but it seems too complicated and too expensive, especially because I am new at layout building. One complicated part is having cascading turnouts run these signals…i.e. setting up 4 aspects on a 3-over-3 signal for single track splitting into triple or quadruple-track runs. I would need the input of 2-3 turnout positions as well as occupancy detection for each of their succeeding tracks…all to drive that 1 signal. A combo of Digitrax’ BDL-168, DS-64 (several), and the SE8c…along with a healthy dose of computer aid and programming, major wiring headaches, signals themselves, a nearly infinite amount of free time, and a wad of ca***hat I don’t have…could possibly do the trick. Not to mention that I would then have to invent a way to fully automate my trains. So, I guess I’ve decided to forget the signals and not drown myself in something like this. However, I want flashing lights and working crossing gates. This may be a little more realistic of a challenge.
By the way binkley, I used to live on rt. 161 and I worked at Netjets at Port Columbus Intl. Nice to see someone else from Columbus ( and an NS fan!)