So if I buy a Zephyr, and I want the DT400R wireless throttle. I need the UR91 base also right (not sure about it at all)? What wires do I need to wire this all up that aren’t included? How do I mount (place?) the UR91, as it doesnt seem to have a tray around it. Anything else I should know? I know the Zephyr has enough amps (2.5) as I am now running fine off of 1 amp Bachmann EZ.
Pilot;
All you will then need to get is a 6 conductor network cable. You can get this cable from digitrax as well but it can also be bought at just about any home improvement store.
Plug one end into the Z and the other into the U-91. The lenght doesn’t matter, 6ft, 10ft, etc.The U-91 is made to be mounted into a hole cut into the fascia of your layout, any where on the layout you choose. Thats why theres not a “tray” around it.
A friend of mine mounted his in the ceiling, and it can recieve signals from anywhere within the room.
Pilot, You do not neccesarily need the UR91 to use a DT400R throttle. You can plug the throttle in and run tethered, using a six-wire telephone extender cord. You could also use a UR90 infrared receiver and the IR wireless on the throttle, this just needs to be line-of-site, like a TV remote.
If you use them, the UR90 or UR91 will connect to the zephyr with a loconet cable, which is a six-wire telephone cable. They don’t come with the zephyr or the UR’s, but you can find phone cables at most hardware or department stores. You will also need a PS12 power supply for the UR’s, this is a 12vdc plug in transformer.
As for the tray, do you mean the faceplate? Digitrax intends for the UR’s and UP’s to be mounted into a facia via the screwholes in the face-plate. The module group I am in uses Digitrax; I usually clamp our UR91 to the backdrop behind the modules to give it some heighth, and therefore better reception. We have a show this weekend so I will try to get some photos posted of this.
One nice feature of the Zephyr is the jump ports. These let you use up to two DC controllers as additional DCC throttles. It is also one of the easiest Digitrax systems to program with.
I hope this information helps, John
you have to be careful when you buy the loconet cable with connectors already crimped on unless you buy it reom digitrax. digitrax uses 6 conductor wire with the white wire always connected to the right pin in the connector at both ends of the cable. some of the other cables have the white wire on the right at one end and on the left at the other.
I need a 12V power supply for the UR91? Can I use my DC Bachmann (NOT DCC, I have a DC one too). What kind of connector does THAT take?
For just a single connection, Zephyr (or other command station) tot he UR91, or to a single UP5, straight or crossed cable won’t really matter. Where it is critical is if you connect a command station to a booster. If teh Loconet cable is crossed over (like a typical 6p phone cord you can buy at Walmart), the Rail A/Rail B outputs of the booster will be out of phase with the command station. The booster gets its signal fromt he Railsync lines in the Loconet, and if the cable flips over the signals will be opposite one another. But the throttles only use the Railsync lines for power, all data goes over the Loconet pins which are electrically tied together, so flipping them over does nothing.
That being said, it is best to use the proper data-type cables (or make them - crimping ends on flat telephone wire is pretty near foolproof, if you get a decent tool and not the plastic cheapies). If you are only installing 1 or two, just buy the cables, it won;t be worth it to buy the required tool, ends,a dn cable. But if you are wiring up a decent size layout, get teh toosl and DIY, it will be cheaper, plus you will get the exact cable length you need, or be able to feed the cabl through support holes int eh benchwork before attaching ends. Making or buying the correct cables will prevent some odd head scratching later on when you expand the layout and wonder why things are acting wierd.
&nb
Possibly, but the recommended power supply is the PS-12, which is a 12V wal-wart suppyl with the proper end on it. You can buy similar at Radio Shack. The power input on the UR91 is what is called a coaxial connector, and are quite common, but there are many different sizes. The UR91 will not work properly if a power supply is not connected - it’s needed to drive the radio and IR receiver circuitry.
–Randy
i bought one of those cheap modular pin crimpers from radio shack. it works well and i have used it a lot hooking up my clubs loconet system. no matter how careful you are the modular plugs on the controllers will eventually break so having the tool and some spare plugs around will make it a faster repair. if you use a modular telephone extension cable without replacing the connector on the one end it may not work. its not only the two outer wires that will be reverse, all of them will be reverse at one end. i haven’t tried it as i don’t want to take a chance of damaging my system.
Pilot, be aware that we are very close to getting a new wireless system from Digitrax. The not particularly well guarded secret, strongly suggest that the duplex (2 way) system will be out within the next 3 months or so. While all the indications are that the current UR91 system will happily coexist with the new system, you may want to save your pennies for now and wait for the new.
It’s OK, since the middle two are Loconet and not polarity sensative (and in fact are electrically connected inside the throttle and in soem other elements) and the next two are both ground. The outer two are Railsync, and since they carry an low current version of the DCC track signal, polaity does matter - for any device that needs to reproduce that signal. Primarily this means boosters, but if you also use Transponding the signal has to be the correct phase at the BDL168 that has the transponding recievers connected. If all you are plugging in is throttles, it doesn’t matter, the Railsync lines are rectified inside the throttle to provide DC power to run it, in absence of a battery or an auxiluary power source on the UP5.
Bottom line, using a phone cord won’t let the magic smoke out of your system. But one flipped cable in a chain that contains boosters and/or transponding detectors and you will have wierd problems. I usually buy (although I recently got a box full for free - we trashed our phone system at work) of phone cords, and consider it getting 2 ends for free - I cut them in half or to whatever length I need and crimp a new end on the cut side and leave the factory crimped end in place.