I know a lot of you use the Digitrax Zephyr as a start-up (and only) DCC system. In reading their manual on-line, two terms have me wondering. Perhaps you can clarify them for me. The first is the term “locoNet throttle” which seems to mean any walk-around throttle since it plugs into a phone type jack. The other is a “smooth DC power pack”. It is the smooth part I don’t understand. I remember reading the suggestion of buying a second DCS50 but would like to go to walk-arounds.
Thanks for any help, Ron K.
Smooth DC means no pulse power, although others have said MRC Tech II’s work just fine. I have some OLD MRC power packs that, being what they are, do not offer a filtered smooth DC output. If I power Tortoises fromt hem, they actually hum. I have hooked these to my Zephyr, and aside from the poor low end (which is nothing different that using the same packs to directly run my Stewart DS4-4-1000 switcher), they work fine.
I also built a simple battery-powered throttle from Radio Shack parts to connect to the jump ports. This worked great. The plans for it are in the files section of the Digitrax Yahoo Group.
Otherwise, you could get any of the Digitrax throttles, DT300, DT400, UT1, UT4. You can add additional jacks, you aren’t stuck with the two already on the Zephyr console. Using the real Digitrax throttles, you have a lot more capabiliy than the jump port throttles. A DT400 or UT4 can access all 12 functions, so if you have any sound locos, one of those wold be a good idea. The jump port throttles are limited to controlling speed and direction.
–Randy
Randy, Thanks for the fast response, I was pretty sure it was you who had commented on Digitrax on an earlier inquiry. By the way, just viewed your website - looks real good.
Looks like I’ll go with the Digitrax throttles which is what I had planned to do anyway. I haven’t done much on my planned layout (15’ x 22’) as my wife has just had a medical setback, but hopefully I’ll start laying track on Phase One in the next few weeks.
Ron K.
Ron,
Randy gave you the right information on the Zephyr and Digitrax throttles. I use two MRC Railpower S on the jump ports of my Zephyr. The seem to work pretty well. I don’t think the 1300 have pulse power. You can not use just any throttle with the Digitrax ‘Loconet’. They must use the same ‘architecture’, meaning communications protocol, as the loconet. Of coarse all Digitrax throttles will work. If there are others, they would be listed on the Digitrax site as compatible.
I added a Digitrax DT400 throttle to my system recently so I could have portability to the ‘north’ (other) side of my BRVRR layout. It was well worth the money. For now, I just plug it into one of the ‘Loconet’ ports on the Zephyr. In the future I will have additional ports on the back side.
If you are interested in seeing my installation, I have a couple of photos posted on my website. The link is in my signature. Once there,pu***he ‘Layout’ button and scroll down the page.
I have had my Zephyr for two years and I am very pleased with it.
Hope this helps. Remember its your railroad.
Randy, can you tell me the folder name to find this plan? I must be blind!
There are two, one is Zephyr.gif in the main Files list, this is the one I built. A nicer ones is in the Zephyr folder, the only file in there. The nicer one runs off a 12v wall wart supply.
If you build the one I did, remember to put an on-off switch in the battery line, or take the batteries out - there’s a continuous load across the output as long as it is connected to the Zephyr, even with the Zephyr turned off. Don’t ask [:(!] All parts are available at Radio Shack, but the potentiometers that RS sells are junk and have a huge dead band at the lower end. It doesn’t mean you’re going to get locos that leap into action, it just means that there is a lot of the range lost - ie, if the pot turns 320 degrees, you loose 30 degress of that where nothing happens as you turn. Better quality parts are available from Digikey, Mouser, or Jameco, although some of those have minimum order amounts and a small project like this won’t come close, so you end up paying through the nose for shipping and handling.
–Randy