As the title states I am interested in block detection. The problem is I dont want to spend a lot or make the circuit myself plys I dont want to have to buy any more boosters. I was browsing through some MR articles I threw onto PDF for my own personal reference and saw in the May 2000 Issue an article on DCC block detection by Bruce Chubb And want to know if there is a simpler easier way to do block detection without all the feeder wires etc? I have some infered ones but think these wont due due to night scenes. plus the IR leads are to short wont go through my foam I have. Any suggests or tips etc? I would like to read them.
Check out the products that Team Digital offers. While I haven’t used any of them personally (I use Digitrax product exclusively), the stuff seems reasonably prices and very flexible. Here is a link for them:
Good luck!
Jeff
your choices seem to be spending money , $7.50+ per block , or building it yourself . as far as i know you don’t need any more boosters to run block detection than if you don’t
the feeder wires are required for block detection , the detector monitors the current going through the feeder to the rail and uses that to determine if there is something in the block . the decoder in the loco draws enough current to set off the detector even when the loco isn’t moving , but cars need to have some kind of resistor added to the wheels to be detected
infrared detectors don’t really do block detection , they detect if there is something at a specific spot on the layout . if the leads are too short solder longer wires to them !
you can learn a lot by going to Digitrax’s web site and downloading the manual for one of their block detectors and reading through that . i imagine many other manufactureres have info available
Block detection can be quite simple with DCC. But no matter what hardware you buy, it is not going to be real cheap. I assume you are just looking for block detection, and want to light some panal lamps?
If you want a full blown signal system, then things can really get expensive. there are 3 basic things you will need:
o - Detection system
o - Signal Logic to read the detection and decide what signals to light up.
o - The Signals themselves
I have gapped all of the blocks for the signal districts. I plan to use the Digitrax signal control, and drive it with ‘Panel Pro’ software on my PC. So, I will have $125 in the logic, a used PC with Panel Pro(free), a $90 Locobuffer-II for the Loconet/PC interface, and then another $20 a pop for the signals - I never said it was cheap!
Jim
You can’t have block detection without making blocks, and each block has to be isolated from its neighbor and thus requires feeders. It’s not as complicated as it looks. Transformer-based detectors don’t add a voltage drop, and in some cases (check Dick Bronson’s RR-CirKits web site), allow the transfommer to be located righ by the bus wires with some thing cabling running back to the actual detection logic - thus you don’t have to run DCC feeders from some central site to each block being detected.
No, it’s not cheap - but Digitrax has the best value in railroad signalling logic going - the SE8C which lists for $125, most places sell it for $100-$105, controls THIRTY TWO 3-color signal heads. Plus is has input for 8 block detectors AND outputs to drive 8 Tortoises. A typical turnout ‘plant’ will have the turnout, 2 signal heads on the point side of the turnout, and a signal head on each of the routes into the frog end - thus the SE8C can control 8 complete plants - but you don’t have to use it that way. You’re looking at 112 bitsof I/O (actually 120 - there’s 8 more inputs for local button control of the turnouts) for $125 list price - just over $1 per bit. C/MRI, while nice, is significantly more expensive even if you buy only the boards and shop carefully for the parts ot build them. The SE8C is ready to go out of the box. As much as I like building electronics, I can’t see paying more up-front PLUS adding my time to build the things, especially since I already use Digitrax and will have Loconet to connect it all together.
The nifty thing is, you don’t need a Digitrax command station at all to use the SE8C. All you really need is the SE8C and a Locobuffer to attach to your computer, and then the FREE JMRI software to operate it all. Heck, you don’t even need to be using DCC, you can hook DC block detectors tot he SE8C inputs as well.
&
check this out
http://www.atlasrr.com/Trackmisc/hosignals.htm
this is what I am waiting on… For me it is going to be worth the time and the wait and the appearent lack of hassle.
There is a video of how it works somewhere on the page as well.
I have been checking on it, and I think the last word was september for the release of it.
Reeves
Ok as I can tell I could use the tortoises to run signal detection but the targets will stay green or red after the train goes over it unless I thow the switch for the tortoise after it clears that signal and section of track correct?
Now if I use one booster but make blocks cutting the rail and then run the main dcc power wire to a distribution block and run wires from that to the blocks it should work correct?
The Tortoise has got nothing to do with the detection. The contacts on the Tortoise can be used to control which signal head gets lit. And you are correct, the signal will not change after train passes.
A single DCC ‘power district’ with blocks cut into it for the detectors and feeding back to a distribution block is the way to go. The output of the detectors then goes to the signal logic to control the actual signals.
Jim
ok so this diagram I drew up is how it goes but then the detectors send a signal to the signals to light red or green correct?
That is correct. Actually, the block detectors will send their signals to whatever controlling logic you use, not directly to the signals (unless all you want to do is have a signal light red when a train in in the block). The signal logic component is what actually lights up the required signals with the correct indications. This can also take inputs from additional sources such as the contacts on the Tortoise (so even if no train is in the block, but the turnout is set wrong, the trains sees a red, for example).
–Randy
ok so how does one of these controllin logics gonna cost me?
And how far a part can the blocks be?
Luckly I still use toggle switches and rely on them to know how the switch is turned.
That really depends, there’s several options you can go with. And it depends on how much you are willing to contruct yourself, if you have any soldering skills. How large is your layout? Each block needs to be large enough to accomodate a typical train, and there really should not be any undetected sections between the detected blocks. ie, it should be Block 1—Block2—Block3 not Block1--------Block 2-------------Block 3
–Randy
17X12 round the room 2 layers 2 yard each roughly 4X8’ and the top one probably 3 X8
I got decent soldering skills and I dont want to spend to much money dont want to rely on the computer either all I need is something that makes the signal go red when a train enters and then green when a train leaves.