Hi All, I have a Digitrax Zephyr system on a 4x8 layout. I have a 6 conductor cable for the loconet and want to know if I use a can 6 conductor coupler instead of a UP5 panel for the extra throttle? The cable is plugged into the Loconet A port on the Zephyr.
Yes, shouldn’t be an issue.
Thanks Jeff that just saved me some money and time[:D]
I recently found a 6-coductor wall plate with an extra jack on each side of it thats works great as a fascia panel. I also found a 2 into 1 splitter at my local hardware store. If you look closely at the female plug of most 4-conductor jacks, there are places for the other 2 conductors. I use some appropriately sized music wire o add these saving some $$$. Tweet.
Tweet, Where did you find that wall plate?
This is OK for 1 or two throttles, or if you put batteries in them. Too many throttles wired liek this will overload the railsync lines in the loconet cable and cause erratic operation. The UP5 provides for 3 additional power sources (besides a battery in the throttle) - railsync, track power connections, and a wall wart power supply. So small layout, 1-2 operators, it’s ok to not use the UP5, but on a larger layout you will run into problems without providing some additional throttle power. --Randy
I think I got it at a local HWI Do-It-Best hardware store. It was under $10.00 so well worth the money. Tweet
Yes you can. But the purpose of the UP5 Panel besides being a connector, uses a LED to let you know when DC or DCC Track voltage is present by the color of the LED or the panel.
The LED goes Orange when DCC is present to the tracks.