Well, since I got my TMCC up and running last Monday, I recently recieved the command base cable that I ordered, to wire up the command base to the TPC 400. My goal was to be able to run any O scale locomotive with the remote, since I got my command-equipped locomotive running…
But there’s a problem. I wired up the TPC; first the power wires to my CW-80, then the two wires to the inside and outside rails of the track, and finally, the command base cable. I’m sure I had everything wired up correctly. I placed my MTH Proto-Sound 2.0 locomotive on the track and gave the TPC 400 an ID#, and everything seemed to go just as the instructions went. Then, I gave the TPC the commands to go into conventional mode, and after it seemed to go into conventional mode, nothing changed on the layout. I turned the CAB-1 knob around, and the voltage of the track never changed; the lights in all the cars stayed bright…however, the “track” light on the TPC dimmed and brightened in sync with the turns I made on the remote’s knob, just like it should. Nothing responds on the track, not anything. When I put my command-equipped SD80MAC back on the track, though, it goes around just fine (it runs in command mode even when the TPC “seems” to be in conventional mode).
This is getting very confusing for me, and I don’t have any idea what I did wrong. I wired up everything to the TPC correctly. The only thing that isn’t with the diagram in the manual is that my command base is wired to the “U” port on the transformer, not on the track like the diagram…but that shouldn’t make a difference, should it?
Any help would be appriciated as I am at the end of my rope [sigh]…thanks!!
Please refer to the section of the manual regarding opeating the TPC in conventional mode. It sounds like you are running it in Commnad mode, aka full track voltage,
I’m always having to change mine & to go to conventional I have to hit the M button at the bottom of the cab-1 & then the set button set. Then to go to command I hit the L button & set.
I think I followed the instructions to set it in conventional mode…what is it…I set my TPC to be recognized as TR 2, so I pressed TR, 2, then “M”, Set, and then I think it’s in conventional mode. My Proto-Sound 2.0 locomotive does not respond at all to my commands on the CAB-1. When I put my TMCC SD80MAC back on the track, it runs in command mode even with the TPC lights off, I assume in conventional mode…its as if the TPC is getting commands from the command base but not sending them to the track. I really think I wired everything right, though.
No lights are on the TPC? You have to wire the transformer outputs into the TPC and then take the outputs from the TPC and wire those to the track. You need to set the transformer at the maximum voltage you wish to use. The coilcoupler site referenced in an earlier point shows how to hook everything up and the commands necessary to run it.
BTW, to reset the TPC to TR 2 you needed to do this with the run/program switch in program and then remember to sut down and switch the run/program back to run.
You wrote "I wired up everything to the TPC correctly. The only thing that isn’t with the diagram in the manual is that my command base is wired to the “U” port on the transformer, not on the track like the diagram…but that shouldn’t make a difference, should it?"
It might.
From your earlier thread we learned that you have one of the old (pre-revision) CW80’s in good working order. On these versions, the orange terminals A and B are “common,” whereas U and U are “hot” or “feed” or whatever you want to call them. It is almost as if U and U are “hot” outputs from two different transformers.
If you don’t keep them straight, you have the potential for “cross-wiring,” for want of a better term. I looked at the TMCC Owner’s Manual #71-4189-250 as suggested by csxt30 above, and it seemed to me that there is a substantial risk for cross-wiring, especially with pre-revision CW80’s such as yours, and especially if other devices are connected to the track.*
Folks who want to understand something about the confusion associated with the early CW80 transformers may want to read further. I have taken some heat from folks who have a trusty early CW80 that “has never given any trouble,” and they question my concerns. (I have two of them myself, love’ em, and use them every day – within their limitations.) If all these folks ever do is connect throttle posts A and U to the track (or A and U to the track plus B and U to some metal accessory that never touches the track) it doesn’t matter whether they connect A or U to the center rail. Their train will run fine, and so with their accessory.
But as soon as they try something just a bit more complex, they run into problems. For example: Many people decide they want to run their switches (turnouts) off auxilliary power, generally because at low throttle the switches don’t get
Once again, I cannot believe how stupid I was. The problem was caused because I still had my original terminal section from my track wired directly to the CW-80…in addition to the new wires going from the track to the TPC 400. Apparently because my old wires were still in place, the electric current bypassed the TPC 400 all together, therefore causing none of my engines to run. Once I got rid of the old wires and just had the electric current going through the TPC 400, everything worked as smooth as ever.
I also hooked the command base directly to the track, instead of on the CW-80, so that may have made a difference as well.
I am extremely happy now that I can run all of my locomotives with the remote control.
One other thing - I have one TPC, but I have two seperate ovals I want to run. Does that mean I need another TPC for the other track? I think it does but I’m not sure.
Congratulations, Bob, you must be quite relieved. As the referees would say, “by rule, whoever posted last prior to the solution gets the credit,” right? [:D] Enjoy your toy!
If you want independant control of the two loops yes. Alternatives are a modern ZW (it has the equivalent of four improved PowerMasters installed). Or use of real PowerMasters. I’m not a big fan pf the PowerMasters but they are cheap (of course you get what you paid for).
Thanks. Your post made me think a bit, and that may have been the reason I discovered the track wires needed to be removed. In a way I’m relieved, because the CW-80 was running out of room for all those wires going into the posts…[:-^]
I am really excited, actually. My MTH Proto-Sound 1.0 and 2.0 locomotives run nicely with the remote…I can access all of their features - I can even run my ProtoSound 2.0 locomotive on the CW-80 loop now without the horn going crazy! I only have two more of my conventional locomotives I haven’t tested with the remote - my Santa Fe FT and the Polar Express Berkshire.