So now I have my ZW hooked up the following way to a loop of track:
one 180 in A-U
one 180 in D-U
ONE Wire going from D to # 1 on the lockon
Command base wire and U wire going to #2 on the lockon
Command base plugged into separete power strip than the two 180s. Turned on the command base FIRST then the bricks.
Both handles of the ZW pushed to full.
My SD-90 (which is already sitting on the track) I hear it’s speaker come on.
I type TR-1, BOOST on the cab1 then ENG6 BOOST (my engine has been reprogrammed to #6) and NOTHING. When I turn off the 180s, I hear the SD90 make a cracking noise, as the speaker is shutting off, so it is getting power.
Also, I did run a conventional engine on the track, so it is getting power.
Is the Command Base plugged into a power strip or a surge suppressor?
Never ever plug a Command Base into a surge suppressor. The circuitry in most suppresors intended to protect whatever’s plugged in from ground spikes does not allow the command base to get a good connection to ground.
To test, plug the Command Base directly into a wall socket, or if the cord won’t reach, plug it into a 3 wire extension cord & then plug that in. If everything works OK, then the power strip is your problem.
Other than that, make sure the ZW is set to the correct mode. I’m not sure which position the switch needs to be in, since I don’t own one.
Took the wires off binding posts D-U and moved them to A-U using the TR-1, ENG6–NOTHING.
Took the command base plug out of the power strip and plugged it directly into a wall socket–NOTHING.
I hooked up my TPC 400 (programmed as TR-0) and went through the motions and the engine fired up like a dream.
So, what’s the deal with this? The ZW gets power to the track but no siginals from the command base? I guess I have a $300 dollar accessories transformer.
The A&D outputs of the new ZW are controlled by the Cab 1 when the Command Base is connected and turned on. With the Command Base connected and on, the A&D handles will always start at zreo volts regardless of the handle settings.
My startup sequence is as follows:
1: Turn on main power which turns on Command Base first.
2: Turn on the 180s manually. My A handle is always set at 16-18v
3: Select TR 1 on Cab 1 and turn the red knob to the right to bring the track voltage up to the level of the handle. NOTE: the engine lights are the only thing to come on as the track voltage is ramped up via the Cab 1.
4: Select Eng # and boost. The sounds come on.
5: Turn red knob and away you go.[8D]
WOW!! AND YOUR FIRST POST AS WELL!!! I AM HONORED AND THANKFUL TO KNOW YOU!!
I wasn’t turning the red knob after hitting TR-1!! That’s all it was! Why isn’t that in the ZW manual???!! Or did I miss it? Oh well! No matter!!! Thank you thank you!!
Ah, so that was it, eh? If you hit BOOST on a TPC-400, it brings the voltage up to full? I didn’t realize that. I guess you know now that it don’t work that way on the ZW, either.
