PM42 output 4 tripping with the others.

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

Hello All
We have a PM42 in a new install with an output 4 issue.
If we short output 4, only output 4 trips.
If we short either output 1,2, or 3, output 4 will also trip.

Any ideas what might be going on?

Thanks

2

For someone that does not know what a PM42 is what is it??

3

It’s a power management board. It has 4 protected outputs of surge protection (breakers)

http://www.digitrax.com/prd_powerman_pm42.php

4

Sounds like maybe the inputs to section 4 might not be connected to the proper pins? Or it’s just a DOA unit, do you have another one you can plug in?

–Randy

5

Thanks

The unit was bought by the club a couple of years ago when they were going to do the signaling system the first time. The inputs are pretty basic and it’s working fine when just on the 4th zone. I have a new one that I can try out. At least they use edge connectors so swapping should only take a couple of minutes. I’ve since read on the yahoo group that the capacitors are bad sometimes and causes trips on other circuits.

6

I would swap the outputs from units 3 and 4 and see if the problem moves. If the problem stays with 4, then it’s probably the unit. If it moves, though, you have a wiring problem. I had a similar issue with a PSX-4, and it turned out that I had cross-wired the same section of track to two of the units.

7

Thanks

I had thought of that.

The PM42 feeds a BDL168 Block detector. Each of the blocks is reporting correctly so that shouldn’t be an issue. The fact that output 1 and 2 also trip 4 is what is strange. I’ll look again though.