Where is yours located?
We are building a seperate bench with a spare DCS100, 3 ft test track and Decoder pro.
The people helping me said that there is a problem with having the program track working off the layout booster (DCS100). Hwo often due you have to program? I ASSUME that the decoder has ram to store the program information for the cv’s. If I am correct then one program per loco should do it.
This DCC stuff has sent me back to college for an electronics refresh course. Last one was in the 1960’s when a resistor was protesting the war!!
George,
My program track (Zephyr) is part of my engine servicing terminal. It has my sand tower and a refueling area. It is currently conected to both the program outputs and the main layout via DPDT switch. Basically I run my loco into this track spur, switch the switch to program and away I go using decoder pro. However, there can be a problem. If I had the spur set to program and then ran a loco into it from the powered part of the layout, I could blow out the program circuitry in my Zephyr as the full voltage from the powered part of the layout could bridge to the low voltage program track. I have not had the problem, but there is always the risk. I am going to modify the switching arrangement to have a dead section of track between the program section and the main layout when the program switch is enabled. Joe Furgate has a nice explanation of this on an excellent DCC thread
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=-1&TOPIC_ID=36389&REPLY_ID=372838#372838 complete with diagram at the bottom of the 2nd page.
Mine used to be an isolated section of layout track, but I am about to redo much of my trackplan to allow me to switch, pass, and to run a 2-10-4…whenever it finally gets here.
So, while waiting for our basement to get finished, and waiting for the 2-10-4, I decided last week, to build a portable program track using a 24" long 3/4" X 6" plank, some extruded foam, plaster, and track. I created a nice diorama, trying very hard to emulate Siskiyou colours and setting a la jfugate. I think I did a passable job, all things considered, but my main interest was to keep potential errors in electronics from affecting other locos on my layout, and from using up valuable space. So I went portable.
My DB 150 does not need a booster for either ops or page mode programming. I have successfully readdressed a Tsunami and all my QSI-equipped locos.
For mine, I use a circle of Bachmann EZ Track that I also use to break in engines. When I am done, I just roll it behind the layout, or hang it on the wall, or break it up and put it in a show box. Could even use just a few sections if I wanted!
I have an isolated siding with (eventually) a toggle on the control panel complete with a red LED to indicate “program mode” (I happen to have some old surplus 3PDT toggles - 2 poles for the track wiring and 1 pole to power the LED). If you look at the track plan of my 8x12 area, on the ‘top’ section (which is the back, against a wall), the siding nearest the edge of the benchwork is my programming track. As I expand around the basement, that may change, since the idea is to NOT have to duck under anything while operating. I envision the 8x12 area becoming a coal area - the yard I have there being a marshallign yard of sorts and the various sidings around there serving various loading points. Thus an operating job might be for someone to be stationeed inside the 8x12 donut - but they’d stay inside their entire trick, not have to duck ina nd out on a regular basis. And if I woudn’t have to duck under EVER I wouldn;t be happier - so a different siding, perhaps where the tracks will roll across the rear of the workbench, will become the programmign track. Or maybe I’ll pick up one of those new LocoBuffer USB units and the programming add-on (makes it a standalone programmer like the SPROG) when *** gets that on the market. That unit and a laptop and a section of track makes a completely portable programmer.
For now, what I REALLY use is 2 sections of Atlas code 100 snap-track connected with a set of terminal joiners wired to the program outputs of my Zephyr. You can see it in some of my pictures sitting next to the Zephyr console. Nothing fancy, but it works.
–Randy
I have a spur that runs to my workbench and a section at my roundhouse, both wired to a DPDT.switch. I like having the section at my roundhouse to be able to program a loco without having to move them to the workbench. The programming sections are isolated with insulated rail joiners.
Mine is the Team Track at the end of the yard. I have a DPDT Switch that at the moment just shuts off power to the main layout as I am currently using the Super Empire Builder that does not have a seperate programing track. It will be rewired to be able to use as a real programing track as soon as I hook up the Radio Super Chief I just bought. The DB150 will become a seperate booster for a new section of the layout.
Thank you for the GREAT responses. The size of this project with as many as 8 operators at a session put the red flsg out for me. WE will alwasys watch out for our equipment because we paid for it. A guest will have a different SOP that they fellow and can forget what your SOP is. I feel safe with the Bench deal.
I like the idea of using the engine termianl or a drive in spur. Less 0-5-0 and cahnces to damage details. I may do both Have the DCS100 at the bench and use the layour DCS100 at the termianl. I have a LEY LOCK DPDT that I could use for operating sessions.
I have found out something that we shoild pass on to the new folks.
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS that comes with EVEREYTHING you buy. THEN read them again and HIGHLITE the important parts. I found the answer to MANY of my DUMB questions after reading the INSTRUCTIONS AGAIN. Still have a problem with the Hudson BLI but the Challenger reaquires EVERY TIME.
Take Care
450 ft of track in 625 ft to go!!!
I wonder if the capacitor in your decoder is shot, and the inrush of current resets something? You have a definite problem with that J1, and should just sent it back. Matthew Williams is the service rep for BLI, and he got back to me with agreement to ship back my Niagara (but fixed the problem myself) within 5 days. You can count on a return to your mailbox of about three weeks or so.
I have a “plan” similar to what simon1966 has as I’ve also read jfugates tip. I have NCE Pro and it supports programming on the main, so, I wonder, is it still necessary to have the combo programming/ops track ?
Could I still use decoder Pro without this combo track?
Regards,
George, if you want a seperate system to bench testing, I wouldn’t get another DCS100, I’d just get a Zephyr. Or SPROG, or wait for *** Bronson’s add-on for the LocoBuffer-USB. I guess it woud be nice having a spare DCS100 in case something faied during an op session, but 8 operators would probably put you withn range of using one of the DB150’s as the command station to continue the op session. The Locobuffer add-on, SPROG, and Zephyr are all quite a bit less expensive than another DCS100. All approachs would give full-featured programming. The Zephyr and SPROG can also actually run a loco on the test track, I don’t know what *** has planned for his programmer accessory.
–Randy
My programming track is disguised (or it will be when I do the landscaping) as an abandoned siding near the front of the layout. I use a Digitrax Zephyr for setting the basic CVs and then fine tune things on the mainline with a DT400. On a previous layout the programing track was part of the engine terminal and switched with a DPDT switch. This can cause problems if you forget to throw the switch and put track voltage to the programming outputs. The isolated track eliminates the possibility/problem.
Should have read this BEFORE I went to the train show, picked up a DCS100 for $125.00. Oh well. Cured the BLI 100%, exchanged it for another one, Works fine now![:D]
Well, that was a steal. If I could find one for $125 I’d have one myself by now.
–Randy