I have a Zephyr system and I am trying to wire a programming track into the layout
Here is what the problem is
I have used a DPDT switch both (on off on) and (on on) type
I wired the Zephyr rail A & B to the left two terminals on the switch
The programming Terminals to The Right side of the Switch
The programming track to the middle terminals on the switch
When I switch it to program it will work on page program on the zephyr
but when I switch it back to power nothing works I have no power I have check all the connection and all are good any why only the programming side will work and not the power??
I don’t know what You mean by left side terminals and right side terminals on the switch. If it’s a dpdt center off switch look at the switch as two top two center and two btm. Your power goes to the two center and the others go to the top or the btm depending on where you want the handle position up or down.
It sounds to me that you have a section of track incorporated into your layout that you wish to isolate so that it can be used for programming or switched to become part of the main railroad. Is that correct?
And looking at the Zepher it appears that there are two sets of wires that come off the back, one pair for programming and one pair for the main. Is that also correct?
Then what you want to do is connect the section of track you wish to power to the center pair of terminals on the DPDT switch. Then connect the programming wires to the pair on one side of the toggle switch, and the main wires to the other pair.
When you throw the switch one way you’ll connect the programming power to the center terminals, and thrown the other way you’ll connect the main power wires to the center terminals.
… and that programing track MUST be otherwise completely electrically isolated from the rest of the layout.
But we still have not determined if the OP understands the electrical layout of the DPDT switch which is why we would like to see a diagram or photo of how he wired the switch…
I agree. But I do have a question. Not being familiar with the Zepher, do you have to tell it to use either the programming function or the normal ops function, or can you do both at the same time?
And another question to Roadie. When you throw the toggle switch to the normal main track function, does the rest or the railroad work okay?
And when you connected your main track wires to the toggle switch, did you check that the polarity (or phase) between the isolated track section and the rest of the railroad was the same? I think it is possible to develop a short between the programming track section and the rest of the railroad if you swap the leads to the toggle switch.
Also when I switch the toggle to run nothing happens the hole time I have a loco on the programming track the rest of the lay works great weather the toggle is on program or run
Be very careful, if you don’t know what you are doing with your switch and miss-wire things so that full track power goes into the program outputs of the Z you will destroy the program track circuit.
Couple of things to consider. The Zephyr has track outputs and program track outputs. You can have a program track setup, enter program mode and simultaneously have the rest of the layout powered and operating. So it is not either/or, both can be used concurrently.
What it sounds like you are trying to achieve is a section of track on your layout that you can run a loco onto under power, then switch a toggle and allow the section to become the program track.
It is a very good idea to have a section of track that becomes dead when the program track is active. If you don’t you run the risk of bridging the gap between program and powered layout and destroying the program electronics. This link shows an example of how to accomplish this.
What current rating is the DPDT switch? Perhaps you are destroying the switch with the main line current?
Trouble shooting steps.
Verify that the pair of power leads going to the switch actually have power?
If they do, solder to the switch and see if you can get power routed to the program track. At this point only connect the power leads and the leads to the program track. Don’t connect the leads from the program output of the Zephyr yet. Verify that power is getting through to the program track and working. If you verified step 1and it is not then the switch must be bad or you are wiring it wrong. Toggle the switch and power should be applied and broken as you toggle.
Then add the program output leads and verify all is working as it should.
The key to understanding the DPDT is to know that if you are going by the diagram in the linked post, the lever on the switch would move up and down in the orientation shown. If the lever moves up and down adn the back terminals are wired as shown in the right-hand picture, it’s wired correctly.
Unless it’s a really tiny toggle switch, it can easily handle the current of the Zephyr. And even if it was rated for only 1.5amps - unless you are runnign the Zephyr near maximum for the one piece of track - and being the program track I can’t imagine moire than 1 loco, which would be under 1 amp 99.9% of the time - it would not exceed the switch capacity. Plus exceeding the switch capacity does not instantly open it liek a fuse, it’s a gradual process. Plus the current rating is usually how much it can switch - ie, change the switch position while power is applied and some amount of current is flowing.
Key questions: does the rest of the layout, hooked to the track output., work? And of the toggle is in the main position, is the program track totally dead or does the engine just stall when it crosses the gaps? If the latter, you might just have the two wires to the rails of the program track backwards and it’s shorting when you drive across the gaps. Also always be carefule to NOT have the toggle int he program position when driving a train across the gaps. In the diagram shown, putting the toggle handle UP would connect the main track - the middle gets connected to the end terminals OPPOSITE the way the end of the switch handle points, unless it’s some wierd oddball toggle.
Another possibility is that you could just have some defective toggle switches. I recently had a DPDT switch fail so that it wouldn’t throw a switch machine. It finally wore out and didn’t make contact in one direction. Running power around the switch’s internals with some clip leads connected to the terminals confirmed that I had an open circuit in one direction. A new toggle, wired exactly like the first, worked perfectly.
I noted in an earlier post that you’ve tried three different switches, which makes the above MUCH less likely (especially if the programming works every time but not the regular track power), but it’s still possible you have several examples of a bad batch from the manufacturer and by chance hooked them up so the same side was open every time. I doubt it, but still…
After programming a number for the engine on the programming track you then put the engine on the main layout. Then witch the toggle back so the program track has no power then push the power button on the Zephyr and make sure the light shows track power. Then you input in to the Zephyr the number you programed in to the engine and give it power and it just sits there? No lights even?
Did you short out the track to see it if does have power? Digitrax says use a quarter, but any piece of conductive metal will work.
If it still does not work then do as Digitrax recommends and call their tech support.