I had trouble getting my locos onto my bridge track past a handlaid turnout. It is a Fast Tracks one that I made from scratch, a curved wye, that is necessarily gapped at the frog. So, while the outer frog rail is on a continuous path and always energized, the gap rendered the inner powerless…if you know what I mean. I metered it anyway because I seemed to have power at one point, which was odd. To my horror, the meter showed 19.4 volts where I knew power was good. What the…!!! Everything seemed fine, all decoders were running and sound systems were good. Locomotives ran as per normal, and had been for many long minutes.
I looked down at the face of the DB 150, under the bench, and saw that I had inadvertently flicked the scale selector toggle at the same time as the power switch…for those that don’t have one, the DB 150 has them both within 1 cm of each other. So, the scale power toggle had been lifted to the O gauge position.
I hope Digitrax moves the scale selector switch to the back of the unit if they continue to sell the DB 150. The got so many things right by listening to their clients, I hope they move the darned scale selector toggle so that it isn’t right next to the power toggle.
I have to agree that the switches are not well positioned at all. Fortunately because the manuals are so hard to read most users never figure out what to do with the switches in the first place. [}:)]
Actually Selector, I have a DB150 as a booster running off my Zephyr command station. I never touch either switch, I just turn both on and off from the power strip that they are plugged into. I don’t know if this is considered good or bad practice, but I have been doing this way for over a year since I added the DB and never had an issue with it.
I would not be at all surprised if we don’t see a new command station to replace the DB150 come out soon. There are so many rumors floating around about 2 way radio support, increased numbers of functions in the 20’s (this bits not a rumor Digitrax told me this directly) that something has to be going on. Since the DB is the oldest one of the range it would not surprise me to see a new “high-end” system with the DCS100 dropping back to be the middle range unit. Who knows, just speculation on my part. Digitrax has always been an innovator and it seems about time for something to come out.
After this incident, you probably have already done so, but I’d encourage you to make sure that you notify Digitrax of the potential problem. Even the best of companies can come up with some real head scratchers. Like, “What were they thinking?”
I’m glad you caught the problem in time. Crandell, I have a suggestion but I’m not exactly familiar enough with the gauge switch on the DB150 to know whether this will actually work or not.
We had a door at work that needed to stay locked for security reasons. Every day I’d find the locking push button along the edge of the door disengaged so that people didn’t have to keep using their keys to unlock it. Signs and reminders usually went upheeded. Well, I fixed that problem simply and quickly. The solution? A tube of silicone rubber.
I first locked the door by pushing the locking push button on the side of the door. I then filled the indentation of the locking push button with silicone, squeegeed off the excess with a razor blade so that it was flush and let it dry. The remedy can be reversed with a little effort but the locking push button can’t be disengaged without removing the silicone plug.
I mention the story because this might also work with your gauge switch. Fill the void with a little silicone or caulk. Once dry, the switch can’t be inadvertently engaged. If you need to reverse the process, you can dig out the plug with a small screwdriver.
Tom, that would not work in this case as it sticks out and is a toggle switch. However the concept reminds me of a thread either here or on the Digitrax Yahoo group form months ago when someone mentioned placing a small lid over the switch to protect it. I think that they used an old ketchup lid or something like that.
Thanks for the clarification, Simon. Well, I guess you could always unsolder the wires and remove the troublesome toggle from the DB150. Or, you could use a hacksaw to shorten the toggle arm so that it’s harder to “bump”. (Assuming that you won’t be using the DB150 to run any O-scale locomotives.)
Thanks for all your replies, gentlemen. Yes, this was one of Digitraxx’s misses…it happens. If the toggles had ben of a larger type, and separated physically according to their innards and base modules, it probably wouldn’t be such an issue, but these are of the tiny type and are literally within the space of the width of one’s index fingernail…what the heck were they thinking?!
I have not bothered to consider a fix. Personally, mine would be the tendency to do something drastic, such as to use a cut-off to reduce the profile of the offending toggle to about 1/8", thus requiring much more effort and pressure on one’s finger tip to get it to lift back through N-scale and on to O. I am unlikely to sell the unit…I will use it until I replace it, so I can justify the butchery. It should be a simple thing to tape it, true, but they are so close, and so small, that it would be difficult to make it work well and in a lasting way.
I am surprised that no one else has apparently encountered this…at least, I can recall no thread dealing with the subject. My hands are somewhat smaller than the average, maybe, certainly not those of a person who has worked with them his whole life. There must be other ham-fisted fellows who have done the same thing. ?
I have also considered the use of a power bar or other intermediate rocker switch to save the toggle from so much wear. That was a good suggestion…thanks.
I think it was int he Digitrax Yahoo group where they had the switch modification. There might even be pictures in the photo section showing it. The simplest thing would be a U shaped piece of metal, with a hole the size required for the toggle in the base. Unscrew the toggle, add this piece on the front and then the nut.
Using a power strip is a good idea. You run your computer through a surge strip (I hope!), so why not the DCC stuff? The one I use is surplus from somewhere, it appears to have been designed to work with a specific brand of metal desks. The surge part and the outlets are in one unit, with a relatively short AC cord. On a longer cord is the switch with two mounting holes. I fastened this to the front edge of my benchwork (and the switch lights up, too) so I have easy access to turn all the layout power on and off without crawling underneath.